Just look at a window sill, patio or balcony to discover that cacti and succulent plants are trendy. They may even populate shop windows and restaurant halls, sometimes in simple clay pots, sometimes in cute decorated pots.
It is a group of plants that combined give a beautiful scene. There are cacti of various sizes and shapes and succulent plants that are exquisite, varying in morphology and hue. The group includes a wide variety of succulent plants (such as crassulaceae, aizoaceae, euphorbiaceae or apocinaceae) and also the entire range of cacti, the world's best-known succulent stem plants. And for that reason, the matching game is also very wide.
¿Why succulents are in fashion? Here we review some questions.
Advantages of succulent plants
There are great reasons to have succulents at home and one of the main ones is that both cacti and succulents require sporadic watering thanks to their water storage capacity. But that's not all, they also adapt without inconvenience to high temperatures and intense sun without suffering burns. Many of them even need direct sun to flourish.
Another advantage is the soil, since they are plants that adapt without problem to all types of substrates and can grow almost anywhere.
And then there are the comfort issues. With rare exceptions, succulents are cheap and also have the advantage that they reproduce quickly so that it is possible to have several seedlings in a short time. To this we must add that the variety is at hand because in large nurseries it is possible to get all kinds of varieties. In case something is missing, they are plants that usually take up little space, making it an ideal group for those who live in apartments with balconies or have a terrace or small garden.
Disadvantages of succulents
Beyond its great virtues, cacti and succulents have some downsides worth knowing. Although they are plants adaptable to heat, not so to cold. Most of the species do not get along with low temperatures with a few exceptions.
Although there are many species that tolerate direct sun very well, before having one of these plants, it will be necessary to review it well as some burn with the sun.
Although in general terms, they are ideal plants to have at home, they have certain limitations: excessive watering rots them very quickly and if the soil is not very permeable, the plant can die quickly when the roots rot. And while many species reproduce quickly, some multiply from seed, so patience will be required in these cases.
On the other hand, there are plants that can irritate the skin or cause blindness and species that are susceptible to attack by pests. While cactus flowers are very pretty, they don't always appear easily. There are cacti that take years to bloom and only do so under certain climatic conditions. And there is something else because although it is true that it is a group of cheap plants as less popular species are sought, prices increase considerably.
If you want to know everything about their care, click here:
I like cacti and succulents as I germinate them by seeds I live in tropical country
Hi Amelia.
Cactus seeds are sown in pots with a very porous substrate (like black peat and perlite in equal parts for example). They are placed on the surface of the substrate, covered a little, and watered.
If they are fresh, they will germinate in a few days.
A greeting.
Hi, I'm Jazmina. I grow ornamental plants. but it is difficult for me to see the cactus bloom. What I do?
Hi Jazmina.
There are some cacti that can take a few years to bloom. In order for them to bloom earlier, it is highly recommended to fertilize them in spring and summer, with any cactus fertilizer, or with liquid organic fertilizers such as guano.
A greeting.
How many centimeters per year can a cactus grow
Hello Omar.
Cacti are generally slow growing. Most grow less than 1cm per year, but there are others, such as Pachycereus pringlei, that can grow 3-4cm / year.
A greeting.