How do you take care of the red cactus?

For some time in nurseries and garden stores we have found a series of cacti of different colors that seem out of a story: the rootstock is green and does not have much ornamental value, but the Gymnocalycium that you have above is beautiful. When grafted, it can turn lilac, orange, pink, or red, making the whole outfit look spectacular. So, if you have just acquired a red cactus and do not know how to take care of it, then we give you the keys so you can learn the red cactus care.

If you want to know more about the care of the red cactus after its graft, this is your post.

Key features

The red cactus has become one of the most popular plants for interior garden decoration for a number of reasons. They have great ease of cultivation, low maintenance and the large number of varieties and types that are available. We can find red cacti with different morphologies and even other colors. It has become one of the succulent plants that has created mass phenomena in all those people who want to improve the decoration of their gardens and interiors.

Cacti are part of the succulent family called Cactaceae. All these species have a main characteristic which is that of accumulating water and nutrients inside your tissues. They are able to easily adapt to different habitats where you are. It is thanks to these characteristics that they can survive in arid and dry terrain.

The red cactus, like most cacti, is capable of defending water reserves well in times of drought. To do this, they develop thorns and, although it seems very similar to other plants of this same family, it can only be had by grafting.

Basic requirements

Having a red cactus at home is something that tends to be very appealing, therefore, it is important that we provide it with the best care in order to keep it as beautiful and healthy as the first day. Thus, the first thing we have to do is place it in an area where it receives a lot of light but not directly. In the event that we choose to have it inside the home, we must put it in a room where a lot of light enters, since otherwise the plant would lose color.

Once we have it on your site, We will water it every time the substrate is completely dry. To avoid staining the floor, we can put a plate under it, but we must always remember to remove any excess water 10 minutes after watering. This will prevent the roots from rotting.

From spring to the end of summer we must pay it with a special fertilizer for cacti following the instructions specified on the package. If we prefer to give it something more natural, it is highly recommended to add a small spoonful (of the coffee ones) of Nitrofoska Azul or another mineral fertilizer whose nitrogen percentage is 12% or less.

Finally we have to transplant it in spring, passing it to a pot about three or four centimeters wider. For this we will use universal culture substrate mixed with perlite in equal parts, or substrate for cacti that we will find in nurseries.

Red cactus care

Lighting and location

It must be borne in mind that the red cactus, being a grafted cactus, tends to have more specific care than that of traditional cacti. As we have mentioned before, one of the main differences that we must take into account with respect to a normal cactus is that It cannot be put in direct sun exposure. Being a graft, they tend to be weaker in terms of tissues and the ability to withstand the heat of the sun. If the sun's rays hit it directly, it becomes very aggressive for them. However, it does not mean that you need a very bright place to live well.

If we place it in the garden, we must guarantee it semi shade or full shade but a large amount of lighting. Let's not forget that plants are capable of photosynthesis even if the sun does not hit them directly. If we are going to place the red cactus indoors, it is interesting to put it near a window where it has enough light. It can give direct sunlight if it is filtered even by a thin curtain. If we get a curtain that reduces the solar radiation that falls on its tissues, we can have a good health of the red cactus. We can also let it read in the afternoon sun, but not for much longer than several hours at a time.

Irrigation and fertilizer

It must be borne in mind that one of the most risky factors when making mistakes and caring for the red cactus is watering. We must maintain a certain humidity in the substrate, but without drowning the roots. To do this, we must distance the time between waterings as much as possible. In this way, we will avoid placing a plate on its base so that irrigation water does not accumulate. We can also do the same thing that we have mentioned before, and that is to place the plate for a very short time to prevent the roots from rotting.

On the other hand, the subscriber must be done with a special fertilizer for this type of grafted cactus. They can be found in specialized stores and the dose is that recommended by the manufacturer. The highest doses can be used in the coldest periods of the year and the lowest in the warmer ones. This is due to the fact that during the winter times they suffer more since they are used to high temperatures. We can provide some doses but at least occasionally. Another reason why this is done is because in winter the distance between watering and watering must be greater. Therefore, the dose should be higher but less frequently.

Red cactus care and maintenance

If we want to transplant the grafted cactus into a larger pot, we must use a substrate that has good drainage. We must not forget that the red cactus cannot be in a substrate that stores water. If we go to the markets we can find the reference of the special substrate that exist for the red cactus and the rest of grafted cacti. We can incorporate garden soil with silica sand or volcanic gravel to improve soil aeration.

We must also know the pests and diseases that can attack this class of cactus. As for pests, the cochineal it is the one that can be presented more easily. It is easy to treat and we only have to prevent its shell from hardening so that its control is more complicated. Treatment must be started before this hardening.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about the care of the red cactus.