For a beginner floriculturist, it is important to clearly understand what kind of soil to plant a cactus. Often such an understanding comes after a series of trials and failures. Do not believe the rumors that the most suitable mixture is one that is similar to the composition of the land in the homeland of cacti.
Some plant the plant in completely unsuitable soil. In this case, the cacti feel great. However, this does not mean that you can give up on the composition of the soil for the cactus. Particular attention should be paid not to him, but to the structure of the mixture, acidity, ratio and quantity of nutrients.
Soil composition for cactus
To properly prepare a soil mixture for a cactus, you need to know some factors. For example, the plant variety, its age. Recipes that are offered by the florists differ only in the combination of ingredients. But they always remain the same.
Before you look for the necessary soil composition for a cactus, you should know that it must necessarily meet two parameters:
- the mixture is chosen for loose, easily flowing water and air;
- low soil acidity.
To understand what kind of soil is needed for a cactus, then first determine its age. For young and dive plants, a friable, nutritious mixture is more suitable. Therefore, most of the composition is leaf earth. Adults and old cacti need dense soil. It will become a greenhouse and clay-turf land.
In the soil with a weakly acid reaction, cacti are usually planted in the steppes and forests. But mountain, desert prefer the soil with a neutral reaction. The main ingredients of soil mixtures are leafy, old greenhouse soil, overgrazed manure, burnt clay, charcoal.
What kind of soil a cactus loves depends on its kind. For example, plants that have virtually no spines prefer mixtures without calcium content. But if the whole cactus is decorated with spines, then even egg shells are added to the soil.
The optimal period for preparing the mixture is a month before planting. Keep it recommended in a slightly moist condition. It is very difficult to guess how the plant will react to this or that kind of mixture. To identify shortcomings and advantages, it is better not to change it for a long time.
You can detect changes in the soil mixture during the transplant, examining the root system. If it is developed and healthy, then the mixture is suitable. When the roots have rotted, they have not evolved sufficiently, the mixture is better to replace, since it does not bring any benefit.
Thus, the optimum soil composition for the cactus is determined by selection in the process of its cultivation.