Evening star., 1942-02-15

that are native TO the tropics. q
requirements. But they all have thi.
as to be able to store up any moisture
obtainable; and an excess OF moisture
can be fatal to plant. Therefore,
the first essential in the culture of
cacti is good drainage. The tropical
cacti need more water than do the
desert types.
Cacti that are native to desert
regions require warmth. sandy soil,
minimum Of watering and trans
planting. and light feeding.
The epiphyllums, q class Of cacti
that come from tropical regions, re-
quire partial shade, must be fed
well, and thrive on the same treat
ment given to the average house
plant. These are usually large
Towering types.
All cacti require plenty Of fresh
air. They are sensitive to illumi-
mating gas fumes.
CacH that are native to desert
regions, which comprise by far the
greater percentage grown Is house
plants, require:
/. A dry, warm atmosphere.
2. Exceptionally good drainage.
Drainage material should be used
generously In the bottom Of the
pot, using for the first layer
coarse drainage material such as
broken pots, coarse gravel, etc,
also some charcoal. Then cover
this with q layer of some fibrous
material, and then fill the bal
ance of the pot with a good
friable sandy loam.
8. Potting in small pots. Cacti
should be planted in very small
containers in proportion to the
size of the plant. The pot should
be only a little larger than the
body of the plant. Cacti do best
when their roots are crowded.
4. A small amount of nourish-
ment in the form of a complete
balanced plant food. Opinion
was formerly divided among
growers on the wisdom Of feeding
cacti, but recent experience OF
many growers has shown that
cacti need some food. even the
slow-growing desert varieties.
The tropical varieties must have
a generous supply of plant food.
S. A soil that is neutral or
alkaline.
A Full sunlight.
7. A minimum amount of water,
Too much moisture will cause
rotting of the plant.
8. A rest period during the
winter months
One of the most destructive fac
tors in the growing of cacti Is due
to rot which is caused either by
poor drainage or overwatering. Civ
ing too much water to cacti is one
of the chief causes of failures with
them. and you should guard against
this error.
Any one who wishes to grow cacti
should remember that in their nat
ural habitat there are rainy seasons
during which they receive a gen.
erous amount of rain, and during
those periods make great deal OF
new growth. So we simulate nat
ural conditions by watering more
generously at some periods than
others. The desert type Of cacti
should be watered most freely dur
ing late spring and summer, which
corresponds to the rainy season In
their natural habitat.
Rules for Watering Cacti:
/. Water sparingly at all sea-
sons, being especially careful not
to overwater during winter, when
there Is little sunlight. This is
the period when cacti are prac-
tically dormant. During the ac-
tive growing season the soil
should be kept moist but not wet.
2. How often to water and how
much to apply: Environment
will determine somewhat how
often cacti should be watered.
If the room is hot and dry, the
plants will need more water than
If the atmosphere we're cool and
moist. No positive rule can be
given, and widely divergent rec
concentrations are made by
growers. Some writer's state that
a teaspoon to a tablespoon of wa
ter weekly is sufficient, but this
Is probably little too frugal. 1t
does, however, give you some idea
of how little water is really need
ed by cacti.
3. Water with lukewarm water.
4. Do not water from above,
especially those cacti having de-
pressed surfaces where water
might stand.
S. Watering newly planted cac-
ii: Freshly planted cacti should
be watered very sparingly for the
first two weeks or month-until
they have begun to root, and
signs Of new growth appear. Just
give them enough to encourage
them. Until they have formed