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Cactus Gardening
All cactus plants are succulents, but not all succulents are cactus plants. Being able to tell the difference is one of the concerns in the cactus gardening section. Other questions to be asked and answered include the specifics of a cactus plant's adaptability, environmental impact, growing conditions, harmful stresses, native habitats, propagation methods, and value for people and wildlife.
918 Questions
The Eastern cactus [Opuntia humifusa] may be found in the United States of America and in Canada. In Canada, it grows in southwestern part of the province of Ontario. In the U.S., it grows across the north westward from Massachusetts to Minnesota. It grows southward down through Oklahoma and Florida.
What is the cactus species name?
Exudate is the scientific name for 'cactus juice'. The fluid appears when cactus plant tissues are damaged or opened. The term also refers to the solutions that the roots release into the soil, as the cactus plant's waste products.
How many meters long is a saguaro cactus?
Three (3) feet (0.9144 meters) may be how tall a saguaro cactus plant (Carnegiea gigantea) is after 15 years.
Specifically, the saguaro is a slow-grower among plants in general and cactus plants in particular. But it makes up in mature height and longevity for what it lacks in speed! For example, its expected life span may reach 100-200 years. Also, its expected mature height may range from 15 - 50 feet (4.52 - 15.24 meters).
How much water do cactuses hold?
cactus's need minimal water and if you under or over water the can die. you should water a cactus once every 8 to 9 days if 60 degrees or more(inside or out), and should water it every 12 to 13 days in the fall or winter(inside), keep in mind that you should give the cactus 5-6 drops of food (fertilizer) each water. you can buy the cactus food (fertilizer) at you local plant store.
Cacti should be watered whenever the soil has dried out, if you water them to much they will get root rot. When it comes to cacti its a good idea to water them sparingly than to much, they can thrive on small amounts of water but will die from to much water.
Where does the name Prickly Pear cactus come from?
The prickly pear cactus [Opuntia spp] originated in North America. Its native environment runs from central and western Mexico, northward through the United States of America, and into Canada. In the United States, its native range includes the desert southwest, the dry northwest, the drier low elevations of the Rocky Mountains, and the Great Plains. In Canada, the prickly pear cactus is found only in the province of Ontario, at Point Pelee National Park and on the southern tip of Pelee Island.
Additionally, the cactus is perceived as forming western populations, as identified above; and eastern populations, which include the Canadian locations, also identified above. In addition to southwestern Ontario, the eastern prickly pear population includes the eastern United States, from Wisconsin eastwards through New England, and southwards down through Texas and Florida.
It's simple, go to Wal-Mart or Lowe's and buy the plant of your choice or plants. Go online and order there or maybe you have a friend with cactuses most likely they would give you a start off theirs, but remember NOT to say thank you.
Which plant has adaptations similar to those of a cactus?
All cactus plants are succulents, but not all succulents are cactus plants. So it's to be expected that cactus and succulent plants remind one another of each other. For example, the Caralluma socotrana of Africa and India resembles the totem pole cactus [Pachycereus schottii v monstrose] in similarly knobby stems. In the way of another example, Echinopsis spp resembles the African hat cactus [Hoodia spp] in similarly short, branching stems.
There are a number of euphorbias that are native to African deserts that closely resemble cacti from the New World.
How do you get rid of prickly pear cactus?
When I transplanted mine I put on gloves, pulled up some of the plant and laid in on the ground in a dry place with mostly morning sun putting just a little dirt around it. The plant will also root by laying the plant on the ground. New roots will form under each piece - it is easy to start them. Although they look dead in the winter, they bounce back. (I had a hard time getting mine to bloom until someone told me I needed a male and female).
Why does Christmas cactus only flower at Christmas?
The Christmas cactus [Schlumbergera and Zygocactus spp] blooms in response to appropriate heat, light and moisture levels. At the same time, it blooms in response to its genetic inheritance. It's a native of the Brazilian rain forest, where its growing season corresponds to northern winters. The appropriate environmental conditions, the genetic inheritance, and the growing season combine to make the Christmas cactus bloom when it does.
How does a cactus live with little water?
A cactus plant needs water just like any other plant. They have several methods for conserving the little water they get from the occasional rains.
1. They have roots which spread out near the surface to quickly catch as much water as possible before it drains away or evaporates. Large, column-like cacti also have a long taproot which goes down deep, primarily for support, but also to access groundwater and minerals.
2. They have thick, waterproof exteriors to preserve internal moisture.
3. They have spines, which not only protect the cactus from animals, but also shade part of the plant to reduce the small amount of remaining evaporation.
Cactus are so well adapted to dry conditions they will rot and die if they remain moist too long. They must be dry most of the time, especially their roots. That is why they grow in sandy, well drained soil that dries quickly after a rain.
Thirteen cactus plants can be watered once with a 4.2 liter capacity watering can. There are 4,200 milliliters in 4.2 liters. Thirteen plants use up 4,030 milliliters of water from the can. That leaves 170 milliliters, which won't meet the watering needs of cactus plant number 14. So it's at cactus plant number 14 that the gardener needs to refill the watering can.
Why do cactus live in dessert?
Cactus plants live by making changes within themselves to fit better with their extreme environments. For example, jungle equivalents of cactus plants don't grow on the tropical forest floor. Instead, they're epiphytic, which means that their roots are air born. They anchor themselves high up on tree trunks and branches. This is because jungle cactus plants face the opposite situation of desert cactus plants. They have access to enough moisture, in the hot humid tropics. But they'd be light deprived on the darker forest floor, where not enough sunlight filters down. So jungle cactus plants grow high up in the thick forest canopy, to be closer to what's in short supply: direct sunlight.
well it is hard to tell i think they eat grass or something or either they eat spiders yeah i think they eat tinsie winsie spiders
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Some do eat bugs. The Lady Bug, which is a beetle, loves a feast of plump aphids. Dung Beetles eat flies and parasitic worms.
What is a very tall cactus that can store water inside there stem?
Water, dissolved nutrients, and byproductsof photosynthesis are stored in the cactus stem. The water and the dissolved nutrients are sent up into the stem from the cactus plant's roots. They're held in the stem until they can be used in the photosynthetic interaction with sunlight. From that interaction are made the energizing carbohydrates, starches and sugars that the cactus needs for such activities as flowering, fruiting, growing, reproducing, and responding to stresses and stressors.
How long does it take a cactus to mature?
That depend upon the species. Some, such as the opuntias (prickly pear, cholla) can go from seed to a sizable plant in just a few short years. Others, such as the saguaro and barrel cacti, can take many decades to grow to a respectable size.
What eats cacti in the Sahara Desert?
people leopards lions (although these will only eat the small or the young ones,] jackals and hyenas.
Answer #1 The cactus has needles to lessen the loss of moisture through evaporation. Needles are the cactus plant's equivalent of leaves. The smaller the leaf or needle surface, the less the loss of precious moisture through evaporation. The needles also let moisture and rain water drip to the soil surface. The water then seeps below ground. Underground, the water adds to soil moisture levels and is taken in by plant roots. It dissolves nutrients that only can be used in soluble form by plants. Then it travels up through the plant by capillary action, for the meeting with sunlight in the photosynthetic interaction. Additionally, the needles offer general protection to cactus body parts from such environmental stressors as pests. Specifically, it may protect fruits, flowers, and fleshy parts from predators. Answer #2Cactuses are prickly so the animals stay out of the way, and so the animals can't drink their water up.
How are the roots of a cactus plant an adaptation?
Cactus roots are adapted to take in water and store it below ground. Moisture may be taken from a wider below ground area by shallow, fibrous roots. Some of the water is sent upwards for joint food making with the sun through the process of photosynthesis. Some of the water is stored for use during extended droughts. For example, moisture may be stored below ground in swollen or tuberous roots.
Which cactus plants store water in their stems?
Cactus plants hold water temporarily in their roots. They also hold it temporarily on their modified leaves. They hold it permanently in their stems.
What adaptations has a cactus made to survive within its environment?
The old man cactus [Cephalocereus senilis] is found in subtropical and tropical Mexico. It adds blue green color to Mexican seashores and mountains. It's a steady growing cactus that slowly reaches an adult height of 50 feet/15 meters within its 200+ year life span. That's in the wild. But in cultivation, they rarely get any taller than 3 feet/90 centimeters.
The old man cactus is known for its long, silky spines that may provide a beard like cover to the upper stem. It also is known for its beautiful, yellow, white or pink blossoms that flower briefly at night. But an audience has to wait until the cactus is at least 20 years old before seeing such a spectacular night show of color and smell.
How does the old man cactus survive in a bright dry hot environment?
The old man cactus [Cephalocereus senilis] survives in a bright, dry, hot environment because of its adapted body parts. Its thickened outer stemmoves, processes, and stores nutrient solutions and photosynthetic products. The responsibility for storage tends to be taken up by the roots in many plants. But the cactus plants of the desert save on energy by having above ground all that's needed for the energizing food making interaction of photosynthesis with sunlight. Its spreading, shallow, fibrous roots anchor the plant in the ground, hold the soil together, and take in dissolved nutrients and water. Its modified leaves are in the form of long hairs to protect the stem from predators and the excesses of desert heat and light. The hairs also direct any moisture - in the form of dew, fog, or rainfall - to the ground, for adding to soil moisture levels and for intake by the plant's roots.
Is a cactus or a jackrabbit or a snake or a woodpecker a producer?
Yes, a cactus is a producer. It makes energizing food from the photosynthetic interaction of sunlight with the plant's water, minerals, and dissolved nutrients. That food feeds the cactus, and cactus body parts may feed the consumers of the food chain.
