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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
What parts of the angelica plant are used for medicinal purposes?
Angelica root is harvested in the fall, then dried for future use. The leaves of angelica are prepared as a tincture or tea.
How long do saguaro cactus plants take to sprout?
The saguaro cactus [Carnegiea gigantea] may sprout from seed within 2-4 weeks. But it'll take 40+ years for the cactus to sprout branches and flowers. During the first four decades of its life, it concentrates energizing photosynthetic products into such life supporting processes as growth and water intake.
How can you measure the water in cactus plants?
It's difficult for the non scientifically employed gardener to measure a cactus plant's water levels. But there's a way of guesstimating. A cactus plant has ribbed sides that fill out with more water inside, and sink in with less. Filled out ribbing identifies a cactus plant as being 90%+ full of water. The sunken in look indicates 75% and less.
Aloe vera is considered a vegetable family. It is close to garlic andonionfamily though from the taste and look you wouldn't make that conclusion right away. I specialize in aloe vera based products so been around the answer.
What part of the cactus takes in moisture?
The roots take in moisture for the cactus.
Specifically, water and dissolved nutrients are taken in underground by the cactus plant's roots. The water and dissolved nutrients are sent by capillary action up into the stem. In the stem, transformation into energizing foods takes place by way of the photosynthetic interaction with the sun.
Water and energizing carbohydrates, starches, and sugars are stored in the stem. They are released when needed for such cactus activities as flowering, fruiting, and reproducing. About 90% of the inside of the cactus is involved in the moving and storing of precious water.
Can cactus fruits be poisonous?
No, cactus fruits aren't poisonous. The concern is flavorability, not poisonousness. Some of the fruits are more flavorful than others. Some fruits are more flavorful when they're a certain color. For example, in the range of colors from green to purple and red of the prickly pear cactus [Opuntia spp], the darker colored fruits are considered less tasty.
Does bleach kill cactus plants?
Yes, bleach in sufficient quantities kills cactus plants. Bleach contains a form of chlorine, which is used to kill germs in water. Diluted bleach is one of the gardener's remedies for plant and soil problems. But the bleach must be very much diluted, used in very small amounts, and applied very irregularly to cause more good than harm.
Are there more holes on the north side of saguaro cactuses?
Yes, there indeed may be more holes on the north side of a saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea or Cereus giganteus).
Specifically, the south side of a cactus gets the most sun. Water loss therefore is bound to occur every time that a breathing pore, or stoma, opens up. As a result, the cactus tends to carry important regulatory activities through a greater number of pores out on its northerly side to protect internal water reserves.
Yes too, there may be more holes in terms of those caused by predators. The Gila woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis) and the red tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) particularly favor the saguaro cactus as a nesting site. They like saguaro nesting cavities as much as other wildlife enjoy the nesting holes in a deciduous tree. They nibble their way through the saguaro's thickened outer covering to access the fleshy, juicy, succulent tissue on the inside of the stem. On the north side, they satisfy their needs for room and board without having to worry about water loss drying out their food source.
Why do holiday cactus plants have red foliage?
Red foliage on a holiday plant, such as the Christmas cactus [Schlumbergera and Zygocactus spp] indicates new growth. The Christmas cactus is native to Brazil, where the growing and dormant seasons are the reverse of the Northern Hemisphere. In fact, it's called a winter blooming cactus, because of its growing season overlapping with the timing of northern winters.
What are the easiest types of cactus to grow?
The easiest types of cactus plants to grow include some of the most interesting cactus family members. For example, the epiphytic rat's tail cactus [Aporocactus spp] is an early spring bloomer, and enjoys life in hanging baskets. The curiosity plant [Cereus hildmannianus v. mostrose] has deformed growing points that serve as conversation pieces indoors. The silver torch cactus [Cleistocactus strausii] has scarlet tubular flowers and silvery spines. The porcupine hedgehog [Echinocereus stramineus] arranges scarlet petals around green stigmas. The yellow peanut cactus [Echinopsis chamaecereus f. lutea] has banana like stems and rare red night flowering blooms. Lacking in chlorophyll, it must be grafted onto a green cactus, to benefit from energizing photosynthetic products. The chin or spider cactus [Gymnocalycium baldianum and Gymnocalycium horstii] has pink funnel shaped flowers and metallic colored growth buds. The rose pincushion cactus [Mammillaria zeilmanniana] brings forth a carmine pink flowery contrast to its purplish black stem. The prickly pear cactus tree[Opuntia neoargentina] has yellow poppy like flowers and a tree like trunk. The golden and silver ball cactus plants [Parodia leninghausii and Parodia scopa] have open faced flowers and a covering of long, respectively golden and silver, soft spines. The holiday cactus[Schlumbergera and Zygocactus spp] has vivid red flowers and leafless, notched stems. The wave or brain cactus [Stenocactus multicostatus] has pale funnel shaped blooms that flower in spring and summer. The glory of Texas [Thelocactus bicolor] has feathery, flat faced summer flowers, and red and yellow spines. The golden column cactus [Weberbauerocereus johnsonii] has golden spines that darken with age. Its tubular flowers are pale pink or white.
What does watering a plant moderately mean?
It means perfectly good. Like if I were to buy a plant and it need 1 millimeter per day and I put that much in it that means I planted it moderately.
How did pioneers treat cactus thorns?
Pioneers of northern Mexico and of the southwestern United States of America tried to ease cactus thorns out or remove them by force. They applied poultices to encourage the thorns to work their way out of the skin. Or they soaked the affected parts, for the same reason. Or they tried to remove them with heated, sterilized needles.
Why is the prickly pear fruit called a tuna?
The word 'tuna' is Spanish for the fruit of a plant. That's why it's used to describe the fruit of the prickly pear cactus [Opuntiaspp]. The word for 'tuna fish' in Spanish is 'atun'.
What elevation does the saguaro cactus need to grow?
The saguaro cactus [Carnegiea gigantea] prefers an elevation range of 600-3,600 feet/180-1,080 meters above sea level. So it isn't a cactus plant of the higher elevations. In contrast is the hedgehog cactus [Echinocereus spp], whose preferred elevations may go as high as 6,900 feet/2,070 meters and beyond.
How many brains does a cactus have?
The cactus is a rarity in the plant world, differing greatly in many ways to that of normal plants.
The most obvious of these is the sharp spines instead of leaves and the large fleshy body, in stark contrast to the lithe, straw-like stems of over plants.
Of course the greatest difference cacti have with other members of the plant family, is their number of brains.
It is a well known fact that most, average house and garden plants, have only two brains, due to their simple cognitive behaviour, some larger wild species having up to three in some cases.
The cactus however is renowned for it's many brains, sometimes having up to five, this is almost the same as a human being (7 brains). As intelligence is measured by the number of brains a species has, cacti are the most intelligent of all plant species. In much the same way humans are the most intelligent mammals.
The reason the cactus has so many brains, is because it requires the high brain power required for it to live in the harsh arid climates that it does.
Deserts are renowned for their distinct lack of widespread water availability, and so the cactus needs, at least, five brains in order to effectively search for and find the water so necessary for its survival.
An interesting note, scientists are striving to find a way to train cacti to perform simple tasks, much like dogs or chimpanzees, for use in low level assembly work on construction lines as cacti require less supervision and maintenance than robotic assembly arms.
Quite simple, cactus live in areas where it rains only a few times a year, so it stores as much water as possible so it can survive in the desert
Why are leaves modified to form spines in the cactus plant how then does the cactus plant make food?
The cactus adapted to its harsh environment by developing thick skin to slow the evaporation of water. The leaves changed in order to reduce the surface area that water could evaporate from and over time became defensive spines to protect itself from animals trying to get inside its thick skin for the moisture.
The cactus makes its food, by having chlorophyll throughout the rest of plant. That is why the entire cactus is green.
Should you leave cactus outside or inside?
This depends on where you live. Cacti are native to many places.
What are examples of soft cactus spines?
Soft spines tend to take the form of bristles or hairs instead of thorns, spines, spikes, quills, prongs, or needles. Both bristles and hairs may have softer, gentler forms. But bristles tend to be much shorter than hairs.
Or bristles and hairs may not be sharp, but still irritating. An example of a softer, gentler haired cactus is the old man [Cephalocereus spp]. Its long, silky hairs may end up encasing much of the blue green columnar stem in a soft, white beard. An example of the soft and the sharp of cactus spines is found in another old man cactus [Oreocereus spp]. The stem is encased in a soft down of fine, long, white hairs. But underneath are razor sharp yellow, white or red needles.
It's an easy choice to name a cactus after its common name. But there can be confusion and overlaps in common names. So a more precise, unique choice is opting for a cactus' scientific name. So for example, a prickly pear cactus can be called Opuntia; or an old man cactus Cephalocereus, Espostoa or Oreocereus.
What can you put in a cactus terrarium besides cactus plants?
A cactus terrarium needs some sort of free drainingsoil that holds some moisture. It also needs some sort of drought resistant vegetative cover. Cooperative candidates include succulent plants, to which the cactus is related. They also include native wildflowers of the Great Plains and Desert Southwest, in the United States of America. For example, blanket flower [Gaillardia pulchella] gives a cheery look with its dark green foliage and yellow rimmed red flowers. In the way of another example, cottonwood [Hibiscus tiliaceus] has a colorful yellow bloom, and is a cooperative subject for the art of bonsai gardening.
How do you grow a saguaro cactus in Washington state?
It's a challenge to grow a saguaro cactus [Carnegiea gigantea] in the moist climate that's found in Washington state. The saguaro is a desert cactus that's used to high heat and light, and low moisture and vegetative competition. It most likely won't like the outdoors in Washington state. But it may do quite well inside, where the moisture, humidity, and temperature may be monitored and adjusted to respectively lesser amounts, lower levels, and higher ranges.
How does sunlight help a desert cactus?
Sunlight helps a desert cactus to grow. It's needed for photosynthesis. The sun brings its light to the photosynthetic interaction. The cactus plant brings its water, dissolved nutrients, and chlorophyll. The photosynthetic interaction between the sun and the cactus produces energizing starches and sugars. The energizing photosynthetic products are needed to fuel all of the cactus' life sustaining activities, such as growth, fruiting, and flowering.
