Grafted Cactus Plants
This cactus is different from the bottom one. So basically, grafting is just attaching one type of cactus to another to grow as one.
In most cases, the upper cactus is the Gymnocalycium mihanovichii friedrichii, which is more commonly called as the moon cactus or hibotan. The moon plant has a body color of pink, red, orange or yellow instead of the typical green color. This variation is due to the lack of chlorophyll in this cactus.
These bright colored cacti cannot survive on their own for more than a few weeks because they lack chlorophyll. Due to which they are incapable of producing their own food. They cannot produce the certain chemical changes that are responsible for the production of food. Later, it was discovered that these seedlings can survive if grafted on another fast growing plant. In this way, the base fast growing plant would provide the chlorophyll to the upper part in order for it to grow.
HOW TO CARE FOR A GRAFTED CACTI?
The grafted cacti does not have a long life, they only live for a few years. These plants do not require much care, so it’s the perfect choice for people who don’t wanna spend too much time caring for plants. The grafted cacti does not grow very long so it’s an ideal plant for small cramped up spaces, like apartments and hostel rooms. They have a very exotic appearance and will make your home look absolutely stunning.
The care required for the grafted cacti is not much but it is a bit different as compared to other house plants.
Light- Most of the grafted cacti are delicate and should be kept in a lightly shaded region where they are protected from full sun. A sunny window is a perfect spot for it.
Water- There is one golden rule of watering a grafted cacti and that is , whenever you water the plant make sure you water it well. Make sure to feel the weight of the pot before watering to make sure that your plant really needs to be watered. If it feels heavy then that means it does not need water yet. Feel the soil and if it’s dry then that means it’s time to water it.
Temperature- It should generally be kept in a room which has a temperature above 15C
Nutrition- April to September are the growing months of the cacti and it should be fertilized at least once a month in that time.
Pruning- If you see any side branches emerging from the bottom cactus, cut them as they are trying to bypass the upper one.
SOME GRAFTED CACTI
Chamaecereus sylvestri variegata
Euphorbia lactea cristata subf. variegata
Gymnocalycium mihanovichii Var.friedrichii
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