Cut a rotten cactus and throw it into the water, the bottle will be full of big white roots!

How to hydroponically cultivate cactus?

1. Ball selection

Cactus with rotten roots or cactus growing healthily can be used for hydroponics. It is best if the rhizomes protrude downward so that they can take root easily!

2. Treat the root system

Dig out the sphere, cut off the rotten part, make sure the cut is flat, rinse it with clean water, apply carbendazim for disinfection, then place it in a ventilated place to dry for at least 3 days, until it is completely dry!

Suggestion: You can let it dry for a few more days. The more it lacks water, the faster the roots will grow!

3. Planting

Choose a hydroponic bottle of appropriate size, add water and nutrient solution, and fix the cactus in a planting basket or foam board. The nutrient solution should be 1 to 2 cm away from the sphere and should not touch the sphere to prevent it from rotting!

Note: Add 1g of nutrient solution for every liter of water. Do not use plain water for hydroponics. Over time, the nutrients will be exhausted and the sphere will die.

4. Hair roots

Place the planted cactus in a place with bright scattered light. If the hydroponic bottle is transparent, put a black plastic bag on the bottle during the rooting period, so that the sphere sees the light and the bottle body is shielded from the light. It will take root after 3 to 7 days.

5. Maintenance

It is strictly forbidden to spray water on the sphere during the rooting period. The nutrient solution must be replaced immediately after rooting. When the root system grows long, the water level must be lowered so that the sphere is about 3 cm away from the water surface to ensure that the sphere is dry and avoid rot.

6. Change the water

In summer and autumn, it is recommended to change the water every 5 to 7 days. After adding nutrient solution each time, shake it gently 10 times to increase the dissolved oxygen content!

7. If you add some nutrient solution shared by flower fish, you can raise fish at the same time~

Why can cactus be grown hydroponically?

Characteristics of cactus

As a desert plant, cactus is extremely drought-resistant but not moisture-tolerant, and has very high requirements for the drainage and air permeability of the potting soil.

Why are roots prone to rot in soil?

Plant roots need oxygen to breathe and absorb water and mineral nutrients, but moist soil has extremely low oxygen content, so cacti can easily suffocate, causing the roots to rot and the cactus to shrivel and wither.

Why can cactus be grown hydroponically?

Some people asked, if soil culture does not have enough oxygen, isn’t the oxygen content in hydroponics even lower? Why is hydroponics still used?

Wrong, hydroponics does not mean soaking the entire root system directly in water, but the white tip at the bottom of the root system is in the water, and the rest of the root system is exposed to the air, which can ensure sufficient oxygen absorption.

Other plants, such as green ivy and spider plants, can adapt to the humid and low-oxygen environment in the soil, so they can also be grown directly in water and are not so demanding on oxygen.