Hedge cacti are low maintenance and easy to propagate. They only need minimal watering and sun exposure to thrive. General care tips are all you need to keep your hedge cactus healthy.
A hedge cactus must be planted in porous soil, watered every few weeks, get direct sunlight daily, and be free from insect infestations. When propagating a hedge cactus, you can take the stem of one cactus and attach it to the rootstock of another.
In this article, I’ll discuss how to care for a hedge cactus and propagate it. So, if you are interested in owning this plant, keep reading.
Caring for Hedge Cactus
The hedge cactus, Cereus hildmannianus, is a beautiful cactus that is a fan favorite when it comes to indoor plants. They’re relatively easy to care for if you follow simple care tips.
Plant Your Hedge Cactus in Porous, Slightly Acidic to Neutral Soil
Hedge cacti are prone to root rot, so you must plant them in porous soil. Your plant’s roots must be able to get oxygen to stay healthy. Porous soil that allows water flow is the best for hedge cacti because this type of soil doesn’t retain excess water.
Water Your Cactus Every Few Weeks in the Hotter Seasons
Make sure you thoroughly saturate the soil when you water your hedge cactus and allow the excess water to drain. An excellent way to water the hedge cactus is by letting it soak up water from the bottom where the roots are. Soaking is a very efficient way to water cacti and succulents because it allows them to soak up the perfect amount of water they need instead of having excess water sitting in the soil.
During winter, the hedge cactus will require little to no watering because it is usually dormant during this time of the year.
Expose Your Hedge Cactus to Direct Sunlight
The hedge cactus needs direct sunlight to be at its healthiest when it comes to sun exposure. However, during the hottest days of the year, you may need to cut back the direct sunlight by a few hours.
Keep an Eye Out for Insect Infestations and Diseases
Spider mites and aphids are insects to look out for when you have a hedge cactus. If you notice odd coloring and you’ve ruled out other issues, closely check the stems of your cactus to see if there are any bugs.
Hedge cacti are prone to stem rot if the proper precautions are not taken. Stem rot is mainly the result of excess water and infected potting soil. If you notice dark grey or yellow to brown spots on the stems of your cactus, this is probably stem rot.
Once a stem has been infected with stem rot, it must be cut and removed from the plant to prevent infection from spreading.
Propagating Hedge Cactus
Propagating your hedge cactus won’t be difficult. The best way to go about this is by grafting, a method that involves fusing two parts of different plants together to grow as one plant.
Follow these steps to propagate your hedge cactus:
- Gather rootstock. Rootstock refers to a piece of root material that will form the base of your new plant.
- Attach a piece to the rootstock. Put a piece of the hedge cactus on top of the chosen rootstock. You’ll need the tip or top few inches of a stem of a hedge cactus for propagation. This cactus part should not have any roots attached because that is what the rootstock part is for.
- Use a rope or string to keep the two pieces together. Once they have grown together, you can remove the rope or string because the propagation has been completed.
The top three rootstocks to use when grafting a cactus are:
- Cereus peruvianus (Peruvian cactus)
- Trichocereus spachianus (hedgehog cactus)
- Hylocereus trigonus (strawberry pear cactus)
Final Thoughts
A hedge cactus does not require intensive care. All it needs is enough water, direct sunlight, and neutral to slightly acidic soil that is breathable for draining.
Keep an eye out for spider mites, aphids, root rot, and stem rot because hedge cacti are prone to these diseases and infestations.
Propagating your hedge cactus can be done by grafting, and you’ll need cactus rootstock to achieve this. Through grafting, two cactus plant parts become one.
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