Dear Plants Loving Friends
Opening a box of Cactus and Succulents always thrills, even if you are habitually hooked in matter of ordering plants!
Just so that your experience is always as exciting as before we have listed out a few Dos and Don’ts for new arrivals.
• Before Arrival. Don’t panic If your box is delayed. Properly packed plants can survive for weeks. Should use this time to plan for preparing plants cactus soil, pots and space. (Most avid collectors are short of all three!)
• Preparation of Cactus Soil or succulent Soil Mix. Before arrival of plants be sure you have ordered cactus soil mix online. Best media is porous which does not retain water in the pot. However, it is ok if the particles of media are absorbent. Since making this media at home is tricky because of space and material availability constraints, people usually order potting soil online, usually from the websites selling cactus and succulents online.
• On Arrival. Open the box, unwrap the plants and carry out health check. Unwrap the small succulent plants carefully as they tend to break if pressure is applied in removing tape or tissue. Cactus seeds are usually packed in small pouches or vials. They can be kept aside in cool dry place till the time is right for sowing. Long plants like Pachypodiums are packed in tissue and within a corrugated sheet roll. Pachypodium crest may be given additional support by sticks and foam. This helps to keep it safe during transit. Open gently all the plants without dropping them. Unboxing is as effort consuming as packing is. You can read about how to grow cactus seeds and for buying cactus and succulents on our website www.plantaeparadise.com.
• Health Check. Check plant for scale, mites and fungus. If plants are oozing or rotting, cut away the rotting portion and dry for 15 days. If you see scale or mites, wash and clean with mild insecticide soaked tissue and then after washing with water after few minutes, dry in filtered light. Prune away the rotting or damaged roots, if any, and ensure plant is dried for at least 5 or 7 days after that.
• Callousing. Dry the plant (even if healthy) in cool shady place for about 3-5 days. This will help it callous its wounds or abrasions received in transit. No matter how good the packing is, the roots will have tiny abrasions or cuts or breaks due to fragile nature of roots. This helps in sealing off the delicate surface of roots and cause thin fibrous roots to fall off. Do not worry about number of roots. Plant will root when it needs to root. Just sit it in dry sandy media for some time if you think plant has very little or no roots.
• Potting. Prepare a well-drained potting mix. Pot it in dry mix. Do not water immediately. Do not force or press the roots or pack soil or media tightly around the roots. Plants will settle on its own.
• Watering. Do not be in a hurry to water. Let the plant dehydrate a bit. Water only after a week or so.
• Placement. Place newly potted plant in shade and not in direct sunshine. As they have been in dark in transit and under shade for some time they will need some time to adjust to strong light. Immediate placement in bright light will cause sunburn. Acclimate them gradually by placing in morning and evening sun. After they start recover and show new growth, gradually increase light.
• Post Successful Planting.
o 1. Make a record in your cactus file or diary.
o 2. Post pics of same to show off your acquisition.
o 3. Recommend good sellers or best online nursery or growers to your friends.
Hope our online cactus shop made your experience of buying cactus online a rewarding one.
“PLANTAE PARADISE: A Collection of unique Exotics”