The flowers of the peasant cactus are a real ornament. But if the cacti do not flower even after years, you should look for mistakes.
The problem: The question of why the peasant cactus does not form flowers cannot always be clearly clarified. But we have listed a few reasons for the possible lack of flowering here. And of course how you can deal with the problems in order to promote the flowering of cacti.
When does the peasant cactus bloom?
Globe cacti usually flower earlier than columnar cacti. But even here there are differences. While cactus lovers can expect the mother-in-law's chair, as the spherical cactus is also called, to flower for the first time after 40 years, the colorful trumpet blossoms of the farmer's cactus appear after just three years. The calyxes cannot be overlooked, because they can reach impressive lengths of up to 25 centimeters! White, yellow, orange or red flowers ensure an extraordinary blaze of colour. It's all the more annoying when the cactus grows and thrives, but no flowers appear.
How to encourage the flowering of the peasant cactus
If the peasant cactus is cared for appropriately, the chances of a rich bloom are good. Taking into account the site conditions and the cool dormant phase in winter, the peasant cactus usually flowers reliably. Here are a few tips on how to encourage flowering of the peasant cactus.
Make sure the substrate is fresh:
It is important that there is sufficient fresh substrate so that the cactus can absorb enough nutrients from the soil. It can usually also help to repot the peasant cactus into a larger planter with enough fresh cactus soil.
Repot peasant cacti:
If the peasant cactus does not bloom and otherwise grows rather sparsely, it may be because the soil in the plant pot has been used up. If you buy a peasant cactus, it is usually in a relatively small planter. You should then repot it after two years at the latest. Since the peasant cactus only flowers in its third year, it still has enough time toto develop flower buds. Here the repotting explained step by step:
- Select planter.
- Provide Earth.
- Pot the cactus carefully.
- Fill some substrate in the new planter.
- Insert the cactus in the middle.
- Fill up the remaining substrate.
- Press the soil well.
- Water the cactus lightly.
- Place planter in old location.
Special cactus substrate is best suited. To loosen this up a bit, you can mix the soil with a little sand. Of course, the cactus not only gets new soil, but also a larger planter. It is always an advantage for flowering if there is enough substrate. Therefore, choose the plant pot that is about twice the size of its predecessor.
Tip:
To prevent the spines from becoming a source of injury, you can wrap the cactus in newspaper and then touch it.
Find the best location:
If the peasant cactus does not get enough light, it will probably also miss flowering. Because a bright and warm location is particularly important for flowering. Farmer cacti, on the other hand, tolerate less intense sunlight. You should protect the plant from the blazing midday sun in particular.
Overwinter peasant cactus properly:
If the peasant cactus is in a warm living room all year round and is watered regularly every two weeks, many plant lovers believe that they have done everything right. In fact, the cactus seems to lack for nothing, except for the flowers. In the constant climate at room temperature, however, the plant does not experience any change of seasons and therefore does not know when it is actually time for flowering. Therefore, no effort is made for flowering. After all, the cactus needs this break to gather new strength and stimulate flowering. So if you want blooming peasant cacti, have a suitable winter quarters ready and stop watering them during the winter months. When hibernating, just do the following:
Step 1:
From around October it is time for the peasant cactus to move to a cool and bright winter quarters. A few weeks in advance, you should water the peasant cactus less so that the soil has already dried well when you move and does not start to rot at the new location. Between November and March you should not water the peasant cactus at all.
Step 2:
Are in winter quartersTemperatures around ten degrees optimal. The room temperature should not be higher than 15 degrees. The peasant cactus can theoretically tolerate room temperature even in winter, but under these conditions it only very rarely flowers.
Step 3:
You can take the plants out of the cool place around the beginning of March. Then you should rinse them lightly with warm, soft water. This signals the end of hibernation and motivates the plants to continue flowering.
Step 4:
Then place the cacti in a partially shaded window seat for about two weeks. After that, the peasant cacti can move to their original place in the sun and will soon form the first flowers.
Avoid casting errors:
Tact is required when watering the peasant cactus. If you think you have to water more to stimulate flowering, you are wrong. The water requirement of the desert dweller is exceptionally small. The problem: the cactus rarely forgives watering errors. If you water too much, the result is usually rot and the plants die. Watering is therefore only carried out when the substrate is completely dry on the surface.
Summary:
| Methods | Explanation |
| Location | bright and warm no blazing midday sun |
| Irrigation | Water little Soil must be dry |
| Repotting | Replace substrate after two to three years Sufficient space in the planter |
| Winter Break | between November and March bright and cool location adjust watering at 8 to 15 degrees |
Sick peasant cacti do not bloom
Focal Spot Disease:
Frequently diseases prevent flowering. For example, focal spot disease is increasingly common in peasant cactus. You can recognize them by their brownish, slightly sunken spots. The affected areas become hard and corked up. In addition, there is usually a red-brown drawing at the edges.
In the case of a mild infestation, you should cut out the diseased parts of the plant down to the he althy tissue. Then powder the wound with charcoal dust. In the case of a stronger infestation, however, transplanting can help. A change of location outdoors can also be helpful in summer.
Corking:
The corking of cacti is considered a typical sign of old age. Incorrect fertilization or excessive humidity in the soil can also be a causeWinter quarters in question. So avoid these two triggers.
Combustions:
If the peasant cactus from the rather dark winter quarters is immediately exposed to the blazing sun, the epidermis can burn. The plants should slowly get used to the sunlight and should initially be placed in the shade.
Bud Drop:
Under unfavorable conditions, the flower buds can also dry up and fall off. Reasons for this are:
- Nutritional Deficiency
- Drought
- Air Dryness
- Change of location
- Temperature fluctuations
If you identify and eliminate the cause in good time, flowering will not be long in coming.