Moon cactus flowers emerged during the spring season. Therefore it is safe to say they are flowering cactus plants.
What are moon cactus?
To briefly explain on this aesthetically beautiful cactus, they are not one individual cactus species. In fact, they are two different cacti which have grown together through a process called grafting.
To elaborate further, there would be one colorful top part of a plant called Gymnocalcium mihanovichii and a lower part called hylocereus cactus.
When the moon cactus in their natural habitat, they usually bloom with flowers in pink. Further you may spot them flowering in April or in May.
On the other hand, bright neon colored grafted moon cactuses do not produce flowers at all. Moreover, the moon cactus which you grow indoors, could produce flowers at any time of the year.
Some people might think the red or yellow part of the moon acctus as the cactus flower., but it is not the flower they form and that is only a part of the moon cactus plant.
When you provide the necessary care it requires, it would form beautiful flowers.
When the blooming takes place, they usually form at the edges of the short stems. They usually grow from the top part of the colored cactus and do not appear from the green rootstock.
How often do moon cactus flower?
In general, you could spot the moon cactus blooming once a year. When those flowers appear, they will stay alive for just 12 hours.
Having said that, chances are that wetter years could contribute to more flowering periods. Usually, they produce flowers during the spring season.
To be precise it would be in the months from April or May.
Colors of moon cactus flowers
You may spot moon cactus flowering in different vibrant colors such as hot pink, brilliant orange. Apart from that you could spot them in flowering in neon yellow also.
This is exactly why many people use this as a gift plant since they would be great additions for window boxes. Moreover, they would be great picks for houseplants as well.
How long do moon cactus flowers last?
In general context, the flowers of the moon cactus would stay alive for a short period such as for about 12 hours only.
How to make moon cactus flowers?
In terms of encouraging the flowering of the moon cactus, first of all it is very important that you place them either in a sunroom or somewhere closer to a bright sunny window.
That will allow the cactus to gain adequate sunlight from which the flowering of the moon cactus would be benefitted.
Further when you locate them near a bright sunny window, they will get a cooler air circulation in winter also.
When it comes to the spring season and the summer seasons, you need to provide the best possible maximum sunlight for them as those are their growing seasons.
In addition to sunlight, they would require an adequate level of temperature also. As such you need to place them in a place where they are exposed to direct sunlight.
Further you may turn the cactus around so that they could get adequate sunlight evenly. They would be useful to stimulate the flower blossoming of the moon cactus.
In addition to aforesaid, it is important that you water the moon cactus adequately during their growing season as that would also boost the flowering process of the moon cactus.
You need to water them properly particularly during their growing season. When you water them, make sure that the top surface of the soil is dry before you water the plant thoroughly.
Moreover, you need to make sure that excess water is draining out from the draining holes at the base of the pot. Do not ever leave the moon cactus to stay in soggy conditions.
Fertilizing could also help the moon cactus to boost flowering. However, you need to feed them during the spring season and in the beginning of the summer.
To do that you could use a fertilizer which has a low percentage of nitrogen, and which has a higher percentage of phosphorus and potassium.
Avoid over feeding them as that could badly impact on the flowering of the moon cactus.
Consider repotting the moon cactus whilst using a specifically designed soil mix for cactus. If you literally adhere to these steps, they will help the moon cactus to bloom.
How to care for moon cactus flowers?
You need to water the moon cactus once every two weeks thoroughly whilst adhering the aforesaid guidelines. In winter, avoid watering them at all.
Further supply the moon cactus with adequate bright indirect sunlight. Do not expose the plant for full sunlight as that would cause sunburns in the flowers as well as in the plant.
Moon cactus flower problems
Turning brown
When you spot your moon cactus turning brown, that could be an indication of an ongoing root rot in the moon cactus.
Over watering is what causes the moon cactus flowers to turn brown. As such, the best you could treat this condition is to repot the moon cactus as soon as possible. .
Fell off
you could see how the blooms of the moon cactus fall due to overwatering or due to under watering.
In addition to the above, a recent change in the environment could also affect this condition. For example, intense changes in the sunlight or extreme heat changes could affect this condition.
Rotting
Rotting of the flower of the moon cactus could take place due to overwatering mainly.
Unless, if you have grown the moon cactus in a poor draining pot , that could also result in flower rotting of the moon cactus. To treat this you could repot them.
Died
The faults you do when watering them could attribute the moon cactus flowers to die.
In addition to that, factors such as incorrect humidity levels, incorrect temperature levels are a couple of more factors which will lead to the dying of the moon cactus flowers.
As such, whenever you realize that your moon cactus and its flower are about to die, you need to adjust the care you provide the cactus and provide them healthy growing conditions which will gradually help them to grow well.
Conclusion
So, here we are at the end of the article. I am sure that this article was beneficial for you to have a better understanding of moon cactus flowers and how to take care of them.
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