The rat's tail is a fleshy and succulent plant that usually blooms in spring. Please refer to this page for knowledge about the culture method of the rat tail.
Introduction of the rat tail
The tail of the rat, also known as Jinnu, is a succulent plant of the genus Cactus. Metamorphosis stems are slender and sturdy, usually twisted and drooping. They can grow up to 2 meters in the original place of origin, generally cultivated 20-30 cm, with aerial roots. Young stems are green, later grayed out, 1.5-2 cm in diameter, without leaves, with 10-14 edges, 15-20 short thorns separated by 0.5 cm, freshly reddish, later changed to yellowish-brown, due to its shape It is named after the tail of a mouse. Flowering period from April to May, the flower funnel-shaped, pink, about 8 cm long, 7 cm in diameter, the perianth is sharp, and the night is closed, which lasts for one week. Berry globose, red, thorny, small, reddish-brown. The tail of the rat's tail is finely twisted, the color is thick green, the short thorns are clustered, the arrangement is neat, the flowers are bright and beautiful, and it is an indoor excellent ornamental plant. Hang the flower pot with a wire and display it in front of the window in winter. The viewing effect is excellent.
Morphological characteristics of rat tail
Stems slender, sturdy, multi-branched, up to 2 m long, bright green when young, grayish-green afterward. With shallow edges 10-14, radiation thorns 10-20, new thorn red, then yellow to brown. Flowering from April to May, the flowers are symmetrical on both sides, pink, and open at night. Berry spheres, red.
Ecological habits of rat tail
The fertile soil with good drainage and good ventilation can be made up of humus soil, sand, and loam. I like the sunshine. The wintering temperature needs to be above 10 °C. [1]
Cultivation technique of rat tail
Cultivation management
The sex is warm and the temperature difference between day and night is large, the summer is humid and the winter is dry, and the light is strong and short. It requires good drainage and avoids rain. It can be cultivated in the subtropical region of South China, and other areas can only be potted and wintered indoors.
The potting soil is prepared with the same amount of humus soil, sand, and loam, and a small amount of sesame sauce and bone powder are added as the base fertilizer. Outdoors should be placed in a place with sufficient light and shelter from the rain; indoors to maintain a certain humidity in the summer, should not be dry for a long time, in order to prevent metamorphosis stems yellow. Winter must be relatively dry to control watering. Watering should be done to dry out, not to make the soil too wet, so as to avoid rotten roots. Especially after the appearance of flower buds, water should be saved to avoid falling buds. Apply liquid fertilizer 10-15 days during the growth period to promote the growth of luxuriant flowers and flowers. Potted plants are generally placed in the room before the frost, and the room temperature should not be lower than 10 °C; the room time should be clear after the clearing. In the summer growing season, you need enough water and spray more water to maintain high air humidity. Fertilize once a month. In summer, when it is cultivated outdoors, it needs to be properly shaded. Moving into the room in winter requires plenty of sunshine and less watering. The stem of the rat's tail is slender, scorpion-like, multi-branched, and a stent is required for potting or hanging in a hanging pot. The whole plant must be trimmed to maintain a beautiful plant state.
Breeding method of rat tail
Rat tails are often multiplied by cuttings and can be sown. It is best to use columnar cactus as a rootstock for cutting, and it is better to use erect, thick rhomboid cactus as a rootstock.
Commonly used cutting and grafting. Reproduction is mainly based on grafting, mostly in spring or early summer. The rootstock is made of a fairy with a long stem or a horse's snake whip. It can also be used for cutting propagation and it is easy to take root.
Cutting can be used in the growing season to cut the top of the metamorphic stems for cuttings, length 15-20 cm, to be cut slightly after the mouth is inserted into the sand bed, the soil should not be too wet. Rooting takes about 50-60 days after insertion. When the root is 2-3 cm long, the plate is transplanted. Grafting, mostly in May-June, can be used as a rootstock for erect columnar cactus such as pear cactus and big flower snake whip. Take 10 cm of the abnormal stem of the tail of the rat tail for scion, and heal after about 50 days.
Cutting propagation
In the growing season, cut the full-fledged metamorphic stems into cuttings and cut into small pieces of 8-10 cm. It should not be too short, too short and not easy to root. After drying for 1-2 days, then cutting it into the sand bed or peat soil, it should not be too deep, the cutting substrate should not be too wet, and the water holding capacity is 60-70%. After one month of insertion, the roots can be rooted and then the basin is placed. This method is faster in reproduction and is commonly used in production.
