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I am often asked how often should I water this plant. There is no easy answer. The vast majority of cactus and succulents have a very active period that is about 1/3 of the year. During this active period they are very thirsty. During this time watering can be much more frequent and with more applied. You can also apply fertilizer now. The most active time for most cactus is during the spring and early parts of summer before it gets hot.
经常有人问我多久给植物浇一次水。这个很难回答。绝大多数仙人掌和多肉植物在全年的1 / 3都处于生长非常活跃的时期。在这个时期,他们都很渴。这段时间里你可以更频繁的浇水,也可以施肥。对于大多数仙人掌来说,春季和还不是很热的初夏是他们生长旺盛期。
When the plants are active water them frequently to maintain a level of moisture in the pot. I often water them 2 or 3 days in a row to give them a thorough drink, and then let them slowly dry out over several days. It is not good to think only in terms of how many days between watering as so many variables change the frequency. In the heat of late summer most cacti slow down and just sit and endure the heat. Very heavy watering in late summer is risky. I recommend only partial watering, just a splash or shower of water in the evening for a bit of cooling. Then in the fall when it cools down many kinds will have another period of activity and a few good soaks of water can be given. During the winter most cacti like to be cool to cold and dry with plenty of fresh air. If kept cold enough they will need very little water for several months. A good winter dormancy helps make flowers the following season.
当植物处于生长旺盛期的时候,可以频繁的浇水,保持盆土一定的润湿。我常常连浇两到三天,彻底把它们灌饱,然后让盆土在几天内彻底干透。老是纠结于几天浇一次水是不好的,因为有太多的影响因素。在炎热的夏末,仙人掌生长会慢下来,静静的忍受炎热。在夏末大量浇灌是很冒险的。我建议少水,在夜间少许喷雾或喷水,以使其稍稍降温即可。到了秋天,当天气更加凉爽,很多种植物将迎来另外一个生长旺盛期,这时可以再浇透几次。冬天,大多数仙人掌喜欢干燥凉爽,通风良好,低温情况下,这几个月它们需水很少。一个好的冬眠有助于来年开花。
Succulents are much more complicated. You have to learn the winter growers from the spring to summer growers. The winter growers like very frequent light watering during their growth season as many come from regions of frequent nightly fogs and drizzles. I try to mark in the catalog those that are winter growers. Remember the winter growers like to grow when it is cool with short days. The winter growers have no idea that the earth has another hemisphere, they have no idea what goes on elsewhere.
多肉植物要复杂得多。你必须学会区分冬型种和春-夏型种。冬型植物在生长季节喜欢少量多次的浇水方式,因为他们中的很多来自一些夜间频繁有雾气和细雨的地区。我尝试出在目录中标记那些冬型植物。请记住,一般来说,当气温凉爽、短白昼时,冬型种开始生长,他们并不知道地球还有另一个半球,也不知道别处的情况是什么样。
Soil:
My purpose is to grow plants hard and to look naturally with all the rugged features found in the wild. Most commercial potting soils are too rich with fresh organic matter that over time burns the root causing death. For plants beyond the seedling stage we use primarily a native loam based soil. Loam is a very common type of soil all around the world. It drains well, does not pack hard when dry and when wet it does not form into moldable balls like clay. Turn finding soil into an adventure, check out the soils around your area. Look at various soils when both wet and dry, dig around a bit with a shovel. When you find some good loam make up a batch of potting soil using loam with added natural grit. Repot a few plants and see what happens. This type of soil retains more water than commercial mixes, but with some practice you can learn how to water them in this different type of soil. Loam soils are very efficient at transferring nutrients to the roots, so you will need much less fertilizer in your feeding.
土壤:
我配土的方式是模仿原生地的多砂石的严苛条件。市面上大多数配土过于富含新鲜的有机质,一段时间以后,易造成植物烧根死亡。对于植物来说,苗期以后,使用本地出产的壤土(指含有黏土、沙及有机物质的土)作为基础土即可。壤土这种土壤类型在全球各地都很常见。它排水良好,干燥时不结板,湿润时不会像黏土那样结成球状,把发现土壤这一过程看作冒险的经历吧,察看一下你所在地区的土壤。用铲子挖一下,看看各种各样的土壤在干和湿时的状态。当你找到一些能够弥补商业土缺点的壤土时,混合一些自然界的粗砂一起使用,移植一些植物,看看会发生什么。这种类型的土壤比商业上售卖的混合土壤更保水,但是经过一段时间的练习实践,你会学会如何给这种完全不同类型的土壤浇水,(含有黏土、沙以及有机物质的)壤土在向根输送营养方面是非常有效,所以你可以少用一些肥料。