🍃keep in direct light
🍃use well draining succulent soil
🍃water every 2-4 weeks, only when soil is completely dry
🍃fertilize once in summer and once spring with a 5-5-5 mix, not necessary
🍃keep in temps 70º-90º (not frost tolerant)
🍃pups will emerge from soil, can pull out and repot or
🍃cut stem at segments, allow to callous and pot
the apple cactus will bloom in the summer with several show stopping HUGE flowers. these flowers only bloom and night (ours are usually around 10-11pm) and will close for good in the morning. because of the short time open it is rare for them to get pollinated in order to produce fruit. to hand pollinate:
🍃use a q-tip or small paint brush on the anther (male part) to grab some pollen
🍃brush the pollen onto the pistil (female part) star at the end of the stalk
🍃you need two flowers in bloom to do this, can not pollinate the same flower
if pollination is successful once the flower falls off, the fruit will start to grow. the fruit looks and tastes similar to a small dragon fruit, it is rich in vitamin c and often ate raw but can be cooked into a jam.
allow the fruit to grow on the cactus until you see a small slit, when the fruit starts to open as pictured above, it is time to pick and ready to eat.
the seeds are edible but if you'd like, you can pick a few out and plant them. wash the fruit off the seeds, dry them and then plant in a warm humid spot.
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| babies!!! |
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