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Some Things You May Not Know About Cacti
Cacti are special in many ways. Many people think that cacti live in deserts. Nothing can live in a
real desert, but 'desert' cacti are adapted in many ways to live in dry and sometimes hot places.
1. Are they indestructible?
No, if you've ever killed a cactus you are not alone. The easiest way is by over watering, poor
drainage and using the wrong compost. Ordinary potting compost holds water well, which is a
huge bonus for most plants but not for cacti, they need very good drainage.
2. Do they flower?
Cacti are all flowering plants, but some have more prominent blooms and there are a few, such
as Mammillaria, Gymnocalycium and Parodia, that will flower quite easily with impressive,
colourful displays,
3. How do I get them to flower?
Cacti flower on fresh growth, so if your plant just sits there, unchanging year after year, it's very
unlikely to flower. What you should do is to get the plant to follow its natural growth cycle. It
needs to go dormant in winter and then wake up in spring. So, put it somewhere dry and cold,
but not dark, over winter, and stop watering all together. In spring give it as much sunshine as
possible and start to water it.
4. Which are the best varieties for beginners?
Moon cacti have very colourful tops, usually red or yellow. These aren't flowers so the colour is
there all year round. Bunny ears, also known as polka dot cacti, have spots of golden bristles
against a green background so they look modern and geometric. Probably the most common
variety is a tiny 'pin cushion' cactus, it's easy to grow and has lovely little pink flowers.
5. Are all cacti prickly?
What we usually think of as cacti are desert cacti, but there are also forest cacti without the
bristles, however the range available as houseplants is quite small.
6. How long do they live?
In the wild cacti can live for hundreds of years. Indoors they may survive for 10 years or more.
The trouble with old ones is that every single knock, scratch or blemish they get stays with
them, so they tend to look less appealing as they get older.
Questions 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
In boxes on your answer sheet, write
TRUE
FALSE
NOT GIVEN
if the statement agrees with the information
if the statement contradicts the information
if there is no information on this.
1. Cactus plants live in real deserts.
2. If you water a cactus too much you are likely to kill it.
3. Most cactus plants will flower.
4. If the cactus has not flowered for a few years it is hardly likely to flower.
5. Cacti grown as houseplants are very small in size.
6. Cacti can live for two hundred years in the wild.
7. All cacti have bristles which can prick.
Some Things You May Not Know About Cacti
Cacti are special in many ways. Many people think that cacti live in deserts. Nothing can live in a
real desert, but 'desert' cacti are adapted in many ways to live in dry and sometimes hot places.
1. Are they indestructible?
No, if you've ever killed a cactus you are not alone. The easiest way is by over watering, poor
drainage and using the wrong compost. Ordinary potting compost holds water well, which is a
huge bonus for most plants but not for cacti, they need very good drainage.
2. Do they flower?
Cacti are all flowering plants, but some have more prominent blooms and there are a few, such
as Mammillaria, Gymnocalycium and Parodia, that will flower quite easily with impressive,
colourful displays,
3. How do I get them to flower?
Cacti flower on fresh growth, so if your plant just sits there, unchanging year after year, it's very
unlikely to flower. What you should do is to get the plant to follow its natural growth cycle. It
needs to go dormant in winter and then wake up in spring. So, put it somewhere dry and cold,
but not dark, over winter, and stop watering all together. In spring give it as much sunshine as
possible and start to water it.
4. Which are the best varieties for beginners?
Moon cacti have very colourful tops, usually red or yellow. These aren't flowers so the colour is
there all year round. Bunny ears, also known as polka dot cacti, have spots of golden bristles
against a green background so they look modern and geometric. Probably the most common
variety is a tiny 'pin cushion' cactus, it's easy to grow and has lovely little pink flowers.
5. Are all cacti prickly?
What we usually think of as cacti are desert cacti, but there are also forest cacti without the
bristles, however the range available as houseplants is quite small.
6. How long do they live?
In the wild cacti can live for hundreds of years. Indoors they may survive for 10 years or more.
The trouble with old ones is that every single knock, scratch or blemish they get stays with
them, so they tend to look less appealing as they get older.
Questions 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
In boxes on your answer sheet, write
TRUE
FALSE
NOT GIVEN
if the statement agrees with the information
if the statement contradicts the information
if there is no information on this.
1. Cactus plants live in real deserts.
2. If you water a cactus too much you are likely to kill it.
3. Most cactus plants will flower.
4. If the cactus has not flowered for a few years it is hardly likely to flower.
5. Cacti grown as houseplants are very small in size.
6. Cacti can live for two hundred years in the wild.
7. All cacti have bristles which can prick.