You must know how to remove fake flowers from a cactus plant especially if you end up buying one that comes with fake flowers. One of the most common indoor plant additions is cacti. When you’re out and about looking for the best cactus plant for your home, you have to sure that they don’t have flowers that are fake.
Many plant sellers often attach fake flowers onto the cacti they sell to attract innocent plant buyers to buying attractive plants. Sadly, the buyers realize their mistake only when they have brought it home and had a lot of time to research it. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they made a bad decision for buying the cactus plant.
Attaching fake flowers on cacti plants is a prevalent practice nowadays, and if you have bought one and identified the fake flowers, you can easily remove them. However, you must proceed with caution to avoid tissue damage.
Removing Fake Flowers from Cactus
You’ll be surprised as to how many cacti you’ll see in the market bearing fake flowers. Ideally, the best way to handling a cactus plant with fake flowers is to avoid buying them. However, if you find yourself caring for a cactus with fake flowers, here’s how you can remove them:
Step #1: Identify whether the flower is fake or not
There are a lot of indications that you can take note of to determine whether the flower is indeed a fake one or not. For one, you can check the base of your flower head near the base. Real cacti flowers have a receptacle or a structure that connects the flower head to the stem, while in cactus with fake flowers, you may notice some hardened hot glue that was used to attach the flower to the cactus, or pins punctured into the cactus’ main structure.
Don’t be afraid to touch the flowers, as well. Real cactus flowers do not resist to pressure as you push them. Fake ones may feel rigid or fixed in position because, again, they’re directly attached to the cactus with hot glue.
If the fake flowers are attached using glue, proceed to step 2. For fake flowers attached using pins, proceed to step 4.
Step #2: Remove flower by gently wiggling them
When removing fake flowers, it’s always better to exercise caution and avoid yanking them because this method will lead to more tissue damage for your cactus. Try to wiggle the fake flowers gently to minimize the damage to the plant as possible.
Step #3: Remove the glue
If you manage to remove the flower, try removing the glue next. Do not use a hairdryer to try to melt the glue because it will only damage the plant. Instead, heat a knife and cut through the hardened glue to melt it and avoid damaging the plant tissue.
There will be a small scar on your cactus plant, but this is only temporary and your cactus will be able to heal within a few years. If there are some glue left on your plant, scrape it off using a sharp knife starting from the base and work your way up to the tip of the cacti needles.
Step #4: Remove fake flowers attached by needle
Fake flowers that are attached using pins can also be damaging for the cactus and in some cases, it’s vital to take the pin out of the plant to allow it to grow. When removing the fake flower, simply use a tweezer to carefully take it out of the plant.
Final Tip…
Once you have taken out the fake flowers on your cactus, keep them away from direct sunlight for a few days. Since there is an “open wound” in your plant, exposing it to heat will only cause more damage to the tissue.
Growing Succulents Inside the Hobby Greenhouse
Cactus, or succulents in general, are very particular with their needs. For one, they shouldn’t be overwatered or else their roots will rot. Secondly, cacti don’t like to be exposed to direct sunlight.
That is why when you’re planning to propagate or start a succulent collection, getting a hobby greenhouse is a great choice. Here are some of the benefits that it will offer you:
Benefit #1. It protects your cacti from heavy rains
Succulents need less water than what plants normally require – a defense mechanism they developed as a result of being grown in areas where water is scarce. This makes heavy rains a threat to their survival. With a hobby greenhouse, you can protect your succulents and ensure that they receive the limited water requirements they need.
Benefit #2. Protection from direct sunlight
Direct sunlight can also cause tissue damage to certain types of cacti, like those that are variegated. With a hobby greenhouse, the sunlight can be filtered which ensures that the leaves of your cactus won’t be burned by direct sunlight.
Benefit #3. Keeps succulents away from frost and extreme heat
Keeping your cacti inside a hobby greenhouse in the winter will ensure that it will have some protection against frost. You can also protect them from extreme heat inside your hobby greenhouse. The high temperature will make your cacti more susceptible to root problems.
How to Remove Fake Flowers from a Cactus: Final Tip
If you’re not sure how to proceed with removing the fake flowers from your new cacti plants, you can just wait for them to grow. Throughout this period, the stem structure of the cacti plant may still change which will loosen the glue’s grip on the stem of the cactus. Eventually, the fake flower will fall off on its own.
However, if the fake flowers are hindering your cacti’s growth, you can learn how to remove fake flowers from a cactus properly. If you have a greenhouse, store your plants in it after removing the fake flowers to keep them away from direct sunlight and possible pest infestations.