All India Kitchen Garden Meet of Unit 7B was held on 24th January 2024. Our speaker and host Mrs Geeta Atrey has been a keen enthusiast of cacti and succu-lents since 35 years. Her bright eyes and radiant face reflect love for her plants. She gave us total insight on Cacti and Succulents
WHAT ARE CACTI AND SUCCULENTS? The plants adapted to dry or desert conditions are collectively known as Cacti and Succulents. They are largest group in plant kingdom, containing around 10,000 species. Cacti & Succulent, need diffuse light, white net with 50% light. They need porous and perfectly drained soil, equal parts of garden soil, seived Khanger rakh (powder) , cinder and cowdung manure, 1/2 part of bonemeal and neemkhali, 250gms of Bavistine . Let mixture rest for 10 days. Best time to apply NPK 10:26:26 fertilizers is during growing period, between – March to September. Water sparingly, allowing soil to dry out completely between waterings, water once every 2-3 weeks during growing season (spring and summer) and reduce watering frequency during dormant season (fall and winter). Best prevention to remove dead or decomposed part of plant is to treat it with fungicide like sulphur powder. Mealy bugs, Scale, Spider Mites, Thrips, Whiteflies are some pests that attack. To control these pests, spray with insecticide – Melathion, Imidacloprid, or Bavistine light dose i.e. 1-2 ml per litre of water once just before monsoon. Propagate a cactus via stem cuttings, offsets, or division. Seeding, grafting, or direct planting are viable ways of propagating a cactus. Best propagation time is growing season to summer season when air has less humidity.
What to grow? Aavarti, Gasteria, Mammillaria, Astrophtis, Adenia, Adeniums.
Mrs Geeta Atrey ended session by showing us her well curated amazing terrace garden. She has been so passionate about Cati and succulents travelling globally and making a great collection of her plants. She treated us to delicious evening home-made snacks and sweets. We are grateful to her sharing her knowledge with us.
A person in an orange dress standing in a greenhouse
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A room full of plants
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