If you buy a cactus plant and it comes with fake flowers, you’ll need to know how to remove them. Cacti are a popular choice for indoor plants. It’s imperative that you check for real flowers on the cactus plants you choose for your home when out and about.
In order to lure plant consumers into purchasing appealing cacti, many plant merchants place false flowers on the cacti they offer. Unfortunately, customers only realize their blunder after they’ve brought the item home and have had ample opportunity to do additional study. They may have made a mistake, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they were wrong to acquire the cactus plant.
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Fake flowers are commonly attached to cacti plants these days, however if you buy one and see the fake flowers, you may remove them with ease. Tissue damage can be avoided by proceeding slowly and carefully.
Removing Fake Flowers from Cactus
Astonishingly, you’ll find several cactus in the market with false blooms. Avoiding the purchase of imitation blooms for your cactus plant is the ideal course of action. You may remove false flowers from a cactus by following these instructions:
Step #1: Identify whether the flower is fake or not
There are numerous clues to look for that will help you establish whether or not the bloom is a fake. In the first place, you can look at the base of your flower head. It is possible to tell the difference between real and fake flowers by looking for hardened hot glue or pins embedded in the cactus’s primary structure, which are used to attach the flower to the plant.
Also, don’t be scared to get your hands dirty. Unlike fake cactus blossoms, real ones don’t fight being pushed. Due to how they’re fastened, fake ones may appear to be stiff or fixed in situ.
If the imitation flowers are fastened with glue, go to step two. Step 4 is for attaching imitation flowers using pins.
Step #2: Remove flower by gently wiggling them
In order to minimize further tissue damage to your cactus, it’s best to avoid ripping imitation flowers out of the vase. To minimize damage to the plant, gently wiggle the imitation flowers.
Step #3: Remove the glue
If you’re successful in removing the flower, continue on to the glue. Hairdryers can cause harm to plants, so avoid using one on the adhesive. Use a hot knife to cut through the hardened adhesive instead, which will melt it without hurting the plant’s delicate tissues.
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. Use a sharp knife to scrape out any remaining adhesive from the base of the plant and work your way up to the cacti needle tips.
Step #4: Remove fake flowers attached by needle
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The cactus can be damaged by fake flowers that are affixed to the plant using pins, and in some situations, the pin must be removed to allow the plant to flourish. To get rid of the false flower, all you need is a tweezer and some care.
Growing Succulents Inside the Hobby Greenhouse
Cacti and other succulents have very specific requirements. There are a few things to keep in mind when watering your plants. Cacti, on the other hand, aren’t fans of direct sunshine.
Because of this, if you’re intending on starting a collection of succulents, a hobby greenhouse is an excellent investment. The following are some of the advantages you’ll receive:
Benefit #1. It protects your cacti from heavy rains
Having evolved as a defense mechanism as a result of being grown in dry climates, succulents require less water than other plants. As a result, even little rain poses a serious threat to their existence. Using a hobby greenhouse, you can preserve your succulents while ensuring that they receive the little water they require.
Benefit #2. Protection from direct sunlight
Variegated cactus, for example, might suffer tissue damage from exposure to direct sunshine. Your cactus’s leaves won’t be scorched by direct sunlight thanks to a hobby greenhouse’s ability to screen out the sun’s rays.
Benefit #3. Keeps succulents away from frost and extreme heat
In the winter, a hobby greenhouse will provide some protection for your cactus from the cold. Your hobby greenhouse can also be used to keep your plants from overheating. Your cacti will be more vulnerable to root troubles if the temperature is too high.
How to Remove Fake Flowers from a Cactus: Final Tip
Cacti plants that have been given fake blooms can be left alone if you aren’t sure how to proceed. If the cactus’ stem structure changes during this time, the glue’s hold on the cactus will be loosened. The phony blossom will eventually come off by itself.
Alternatively, if your cacti’s development is being hampered by the fake flowers, you can learn how to correctly remove them. Keep your plants in a greenhouse after removing the fake flowers to protect them from direct sunshine and possible pest infestations.
Why are sellers attaching fake flowers on cacti?
Cacti are often decorated with flowers by their sellers in order to increase their value. Cacti are more likely to find new homes as a result of this. This means that while you’re shopping for cacti, it is your job to ensure that the cactus you’re considering is free of any phony flowers.
You can ask the seller about the flower, and he/she should be honest if you ask. However, a seller has no responsibility if you fail to inquire. Because of the flowers, cactus appear more lively and appealing to potential purchasers. As you become more experienced, it will become easier to tell if a cactus flower is real or not.
What are fake cacti flowers?
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Inflorescences of strawflower (or golden everlasting) have been dried and pasted on cacti to preserve them. When you touch one of these blossoms, you’ll notice a peculiar “papery” texture. Strawflowers, or Xerochrysum bracteatum, can live considerably longer than cacti flowers, and they are sometimes dyed in a variety of colors by their sellers.
Strawflowers are great because they are able to respond to changes in humidity even when they are dry! Flower opens when there is low humidity, and closes when there is high humidity. This looks like actual flowers.
So, how to tell if a cactus flower is real or fake?
- First and foremost, cacti flowers only survive a few days! Perhaps though they’ll stay for months or even years, cacti blooms are often glued on. A flower can’t exist outside of spring and summer because it’s not possible to grow and flower without these seasons. Summer is the flowering season for the majority of cacti, but some bloom just after the summer ends.
- Artificial flowers on cacti will feel like craft paper or straw. It’s hard to tell the difference between faux cacti flowers and real ones.
- Just take a close look at how it’s attached. Hot glue may be seen on the sides and underneath the fake bloom if you look closely. Cacti are commonly sold with imitation flowers attached to them. Pins can be used to secure flowers. Cacti have receptacles on their stems that hold the real flowers.
- Many cacti flower in a precise pattern, and it’s important to notice this. Many Mammillaria cactus, for example, have a “crown” of flowers. If a flower sits on top of a plant, it’s probably phony.
- A peek at the hue of cacti’s blossoms tells us nothing exceptional about their beauty. For example, you might come across a cactus sporting a false blossom in a brilliant green or even a neon green hue.
What are the issues with glued fake flowers and how to remove them from a cactus?
The way the fake flowers are fastened to the cacti is the problem. A hot glue gun is the most common method of attaching the flower, but a pin can also be utilized. A cactus’s spines are permanently attached to hot glue after a wound is made in the cactus. Using a pin to penetrate the cactus leaves a wound.
So, how can you get rid of fake cacti? When removing cacti blooms, you’ll need to be particularly careful. The reason for this is that if you pull a flower that has been attached, you’ll be tearing off its spines, areoles, and even skin. When using pins, your only option is to remove the pin and let the wound to heal on its own. After removing the glue, there will be a scar in either case.
There are few ways to remove a flower and glue:
- Try wriggling and gently pulling the flowers to see if they come off. Removing the flower will allow you to proceed to the adhesive removal step.
- If you want to remove the adhesive, you’ll need to warm it up enough to loosen it. Use a heat gun instead of a hairdryer to heat the adhesive (not recommended because will damage the plant). Cutting the glue with a heated knife blade works better. Even though there will be a scar, your cactus will eventually “grow out of it.”
- To remove any remaining adhesive, use the point of a knife or scissors to scrape it off.
- If you want to remove the glue, don’t use any acetone.
- After a few years of growth, the flower and adhesive will occasionally break off on their own. Make sure to remove any flowers that have been connected to the top of a cactus, as this will prevent the plant from growing.
- For badly injured or scarred plants, let them develop and when it’s time to have a stem cutting/offset for new plants, get rid of the one that’s damaged.
Dyed cacti
Cacti that have been coloured can also be found for sale. The spines of cactus are often dyed in a variety of hues, most often red, yellow, blue, and green, by vendors. There are serious consequences for cactus if you spray their spines and sometimes their areoles on the stem.
Water-based mists can nonetheless harm plants because they prevent them from exhaling and evaporating moisture. However, the paint will not be washed off and you will have to wait till your cactus grows out of it before you can remove the paint.
The glue used to attach “googly eyes” and other embellishments to the stems of coloured or otherwise decorated cactus should be avoided at all costs. Cacti that have been sprayed with spray paint are not only fake, but they inspire vendors to keep painting the cacti for sale.
Grafted cacti – what are these?
Cacti with red or other colored ‘balls’ on top are also attractive and unusual. You could think these are flowers, but they are not. In reality, what you see is another cactus that lacks chlorophyll and is unable to photosynthesise on its own.
As a result, they must be linked to another plant that can photosynthesise in order to survive. A mutant ball cactus is grafted onto a rootstock cactus that is capable of photosynthesis.
Gymnocalycium mihanovichii is the most commonly grafted ball cactus, but there are a plethora of other varieties to choose from. We’ll cover grafted cacti in more detail in a future piece, but for now, just know that those round things on top of cactus aren’t actually flowers.
Please spread the word and keep reading if you liked it. If you’d like to learn more about how to grow and care for cactus, check out our previous postings!
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