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Queen of the Night Plant Care
Queen of the Night Plant Care. Queen of the night plants are in the cacti family, and, as the name suggests, they produce a spectacular, fragrant, white flower that opens in the nighttime, closing during daylight. Native to the desert of the southwest United States and the Central and South Americas, with proper care, you can grow a...
Queen of the night plants are in the cacti family, and, as the name suggests, they produce a spectacular, fragrant, white flower that opens in the nighttime, closing during daylight. Native to the desert of the southwest United States and the Central and South Americas, with proper care, you can grow a queen-of-the-night cactus as a houseplant or in your rock garden landscape.
In its natural environment, the queen of the night cacti will be found in a sandy soil and usually growing under and within another desert bush, like the creosote bush. Your queen of the night will thrive in medium to full light, but does not like direct sunlight, particularly at midday and afternoon. Because it originates in a somewhat tropical climate, keeping your queen of the night in a mild or medium humidity and at temperatures between 60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit will make it happy.
Plant and grow your queen of the night in a soil that is specifically formulated for cactus. Not only will the root system of your cactus rot in heavy, soggy soil, but its stems might too. You can also make your own cactus soil blend by mixing three parts coarse sand or perlite, two parts humus (leaf mold), one part garden soil and one part crushed rock. You should also put a layer of crushed rock on the surface of the potted soil, about 1/2 to 1 inch thick, which will help eliminate the possibility of stem rot on your queen of the night cactus.
Only water your queen of the night cactus occasionally, the soil should feel dry when you poke your finger about 1/2 inch into the soil before you water your plant. Periodically mist your cactus, especially during the dormant winter period. During winter you should also reduce watering and move the plant to a cooler temperature location. As spring arrives, place your queen of the night cactus in a warmer, sunnier location to start its growing period.
During the spring and summer your queen of the night is growing, so you need feed it with a low nitrogen fertilizer that you have diluted by one half. Feed this diluted mixture every two or three weeks. No feeding needs to be given during the dormant winter months.
