The Ruby Ball Cactus is also called the moon cactus. The moon cactus is a specially grafted specimen generally used for growing a potted plant rather than being presented as a garden specimen.
There are many colors, red, yellow, and orange, which can be Gymnocalycium mihanovichii.
There are many different kinds of cacti, but the ruby ball cactus is one of the ones that stands out completely.
There is a lower green part of the cactus, but that’s the bottom part that all comes together later.
These cacti are significant in terms of presentation. You can see how they work in several ways. They are pretty and appear aesthetically pleasing, so many people enjoy them.
However, taking care of them is also an art form you must invest in. It takes time for you to figure out how you’re going to do that.
Moon cactus is different from the rest of the cacti, so the way you take care of these cacti is also other.
The Ruby ball cactus has two parts: the red ball cactus version and the lower green stem version.
Table of Contents
Taking Care of a Ruby Ball Cactus
The way to take care of the ruby ball cactus is to take care of it the way that you would take care of any other cactus.
If you’re successful in taking care of most of your cacti and succulents, then you don’t have to worry about the kind of care you would afford to the ruby ball cacti.
Moon cactus or the ruby ball cactus is especially used for dish gardens with other cacti. The ruby ball cactus is unique because it doesn’t have any chlorophyll, so it’s often called the albino cactus.
It doesn’t have any chlorophyll, meaning it cannot make food all on its own. It would thus need to access the food from a particular source. The Ruby Ball Cactus gets it from rootstock cactus.
You may not know this at first glance, but the top part of the ruby ball cactus and the lower part of the cactus generally have a parasitic relationship.
If the two elements don’t merge in the way that they interact with each other, i.e., if the needs between the two don’t match, then one or both of these parts will die.
The way for you to take care of these plants is to ensure that you leave some place for the soil to dry between the two waterings.
The soil should properly dry out even if you feel like there is some wilting to it all.
When you decide to water your plant, you should ensure that the watering is deep and that you get the water into the roots so that it is enough for the cactus to remain alive.
You will notice that you have the right amount of water in the plant when it feels like the plant can visibly plump up.
Like any other cactus, you should not have dampness surrounding the cactus for too long. This could lead to root rot, a problem that will remain for a very long time.
You would have to take other more sustainable measures to ensure the root rot ends. You also need to fertilize the plant to get the proper nutrients for growth.
Some factors that you would have to look into when you’re taking care of the cacti are as follows:
Sunlight
The tops of the cactus are also called scions sometimes. These ball tops are more likely to thrive in the shade than in the light.
However, the other lower stock in the bottom prefers the light quite a lot, so you can go as far as covering the ball tops with covers.
If you want to keep them in a particular place, you will need to keep them where they receive indirect sunlight.
They can’t stand anything where they get a great amount of daylight. If there is constant direct sunlight means that the colors won’t remain quite as bright.
Cactus Soil
You would need a solid that is easy to drain for any cactus. A low pH is ideal, and you need to have enough space within the soil so it doesn’t feel like the moisture will subsist.
A well-draining soil also prevents the rotting of roots, which can protect the root structure of the cactus and help maintain its growth.
Water
You also need to ensure that you provide the cactus with all the water it needs to grow. You also must ensure that the water isn’t too much or too little.
Thus, you want to ensure that the water doesn’t exist in the soil for too long. If it does, it could lead to root rot, resulting in root suffocation and eventually root and plant death.
Plants that are placed in small pots will not need a lot of water. However, other plants require thorough watering that goes deep into the pot.
It would be best if you also reduced the watering during winter. If you continue at the same pace in winter that you would during summer, the water will overwhelm the plant.
Fertilizer
Fertilizers and nutrients are also essential for moon cactus plants. The way that you register fertilizers to these plants is different.
You must ensure that you continuously add fertilizers during the growing season (April to October).
You want to stop using the fertilizer during the period of dormancy so that the fertilizer doesn’t create any issues.
Temperature
The average room temperature is perfect for moon cacti, who thrive in a warm environment.
This is easily achieved- just put your plant close to a window to provide the heat it needs but remember to shield it from direct sunlight!
If you want more precision, these colorful florae grow best in temperatures between 65°F to 78°F (18 – 26°C).
For the cacti enthusiasts living in USDA zones 10 and 11- good news! You can grow moon cacti outdoors- find a sunny area in your yard with some shade so you can cultivate your cacti garden.
Those living in less forgiving climates need only to transfer their cactus pots outside during the summer and move them back indoors when temperatures drop in the fall.
Think of it as a seasonal migration for your plant!
Another thing to note- when trying to grow your ruby ball cactus indoors, keep it away from both cold drafts and direct heat!
These mild plants are unable to survive at temperatures below 48°F (9°C), so don’t leave them in front of open windows or air conditioning units.
How Can You Grow a Ruby Ball Cactus
The easiest way to grow cacti is by propagating them. You could use seeds to develop the cactus further, but it would be easier if you just bred them instead.
However, with the ruby ball cactus, propagation is complex since the plant is already a double graft. So, we will use the method of double grafting or regrafting instead.
The way to do this would be by grafting the moon cactus top:
You can achieve this in the following steps:
- Cut the top of the stem or the columnar cactus, and then you can cut the scion from the ruby ball cactus. You would then be able to see the vascular tissue that is available from the stem. You have to get to this point. Make sure you’re using a precise knife that you have already sanitized with either heat or a spirit.
- You can then take the plants and align them, so the circles are next to each other.
- Add rubber bands to the scion. You would also need a mark of sorts on the bottom of the pot that the rootstock is growing in. These bands will hold the plant in place so that it can grow together.
What To Do in Case of a Root Rot?
If you feel that there may be root rot on your cactus, you may want to work on potting and then repotting your cactus. There are many ways to achieve this when working on a moon cactus.
The plants are constantly growing. However, they can’t remain in the same pot at all times. After a while, you would need to rejuvenate them with the new soil version.
You should report now and then to give them a new avenue to grow and spread their roots.
It would help if you tried to repot in a time when there is warmth, so the roots don’t crumple up or grow dormant.
You would also want to gently remove the roots from their pot so that there’s no damage to them.
You then want to place the pan in the new pots, fill them with different cactus-mix potting soils, and spread out the roots as you go; you can also leave the plant to dry for a while before you start watering it as you would.
Final Thoughts
There are many other methods for you to take care of your plants. One of the major ones that we haven’t mentioned yet is pruning back your cactus and being aware of how you graft the cactus plants when the moon cactus is already one plant that has been created using grafting.
These cactus plants have many different conditions you would have to take care of. You would take care of the water, the soil, and the temperature, amongst other things.
The heat and temperature you keep your cactus in should also be according to its desired temperatures.
