Removing fake flowers from the cactus needs care because simply plucking a glued blossom will break the skin, areoles, or many thorns, leading to an injury. If you bought an adorable cactus plant with flowers and realized later that the flowers are fake, suddenly you want to get rid of them as you don’t want anything to hinder the growth of your cactus. In this article, let’s learn how to remove fake flowers glued to the cactus.
If the flowers are attached with pins, detach the pins slowly and allow the injury to heal. When you remove the glue, a mark will remain.
It is important to know how to remove fake flowers from a cactus plant particularly if you bought one unknowingly. While you are buying the cactus plants, ensure that the flowers on them are real, not fake.
Why Do Sellers Attach Fake Flowers On Cacti?
Some plant sellers attach fake flowers to cacti just to make the plants alluring and people buy these fascinating plants. They come to know of it only when they see it at their home. Although it is certainly fine to buy these cacti as they look aesthetic, removing such flowers can be a hassle at times.
When you are looking for cacti plants, inquire from the seller about the blooms on the plant. Blossoms on a plant can enhance the chances of the plant being sold. Slowly, you can be proficient in knowing if the flowers on the cactus are real or fake.
What Are Fake Cacti Flowers?
Fake cacti flowers that are glued or pinned on the cactus are real dried strawflowers (Xerochrysum bracteatum) inflorescences that are dried to keep them sustained.
These strawflowers have a unique thin appearance making it easy to identify them by feeling them. Strawflowers are more durable than cacti flowers and are dyed in different colours.
Strawflowers can respond to humidity despite being dry.The flowers open in little moisture, and will close in excess moisture like real flowers.
How to Tell if a Cactus Flower is Real or Fake?
Cacti flowers can bloom from a day to one week, but fake cacti flowers that are glued on cactus plants will remain as such for many months or years.
Various cacti bloom in the summer and some can bloom just after the summer, therefore if you see a cactus with blooms in other seasons in the market, the flowers are fake.
Also, fake flowers have a brown paper-like feel. Real cacti flowers are delicate to touch whereas fake flowers are rough to feel.
You can closely observe a flower to find if it is glued or pinned to the plant. You can see hot glue on the edges and below the fake flower. At times, flowers are attached with pins to the stem. Real flowers grow on a stalk of the stem.
Observe the position of the flower as some species of cacti have a particular way of flowering.
Also see the color of cactus flowers, any unusual colour will be fake.
How to Remove Fake Cacti Flowers from a Cactus?
The main issue with glued fake flowers is how they are fixed as sometimes a hot glue is used to attach it and at times, a pin can be used. Hot glue forms an injury in the cactus, adhering to the thorns forever. A pin pierces the cactus forming an aperture-like injury.
Be vary, as you remove cacti flowers as just taking out a glued flower can break skin, creating an injury. Pins can be taken out and allow the hole thus formed to recover. A mark will be left after taking out the glue. Here are some ways to remove a flower and glue:
Twist and remove the flowers softly and find out whether they have come out. As you have removed the flowers, try to take out the glue.
Heat the glue to take out the glue that will detach it from the surface.
Do not use a hairdryer because it can hurt the plant. Heat a knife blade to cut the glue cautiously. A mark left will heal with time.
You can use tweezers to remove the artificial flowers from the cactus.
For any glue left, remove it with a knife tip. Using acetone to take out the glue is not advisable as it can burn the stem.
Often, the flower and glue can drop by themselves after some years. You need to be cautious if a flower is fixed on the top of a cactus, then detach it for the growth of your cactus.
A badly injured cactus can be allowed to grow for some time, then you can eradicate the injured part and grow a new cactus from the offsets or stem cuttings.
After removing fake flowers from the cactus, place your cactus in the shade for some days so that the injury on the cactus can heal or it can increase if it is kept in the sun. While you are buying the cactus plants, ensure that the flowers on them are real, not fake.