Cactus Care Blog

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! ! Long blog – only for those interested in the care of cacti.

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Several people ask me how to care for cacti, so I said I’d write a blog about it.

I’m not very good at explaining things, so I hope you’ll be able to understand me …
and bear in mind that I’m not an expert. It’s largely trial and error – and usually much error lol

N.B.
Remember that this blog is about desert cacti.
Not all cacti grow in arid places, and the following information only applies to those that do.

Here are some desert cacti (incase anyone doesn’t know … lol) :-

The above one is Stenocactus vaupelianus.

And the next one is Notocactus leninghausii.
It’s about 30 years old :o)

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The cultivation of any plants depends largely on experience, so what I’ll do is give the basic facts, coupled with a few bits of my own experience, which I have gained over the years.
(since I started to collect them in 1965 lol)

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1 – Compost

I like to use JOHN INNES POTTING COMPOST No.2 – It contains the right amount of nutrients to suit established plants
Or you could use multi purpose compost if you like.

You could also use a special one for cacti. But if you need lots, the latter could be expensive.

I mix some grit with the compost to give it an open texture, which cacti like. I put it in the ratio of 3 parts compost to one part grit – because that’s what I read in a book :o))

Mix it well so that the grit is evenly distributed through the compost.

Here’s a photo of the grit I use :-

I’ve put the tea spoon in the above photo to give an idea of the size of the grit particles.

If you buy ready mixed cactus compost, you will not need to add more grit to it. It should be ready to use as it is.

I don’t buy it because with the amount of cacti I’ve got, it would be too expensive.

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2 – Potting

Cacti need good drainage, so put plenty of crocks or grit at the base of the pot, in order to ensure good drainage.

I like to use earthenware pots. I have found they tend to dry out better, and remember cacti grow in deserts where it gets very dry. They don’t like to stand in damp soil.

Some say you should repot them every year, but that is not necessary in my experience.
Once every few years is enough for big ones, and every 2 yrs for small ones.

However, it should be done regularly, because the compost will run out of nutrients, and we all need food :o)

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3 – Water

In summer cacti need plenty of water. They are able to withstand droughts if they must, but they do need a good water supply if they are to grow well – especially when they are flowering.
Without water, they can not get nutrients from the soil, and they need those in order to grow well and survive.

In the wild, they live in arid areas, where it gets hot in the day, and very cold in the night.
As a result of this, there are heavy dews in the mornings, which soak right into the ground. Then the soil dries out during the day.
And then there’s another heavy dew tomorrow.

Remembering this, give them a good soaking when you water them. Make sure the compost is soaked right through.
Then let the compost dry out before the next soaking.

Dribbles that only wet the surface, are no good at all. It can lead to the base of the plant rotting.

During warm weather they may need water every
day or two, especially little ones in small pots, because they can dry out quickly.

In winter they need a period of hibernation, so water less often, especially if they are kept in a cool place (which is prefferable)
More about this further on …

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4 – Light

Most cacti need plenty of light, but they don’t all need direct sun.
A bright spot, or partial sun, is sufficient for most.
It is said the more spines they have, the more sun they can withstand.

So this one :-

can stand more sun than this one :-

Many small cacti grow in the shade of larger plants, or in long grass, so a bright west or south facing spot with partial sun, should be fine.

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5 – Rest.

We all need rest. We sleep at night, and hibernate or wind down in the winter – it isn’t natural to keep going all the time without a rest. It’s bad for our health.

Cacti are no different to any other living thing, and need a period of rest. They need a cool period in winter, and during this time you should keep them on the dry side by watering less often than in the summer.

I keep mine on some shelves in a conservatory, which has a radiator, but it doesn’t get warm in there because of the glass.
However, it is frost free.

They won’t need much watering in this rest period i.e. in the northern hemisphere from about end of October to about early March … depending on the weather.
It is only necessary to water them about once every 6 weeks or so, if the weather is mild

And as always, give them a good soaking.

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6 – Feeding.

They don’t need much feeding, because they grow naturally in poor soil, but a dose of liquid fertiliser is beneficial once or twice in spring and early summer.

Don’t feed them too much, – A lot of feeding will make them grow quickly and they will become soft-bodied, and that will make them less able to withstand the winter.
It might also render them prone to rotting.

I use ordinary tomato feed. It’s high in potassium, and that will help the flowering ones.
Give the same strength as you would for house plants. It probably states this on the bottle.

7 – Ventilation

Give your cacti plenty of ventilation, especially if grown in a greenhouse or cold frame. This is because desert air is dry, and a closed greenhouse or cold frame can get very damp.

I leave the windows of my cold frames open a little bit even when it’s raining, so that there’s a good circulation of air.

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Here’s a quick summery :-

1 – Gritty compost
2 – Good drainage
3 – Water thoroughly and let it dry out before the next watering.
4 – Plenty of light
5 – Cool winter rest, with less waterings
6 – Feed about 2 or 3 times in spring and early summer
7 – Good ventillation

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I hope you appreciate I’ve taken ages to write this blog LOL ;o))
There’s so much to say about the care of cacti, I could have written a book !

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One last thing …. don’t worry too much about sticking to hard and fast rules – it’s too stressfull ….
and conditions vary all over the world, – the weather, where they are kept, the time available to their owners etc.
So just go with the flow and enjoy your plants -
You will be well rewarded :o)

• 14 Feb, 2013
• 17 likes

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