Cacti Maintenance

The Essentials

Soil Mixture

Cacti need well-draining soil. The soil mixture provided is half potting soil and half perlite. As they are desert plants, other good mixtures may include fine or coarse sand. This is so they can retain enough moisture for the growing process without letting their roots sit in water for long.

They can use the same soil for up to 5 years because they are slow-growing. As they get larger, adding new soil into the mix or changing the soil completely suffices. For plants grown indoors, plant fertilizer is optional, as the soil mixture is more than adequate to provide a healthy and stable foundation.

The Right Pot

Cacti may be planted in any well-draining pot made of plastic, earthenware, wood, etc. There are some important things to note about each. Due to their porosity, clay pots can lose water quickly in warm, dry temperatures. This can be solved with an extra day of watering for the duration of the season. Overtime, plastic pots can become thin and brittle from long sun exposure. This is less of an issue for plants grown indoors or kept under diffused or indirect lighting. Wooden planters, in time, can easily rot. This can be remedied by choosing the right type of wood, like cedar, which is less disposed to rotting, or lining the interior of the planter with a wood protectant.

They can grow perfectly well in planters without drainage as long as careful measures are taken. In such planters soil may take longer to dry, so checking moisture levels before watering is very important.

Lighting

Cacti prefer full sun throughout the year, but they can grow as long as they get some form of light. Full sun offered by east or west-facing windows are perfect. Diffused or indirect lighting offered by north and south-facing windows are great places as well. If a space has minimal direct sunlight, moving the plant around throughout the day to where there is more warmth and sun is a great way to keep it healthy.

Watering

The saying goes that it is best to under-water than over-water. This is mostly true, over-watering is a classic rookie mistake. Cacti are from dry habitats and thrive for long periods of time without rain, but in the growing seasons of spring and summer, they love water.

In the spring and summer, in environments of low-humidity and high heat, and if they are kept outdoors in full sun, they may be watered 2-3 times a week. Or every 3-4 days. In this same environment, and if the plants are kept indoors, they may be watered twice a week. In summer especially they can be watered to overflowing. In hot, humid environments, they may be watered once a week whether they are kept in or out of doors.

Winter is a resting period for cacti and they do not need to be watered. There are exceptions, of course. If they are kept indoors for the season and a heating system is used, water sparingly once a month. In environments with milder winters it is best not to water if they are kept outside, as wet roots can potentially rot should the night temperatures fall below 40 degrees.

In environments with rainy winters, it is best not to water. In environments where very low-temperatures or snow is common, keep plants inside and away from windows to prevent frost.

The amount of sun a plant gets is a good indicator for how much water to provide. Plants exposed to full sun dry faster, whereas plants given indirect lighting take a bit longer. Observe the soil and plant as well. If the plant is turning soft or yellow, it is being watered too often. In such cases, forgo watering for a time and wait until the soil and plant dry completely. As you get to know your plant, it becomes easier to determine what it needs!

Small Pests and Insects

Cacti, or any plant, will attract some form of pest. Be it hovering flies and moths or spiders nestling their gossamer homes between the spines. These are very much welcome, as they typically do not cause harm to the plant.

The 2 to be wary of are scale and mealy bugs. Scale are tiny, flaky pests that latch onto the body of a plant and gradually expand to deplete the life of the plant, turning the affected areas from green to white. Mealy bugs do the same from the roots or very top of the plant. It is less likely for plants grown indoors to attract scale and mealy bugs unless they have been exposed to beforehand. They are more common for plants kept outdoors in humid or damp environments.

Should a plant get scale or mealy bugs, isolate it and treat it with a simple mixture of dish soap and water. Dip a small brush into the mixture and apply directly to the affected areas.