Growing Cacti In Pots – All You Need To Know –

Cactus (Latin Cactaceae) belongs to the Cactaceae family, represented by perennial flowering plants. The family is divided into four subfamilies. The word “cactus” is of Greek origin. Karl Linnaeus introduced this name in 1737 as an abbreviation for “melocactus” (thistle) due to the thorns that cover the representatives of the Cactus. It is suggested that cacti evolved evolutionarily about 30-40 million years ago and despite the fact that no fossil cacti have yet been found anywhere, the homeland of cacti is believed to be South America, and they spread to the northern continent not so long ago, no more than 5-10 million years ago. Thus, cacti can be considered to be New World plants. And today the habitat of cacti in nature is North and South America and the islands of the West Indies. In addition to the American continent, in natural conditions, the cactus plant can be found in Africa, Madagascar and Sri Lanka; They say that the cactus seeds were brought there by birds. For lovers of these plants that do not live in America, we have prepared some tips on how to grow cactus in pots.

Planting and growing cacti in pots

Flowering: depends on the species.

illumination: bright sunlight (windowsills and sunny spaces).

Temperature: in spring and summer – common in homes, in winter cooler conditions are desirable – 6-14 ˚C with regular ventilation and without drafts.

Irrigation: Moderately, once the substrate is dry. In cold or rainy weather, irrigation is not done even in summer. In winter, many types of cacti are watered once a month or not watered at all. In the spring, at the first signs of the beginning of growth, spray the cacti with water and when they begin to grow, spend 2-3 watering the bottom with water at a temperature of 28 ˚C to saturate the substrate with moisture. Please note, however: these baths are harmful to pubescent and woolly species.

Air humidity: short. Top dressing – once a week during the period of active growth in a soil pre-moistened with a weak solution of a mineral complex for cacti (a Kadatsky mixture). In winter and with annual transplants to a cool substrate, cacti do not need additional feeding.

Period of inactivity: November to March or after flowering.

Transfer– As needed, in the spring, at the beginning of active growth. Young cacti are replanted annually.

Diseases: dry and black rot, late blight, rhizoctonia, helminthiasis, fusarium, spots and viral diseases.

Grow cactus in pots – Home

Many cacti and succulents have become used to growing indoors and have been growing on our windowsills for over a hundred years.

However, succulents and cacti are not the same: if all cacti are succulents, then not all succulents are cacti. We will tell you what is the difference between them, how to plant a cactus, how to grow cactus in pots, how to properly water a cactus, how to care for a cactus at home, and what methods are used to propagate cacti.

The cactus plant differs from succulents in the presence of an areola, a special organ that is a modified axillary bud with scales transformed into spines or hairs, although many varieties have both. Another difference between cacti and succulents is the structure of their flowers and fruits: part of the flower and the fruit of the cactus is at the same time part of its stem. There are still up to a dozen differences that only interest scientists, and we won’t write about them.

It is very difficult to give a common description to all cacti, and we will dwell on their varieties in detail in a special section. Let’s say the cactus houseplant attracts with its exotic appearance and ease of care, which even a beginner can do. The common characteristics of all cactus plants are pronounced periods of growth, flowering and dormancy, and the cactus root cannot absorb a large amount of nutrients, so the annual growth of plants in this family is very modest.

Grow cactus in pots – How to care for a cactus

Homemade cacti are unpretentious and hardy, but if you want to see your “thorns” in their best form, create almost natural cacti care conditions. Ty kato we speak for nyakoi of light loving plants nai, you know, you know how to make cactus near the house honestly, clarification namat, so why ni-goodness is food for tyah and yuzhnyat pervaz in the prover? Those who are prestigious feel good about clean air: on a lighted terrace, a terrace and only in a gradinata, they really do not need a prezymata of a light, such as cactus, koito sa uploaded in the dormant period, mogat and bdat. prenaredeni in syanka. Ako prekarvat zimata in a flock of katolatoto, you will play with them a good clarification. Lipsata in light leaves can be covered with plants and all raztegnat is painful and often horned on cacti and pale green flowers.

Because cacti are hardy plants, they practically do not respond to sudden changes in temperature and generally tolerate coolness, although they are heat-loving plants. In spring and summer the indoor cactus feels good in the usual temperature conditions for apartments and gardens, and in winter the optimal temperature for it is 6 to 14 ºC, provided there are no drafts and heating devices that dry the air of the room. with regular ventilation.

Growing cactus in pots – Watering cactus

The frequency of irrigation and the amount of water consumed per plant depends on the type of plant, season, ambient temperature and lighting conditions. Water the cactus sparingly as the soil dries out. In cold and rainy weather it is better not to water the cacti, even in summer. In winter, the soil moisture in cactus pots drops significantly and, in some cases, stops completely. As soon as the cacti show signs of growth in spring (the upper part turns green and young spines appear), begin to spray the plants abundantly daily with settled water at room temperature and when active growth begins, they will be moistened 2- 3 times with background watering, since pots with cacti are placed for a quarter of an hour in bowls with a water temperature of 28 ºC. The exceptions are the woolly or densely hairy species; such baths are contraindicated.

In spring and autumn watering is done in the morning and in summer at night. Irrigation and spray water must be boiled and stagnant. Once a month, citric or oxalic acid should be added to the water: half a gram or a tenth of a gram per liter of water, respectively. You can insist on peat for watering for a day: 200 g of peat per three liters of water.

Growing cactus in pots – Fertilizing a cactus

Cacti must be fed very carefully, and in annual plant transplants they cannot be fed at all. Fertilizers are applied in the form of solutions no more than once a week during active growth in already moist soil to avoid burns to the roots. The most common fertilizer for cacti is a mixture consisting of potassium nitrate, monosubstituted potassium phosphate, twenty percent superphosphate, potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and potassium chloride. To prepare a nutrient solution, one gram of mixture is dissolved in one liter of water.

Growing cactus in pots – Cactus pots

Cactus pots can be made of ceramic or plastic. The size of the pot is determined by the size of the plant, and the height of the pots should exceed the length of the cactus root system by 15-20% and the width of the pot by one and a half times. In other words, the pots for the cactus must be narrow and deep enough; in them, the cactus will feel more stable and the plant will need to be watered less frequently than when it is grown in a flat pot. In addition, plastic pots are preferable for medium and small cacti, since porous ceramic contributes to high water evaporation, alkalinization and salinity of the substrate.

Grow cactus in pots – Soil for cactus

Cactus substrate needs a slightly acidic, loose, porous, water and air permeable reaction, pH 6.0. You can purchase prepared cactus soil from a flower shop or make yourself from equal parts leaf soil, coarse, well-washed river sand, and grass soil with the addition of a small amount of brick chips or charcoal. For old and columnar cacti, as well as for radish root plants, low-fat clay is added to the soil. Epiphytic cacti need the addition of humus or peat, up to 1/3 of the volume. It is advisable to add a little lime in the form of pieces of plaster or old plaster to the soil for cacti with white thorns. If you shape the soil improperly, the plant can experience root rot.

Growing Cacti In Pots – How To Transplant A Cactus

The cactus is transplanted in the spring, at the beginning of active growth. Place a drainage layer of fine expanded clay, brick sawdust, coarse river sand, or old pieces at the bottom of the pot with holes, fill the pot a third of the height with sterile substrate, lower the roots of the plant into the pot and evenly fill the container with moist soil from all …