How often to water cactus indoors ?
Improper watering of cacti is the most common cause of their death. The assumption that cacti, originating from semi-arid lands, do not need water to live is wrong! Cacti love water and need a lot of water for proper development and flowering. However, these unique plants require a special approach. There are a few basic rules to follow when watering cacti. How often to water cactus indoors?
Basic rules for watering cacti
Many people believe that cacti do not require a lot of water. Although cacti can do without it for a long time, during this time they do not grow and bloom, but only vegetate. There are no clear guidelines as to how often you should water them. Too rare and meager watering of cacti during the growing season adversely affects their growth and flowering. Cactus shoots will start to wrinkle and shrink. In turn, excess water in the substrate causes them to rot.
Cacti plants should be watered, on average, once every 2-3 weeks. The water requirements of these plants change depending on the conditions prevailing in their surroundings. However, there are some general rules for cactus irrigation that must be followed to ensure healthy development:
- Water the cacti using the soaking method.
Traditional watering of cacti with a watering can is ineffective, because the water quickly rinses the substrate and the plant has no chance to store it. In addition, as a result of such watering, plant shoots are soaked, and the water flowing from them leaves a sediment of scale, which not only disfigures the plants, but above all clogs their stomata. Additionally, watering cacti with a strong stream of water destroys the structure of the substrate.
Therefore, the best way to water cacti is by the soaking method. Pour a small amount of water into the bowl and place the cactus pots in the water, letting all the soil pass through with moisture.
- It is better to water cacti rarely and more abundantly than often, but with small doses of water.
Water the cacti only when the soil in the pot is dry all the way. As the water loses from the substrate, it is replaced by the air necessary for the proper development of the roots.
Therefore, you should not water the cacti every 2-3 days, but wait for the soil to dry and then water them abundantly. To properly water the cacti, put them in pots of water and wait for the top layer of soil in the pot to become wet. Then the cacti should be removed from the water and placed on a wire rack to let them drip off.
- The higher the ambient temperature, the more water the cacti need
High temperature and dry air cause the cacti to transpire strongly, which means they lose water faster. In order to replenish its losses, they intensively draw water from the substrate. During hot summer, it may turn out that cacti need to be watered abundantly, even every few days!
In spring and summer, on warm and sunny days, in addition to periodic irrigation, it is worth spraying cacti in the morning. This treatment creates a pleasant atmosphere for cacti, and the additives protect the plants from attack by mealybugs and spider mites.
Good to know!
Many species of cacti (including the genus Mammillaria) in the hottest period of summer (July and the first half of August) go into a certain type of dormancy. During this time, they stop growing, they do not take up water and nutrients. At this point, you must stop watering them. The water remaining in the substrate at this time leads to rotting of the roots. The damage to the root system, however, is not immediately visible, but often only in autumn, when, with the onset of colder days, the cactus begins to die for no apparent reason.
Cacti should not be watered during cloudy, cool and rainy weather. However, the substrate must not be excessively dry (the substrate must not move away from the edges of the pot). In prolonged cold and rainy weather, the substrate in the pot should be sprinkled with water.
- In summer, water your cacti in the evening, and in spring and autumn – in the morning.
During hot and sunny summer days, the cactus stomata close. They only open in the evening when it starts to cool down. Then the plants begin the transpiration process and begin to replenish their water reserves. Therefore, watering them in the morning is ineffective, because in hot heat, as a result of evaporation, very large losses of water from the substrate occur.
In autumn and spring, when the daytime temperatures are lower and the sun exposure is lower, the water management of cacti is similar to that of other plants. During this period, cacti should be watered early in the morning to allow them to dry out before the night. This protects them from the development of diseases.
- In winter, do not water the cacti at all
In winter, cacti should go into a state of rest. Then they stop growing and take water from the ground. During this period, they must be provided with a temperature of around 12 ° C and a bright and dry place.
Watering cacti must be limited from September to prepare them for winter drought. Cacti are not watered from December to the end of February. Watering resumes in March.
After such a long period of drought, cacti cannot be watered abundantly right away, because their stems could burst due to the strong osmotic pressure. Watering begins with gently sprinkling the plants and gradually increasing the doses of water.
What water should I water cacti?
The quality of the water used to water the cacti is extremely important. Cacti require soft and slightly acidic water (pH 5-6). This means that the water taken from the tap should be boiled in advance and set aside for several hours before giving it to the plants. Watering cacti with hard water leads to inhibition of their growth and dieback due to too high pH of the substrate.
Cacti must not be watered with cold water as this causes a thermal shock. Water for watering cacti should always be at or slightly warmer than the ambient temperature.
Can you over water cactus?
Simple answer is yes! You can over water cacti plant. If you continue doing it you will most likely damage plant to the point it will die.
Overwatering will cause root rot, fungi grow and it will spread onto plant and eventually lead it to rot and die.
So, don’t overwater you beloved cactus. Water it then wait until soil is dry. One simple rule will lead to long and happy live of your plant.
Good to know!
1. In spring, to accelerate the development of cacti and facilitate their transition from dormancy to vegetation, the first watering should be done with hot water (about 45 ° C).
2. The described rules of irrigation apply to the group of terrestrial cacti. In the case of epiphytic cacti (e.g. Epiphyllum), the watering principles differ significantly. Epiphytic cacti require frequent watering and sprinkling in both spring and summer and autumn and winter seasons.
