How to care for cactus indoors

How to care for cactus indoors? Cacti are one of the most common houseplants. They are considered easy to grow and undemanding, although this is not entirely true. In order for the cultivation of cacti at home to bring us a lot of satisfaction, it is worth getting to know the specific requirements of cacti and taking into account the differences between individual species.

Most cacti grow in deserts and have fleshy stems, thorns or hair, and a host of other adaptations to protect them from excessive water loss. The most common potted cacti that you can buy in flower shops are: Echinocactus, Mammillaria, Cereus, Echinopsis and Opuntia.

A place to grow cacti

From spring to autumn, cacti need a lot of sun and long exposure. An ideal place for growing potted cacti is a place that is constantly lit from sunrise to sunset. Too little light intensity causes distortions of cactus shoots, such as narrowing of the tops, light color of the epidermis and reduction or distortion of the thorns.

How can you tell if a cactus is male or female?

In summer, if possible, cacti are best grown on a balcony or terrace, where they will be provided with direct sunlight and plenty of fresh air. If you want to grow cacti indoors, you must place them in such a way that they can be directly exposed to the sun’s rays. However, it is better not to place them close to the windows, especially south windows, because then they are easily sunburned.

In winter, the intensity of the sun is very low. During this time, the cacti should not grow, but must go dormant.

What substrate for cacti?

The substrate for growing cacti should be airy and well-drained, and at the same time rich in humus. The pH of the soil for cacti should be 5.5-6.0. Deviations from the optimal pH level make cacti grow worse, and even stop developing completely.

The easiest way is to buy ready-made land for growing cacti available in garden centers. However, often, contrary to appearances, the composition of such soil does not meet the requirements of cacti. A good solution is to independently prepare the substrate for growing cacti based on a simple recipe:

• Universal gardening soil, preferably without the addition of peat (30%)
• Coarse sand (20%)
• Garden peat (30%)
• One of the components loosening the substrate, with a particle diameter of about 5 mm: brick aggregate, fine expanded clay, pumice, perlite, coarse gravel (20%)

The soil for cacti should be replaced approximately every 2-3 years. After a long time, the cacti begin to grow slower and bloom less. The substrate in the pot should be replaced at the end of the dormant period (February / March) when cacti are transplanted.

How to water cacti in a pot?

Cacti like soft and slightly acidic water. This means that before watering, the water taken from the tap should be boiled and left for several hours.

Cacti are watered with water at room temperature, try not to soak their shoots. In summer, during periods of high sun exposure, cacti are watered in the evening, and in spring and autumn – in the morning.

The frequency of watering cacti during the growing season depends on the intensity of light, the ambient temperature, the size of the plant and the type of vessel in which they grow. In summer, cacti are rarely but abundantly watered.

Do not let the substrate dry out completely, but also do not water the plants while the soil is still wet. It is advisable to soak up the water (put the pots in a bowl with water and let the soil soak up with moisture).

How to fertilize potted cacti?

Cacti grown in humus, nutrient-rich soil generally do not require fertilization. Too much nutrient in the substrate, especially nitrogen, causes vigorous growth, poor flowering and elimination of cactus shoots. Such plants often get sick and die quickly.

Fertilization is required for cacti grown in non-decay substrates (e.g. in the sand itself) because they have no source of nutrients. Cacti grown in poor soils should be fertilized a maximum of once a month, from April to July, with a strongly diluted dose of mineral fertilizer.

Wintering potted cacti

If you want to have healthy and beautifully flowering cacti, it is necessary to provide them with appropriate conditions during the winter. The months of December, January and February are the most difficult times in the cultivation of cacti.

During this time, the cacti should be dormant. It is a very big mistake to omit this cactus care item. Cacti that do not have a dormant period do not bloom, but develop many side shoots and die prematurely.

To put cacti into hibernation sleep: from end of September you must gradually limit watering. In November cacti should be completely dry and from December don’t water them at all.

Keep cacti in a cool, dry and bright room during wintering. The wintering temperature depends on the thermal requirements of specific species. Thermophilic cacti (eg Cephalocereus) require temperatures in the range of 12-18 ° C in winter. Cold-loving cacti (eg Gymnocalycium or Mammilaria) should overwinter at a temperature of 5-12 ° C.

The rule is that when you are not fully aware of the requirements of your cacti, you can assume 12 ° C as the optimal resting temperature.
During the winter, You can keep cacti in pots or take them out of pot. If you do that wrap them in newspaper and place in a cool, dry place.

In early March you should replant cacti into fresh substrate. After about a week, the plants begin to gently sprinkle to wake them up slowly. At this time, you should also start sprinkling cacti hibernating in pots. From the second half of March you should gradually increase amount of water. Start with small amount to avoid shock and root rot. You must remember that cacti is slowly coming back to life. So too much water will do more harm.

Good to know!
The rules of cactus care presented in this article refer to the so-called ground cacti (growing in soil). A separate group are epiphytic cacti, which in their natural environment grow on tree branches in shady corners of tropical forests. Due to the conditions prevailing in these places, their appearance and requirements differ significantly from terrestrial cacti. The most popular of this group of cacti are beautifully flowering Epiphyllum and Rhipsalis,