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Cacti are extremely popular potted plants. They are also said to be extremely easy to care for and do not require special care. However, this does not mean that we can completely forget about them. We suggest how to take proper care of your spiky plant.
Cacti are very graceful and undemanding plants. But that doesn’t mean you can forget about them and leave them alone – after all, they are living plants, not figurines, right? So find out how to take proper care of your cactus so that it will decorate your windowsill for a long time.
Let’s start with what kind of soil will be most suitable for cacti. First of all, it must be highly permeable, because in nature these plants grow in difficult conditions, where the substrate rapidly soaks up water and dries out quickly. For optimal soil, it should be composed of 30% disinfected (that is, kept for 30 minutes in a heated oven) garden soil, 20% peat substrate, 10% perlite and 40% coarse sand. A substrate prepared this way will most closely resemble desert conditions, which is natural for spiky plants. Also remember not to use compost, as it contains spores of pathogenic fungi to which cacti are very susceptible. You also do not have to worry about the process of making the substrate, because nowadays you can easily buy ready-made soil for cacti of optimal composition.
You should also pay attention to the pot and the casing, specifically to its size. The diameter of the pot should be 1-2 cm bigger than the diameter of the cactus and its bottom should have numerous holes allowing water to freely flow away and be absorbed. The bottom of the pot should be drained with a centimeter layer of gravel. When looking for the perfect pot for your cactus, be sure to visit the Flora Point online store
Cacti do not require much water and can be overwatered sooner than dried out. Additionally, it is worth to make watering dependent on season and weather, and thus humidity. Some cacti take water not only through the root system, but also by means of absorbing hairs on thorns. So cacti should be watered from May to the end of September. It is also important not to pour water directly into the pot – it is better to pour it into the base. Soft water such as boiled tap water or rainwater works best for watering cacti.
Location is also important for the health of your spiky potted plants. Cacti need direct, strong sunlight for at least several hours a day. It is mainly ultraviolet radiation which ensures their growth. The windowsill of a south window is therefore suitable for them. If you have such possibilities, you can also grow cacti in conservatories or greenhouses.
Cacti that are already too big for their pot can be safely repotted, but it is worth doing it in winter when they are in a state of dormancy. When repotting, it is necessary to remove dead roots. They are easy to recognize because they are dry and brown. Remember also that cacti should not be repotted in spring, because this is the period when plants produce the so-called waiting roots, i.e. the buds of a new root system, developing right after the first watering. Cacti take up water via their young roots, and damage to these roots will stunt the plant’s growth.
Main photo: Anna Khomutova/pexels.com
