How much sunlight does my Brain Cactus need?

Brain Cactus requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

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Brain Cactus

Q: How often should I water my Brain Cactus?

Brain Cactus thrives in dry soil and should be watered sparingly . Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

5.0 out of 5 (1 experiences)

Survivor

Also known as

Brain Cactus, Wave Cactus and Echinofossulocactus Zacatecasensis

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Stenocactus multicostatus

Genus

Stenocactus

Family

Cactaceae

Order

Caryophyllales

How to care for Brain Cactus

Water

How often to water your Brain Cactus

Brain Cactus needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Water 0.5 cups every
12

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

Light

Check the growing potential in your area

A plant's growing potential is determined from its location, the time of year, and current local weather.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

26% Very Low

Growing Brain Cactus in Pittsburgh right now

Plant growth potential is currently low 📉

January 29th, 2023

Sunlight intensity as measured by “net radiation” in Pittsburgh is currently low 📉.

The availability of high quality sunlight in your home impacts ability for plants to thrive and is key in determ…

Sunlight will increase by 38.6% ☀️

January 30th, 2023

Pittsburgh is trending towards greater sunlight intensity!

The amount of sunlight in Pittsburgh is expected to increase by 38.6% over the next 2 weeks to an average of 8.0 megajoules of energy per…

Daylight will increase by 1.0 hours 📈

January 27th, 2023

This month, Pittsburgh is getting an average of 5.2 hours of clear sky sunlight per day.

Hours of daylight will increase by 10.5% over the next two weeks. Your plants will get 10.3 total hours of …

Light needs and placement for plant Brain Cactus: 1ft from a window

Brain Cactus love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.

Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to ensure it receives enough light to survive during this time of reduced sunlight intensity in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ⛅.

Brain Cactus does not tolerate low-light 🚫.

Nutrients

How to fertilize Brain Cactus

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Brain Cactus: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Brain Cactus after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

FAQs

Water Needs

Sunlight Needs

Toxicity

Care Summary for Brain Cactus

Brain Cactus

Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 12 days

Placement

< 1ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on your location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Survivor 1

@Hannah

5 Plants

206 XP

Auckland

08/05/2021

You can’t kill these things! I rescued this from my little brothers room because it didn’t get looked after but still it survived! Definitely my smallest cacti though doesn’t grow much

Survivor