new to caring for plants could not keep a flower from dyi...
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So, firstly welcome! You're in the right place, and as for cacti (desert, not tropical) I was literally just scrolling the feed before posting vanity pictures of my pointy lil cuties.
I just wanted to say to start- flowers die. Every time. They're a means to an end for the plant, not the plant itself. It's always great to get a nice bloom but be prepared for them to fall off in a day simply from the shock of rehoming. Plants are much more complicated than "water and light", even though they are they most important factors.
Anyway! A proper spiny cactus, no matter the type, needs direct sun all day and very little water. In a planter you'll water more frequently than an in-ground specimen, since their trick is to send out yards and yards of tiny, stringy roots to collect any drop of moisture that comes along. They won't want to be repotted right away, and you'll want a tutorial on doing it without ending up as a human pincushion anyway ð
Arid cacti want it hot (or at least above cool, since, yanno, indoors) in a spot they'll get NO FEWER than 8 hours direct sunlight. Watering is a little tricky since succulents display opposite signs of thirst than most leafy plants. They'll start to shrivel and look pruney when overwatered, because their specialized cells are designed to hold water. If they get overly full, they start breaking down and make it look 'wilty' when in fact it's starting to drown. The best indicator they want water is shrinking in and/or a drastic change in color. Mine turn purple when they need a drink, but I've seen others a ruddy red or even close to black. They do this to slow photosynthesis and conserve water, they're usually vibrant again after a quick soak and drain. If you have any more specific questions, the #hashtags are many and very useful in who will see your post. For this one I'd put #newplantmom, #succulentsquad, #cactusclique, #advice. That will bump it up the feed for people who follow those tags. Happy gardening!
I just wanted to say to start- flowers die. Every time. They're a means to an end for the plant, not the plant itself. It's always great to get a nice bloom but be prepared for them to fall off in a day simply from the shock of rehoming. Plants are much more complicated than "water and light", even though they are they most important factors.
Anyway! A proper spiny cactus, no matter the type, needs direct sun all day and very little water. In a planter you'll water more frequently than an in-ground specimen, since their trick is to send out yards and yards of tiny, stringy roots to collect any drop of moisture that comes along. They won't want to be repotted right away, and you'll want a tutorial on doing it without ending up as a human pincushion anyway ð
Arid cacti want it hot (or at least above cool, since, yanno, indoors) in a spot they'll get NO FEWER than 8 hours direct sunlight. Watering is a little tricky since succulents display opposite signs of thirst than most leafy plants. They'll start to shrivel and look pruney when overwatered, because their specialized cells are designed to hold water. If they get overly full, they start breaking down and make it look 'wilty' when in fact it's starting to drown. The best indicator they want water is shrinking in and/or a drastic change in color. Mine turn purple when they need a drink, but I've seen others a ruddy red or even close to black. They do this to slow photosynthesis and conserve water, they're usually vibrant again after a quick soak and drain. If you have any more specific questions, the #hashtags are many and very useful in who will see your post. For this one I'd put #newplantmom, #succulentsquad, #cactusclique, #advice. That will bump it up the feed for people who follow those tags. Happy gardening!
I used to have a little bit of everything. I love cactus. Didnât have space for them when I moved back home and the cold took them all out. Anyways I have more indoor plants now. I used to leave them outside in full sun until it got cold then I would bring them in. I watered them once a week or every two weeks depending on how hot it was out.
@smokazrizz Welcome to the Greg community! As you are probably aware that there are many different types of cacti ðĩ The cactus family (Cactaceae) consists of about 131 genera and 1,866 species of flowering plants, almost all of which are found in the New World. Most cacti are adapted to arid environments, though a number of species are native to rainforests and other tropical or subtropical areas. And they have different needs, soil, water, and light requirements.
@smokazrizz As far as the pot goes unglazed Terracotta pots would be a great option! And drainage holes an absolute must! Specially for the desert cacti!
Just one more of my Actual cacti, the ones I posted originally are succulents, but not the kind we're talking about. My Hedgehog cactus bloomed last night, I rescued it from grazing land before the cows got a chance to crush it. Most of my pricklepals are the same, the darn cattle salt the earth wherever they're allowed to forage so I have 0 regrets taking them home where they have about 99% more chance of not being stepped on.
@Luxuriousleaf the little gooberdog photobombing ðð love it. Those are some lovely cacti, they look very happy. Sorry to hear about the first batch ð
@smokazrizz just wanted to say, flowers are temporary and won't last, that's just part of their normal life cycle. So if you had a flowering plant and the flowers died off, it's not your fault. That's just nature ð
Everyone has already covered the basics for caring for cactus, so I'll just reiterate the fine points:
âĒ Terracotta pots are best. They're porous, which means better airflow to the soil, which helps it dry out faster.
âĒ They need FULL direct sun, at least 4-6 hours a day. If kept indoors, it needs to be in either a south or west facing window to get enough light. If you don't have a window facing those directions, you'll need a grow light.
âĒ They like very gritty soil with little to no organic matter. Think about what their native habitat soil is like and aim to replicate that: equal parts cactus/succulent soil + perlite or pumice rock.
âĒ When in doubt, it's always better to underwater than overwater. These are desert plants that can go a very long time without water.
Everyone has already covered the basics for caring for cactus, so I'll just reiterate the fine points:
âĒ Terracotta pots are best. They're porous, which means better airflow to the soil, which helps it dry out faster.
âĒ They need FULL direct sun, at least 4-6 hours a day. If kept indoors, it needs to be in either a south or west facing window to get enough light. If you don't have a window facing those directions, you'll need a grow light.
âĒ They like very gritty soil with little to no organic matter. Think about what their native habitat soil is like and aim to replicate that: equal parts cactus/succulent soil + perlite or pumice rock.
âĒ When in doubt, it's always better to underwater than overwater. These are desert plants that can go a very long time without water.
@stephonicle good to know! I never trust the stickers fully but if it's not Assorted Foliage, it's also my best guess ð
@CactusAdjacent haworthiopsis are constantly mislabeled as haworthia, so I'm not surprised lol. Wasn't trying to be a know-it-all, hope it didn't come across that way...ð