How to care for a cactus in a pot at home, tips for beginners

1. How to care for a cactus at home in a pot after buying in the spring for beginners
2. Caring for a cactus in a pot after buying it in the winter at home
3. How to care for a cactus in a pot at home in winter for beginners
4. How to care for a mini cactus for beginners
5. How to care for a cactus in a pot at home so that flowers grow on a cactus
6. How to care for Mammillaria cactus
7. How to care for cactus mix
8. How to care for gruzoni cactus
9. Things to know (Q&A)

Today we will talk about a wonderful plant, a cactus. Many lovers of home floriculture grow this wonderful plant on their windowsills. Those who have been breeding cacti for a long time are well aware of all his “habits” and “addictions”. But novice cactus growers who liked this prickly plant may encounter certain difficulties. I would like to talk about these difficulties and features of growing a cactus at home.

Moreover, I had to deal with them, because I grew, and continue to grow, some types of cacti.

To begin with, any person who does not know cactus, standing in front of a showcase with these plants, may wonder: why should I grow a plant on the windowsill that does not have flowers.

Yes, the cactus does not bloom like a normal plant. However, very rarely, but it blooms. Imagine how inspiring it is when, after a long departure, suddenly one day a beautiful flower appears on your cactus.

The second advantage of growing cacti is that you can make beautiful compositions from them. Moreover, such tropical flower beds will grow on your windowsill. Having picked up a dozen varieties of cacti, you can get a mini-corner of Mexico or Pampas.

Agree it looks nice. You can grow such plants either by purchasing them from your friends, or at the nearest garden store.

Content:

• How to care for a cactus at home in a pot after buying in the spring for beginners
• Caring for a cactus in a pot after buying it in the winter at home
• How to care for a cactus in a pot at home in winter for beginners
• How to care for a mini cactus for beginners
• How to care for a cactus in a pot at home so that flowers grow on a cactus
• How to care for Mammillaria cactus
• How to care for cactus mix
• How to care for gruzoni cactus

How to care for a cactus at home in a pot after buying in the spring for beginners

In the beginning, I would like to make a few comments on buying a cactus in a store. If you take it from friends, then everything is simple here. Usually, the baby is separated from the main plant and then planted in a pot. But more about that later.

When purchasing a cactus in a store, you should not immediately take the plant you like. To begin with, you need to inspect it. Visually, the plant should look healthy without damage and foreign spots.

Plants are together in large numbers, without proper care, so infection with various diseases for them is quite likely here. Another point that also needs to be taken into account is the presence of various eyes and artificial flowers that are attached to the plant with glue or needles.

It is also desirable to remove them, especially those that were attached with needles. Otherwise, the cactus will start to hurt.

After buying a cactus, it must be transplanted from a store pot into another, more spacious one. This is best done by transshipment, like any other plant. Since the cactus is prickly, gloves must be worn on the hands. There is another option, you can make a loop out of wire and use it to remove a cactus from a store pot along with a clod of earth.

Then we transplant into a new pot, fill it with more earth and water it. Since the cactus can hibernate and wake up in the spring, care for it in winter and spring is different.

Spring is not only the end of the plant's rest period, but also the time that all cacti growers expect. It is in spring that the flowering of most types of cacti begins. Cacti not only bloom, but also grow, cacti begin their growing season. What can be done during this period. Firstly, they spray it with warm water, gradually increase the soil moisture so that the cactus begins to get used to the summer content.

With the onset of spring, the period of transplanting cacti begins. The first to be transplanted are always those cacti that bloomed in winter. The same cacti that have buds cannot be touched. However, this applies to all plants with buds. In addition to transplantation, cactus seeds are sown and cuttings are carried out.

In May, cacti begin to grow actively, so good watering is needed here.

However, cacti are unpretentious plants and do not require any special care. They tolerate both heat and cold well.

Mainly, the main care at home for a cactus is carried out in watering. Watering is carried out throughout the spring-summer period moderately. Only at the beginning of spring, when, as already mentioned, cacti move from the "mode" of rest to the "mode" of growth, they are watered with the so-called bottom watering. This is when a pot of cactus is placed in a bowl of water for 15 minutes. If the pot is on a tray, then water is poured into the tray.

In spring, cacti are best watered in the morning, but in summer - in the evening.

For watering and spraying it is necessary to use settled water.

And one moment. Periodically, cacti need to be fed with fertilizers. They are introduced in the form of solutions. There are many types of fertilizers that can be found at any garden supply store. I like Agricola universal fertilizer for cacti and succulents the most.

All information on the use of fertilizer is written on the packaging. In general, spring care is simple, the main thing is to transplant the plant in time and correctly and water it in time, preventing the earth from drying out.

However, many gardeners look at the frequency of irrigation in different ways. The cactus is still a succulent, those plants are drought-resistant, so it tolerates a long absence of moisture well.

Caring for a cactus in a pot after buying it in the winter at home

If you purchased a cactus in the winter, then the purchase conditions are the same as in the spring. The cactus must be chosen correctly. As for the transplantation of this plant, despite the fact that the cactus is at rest, it can be transplanted calmly.

You can not transplant cacti only under two conditions: when the cactus blooms and when it has buds.

In winter, cacti rest, no additional manipulations are performed with them. Proper wintering cacti must be arranged so that they bloom in the spring.

Wintering is dry and cool. This process consists in a sharp restriction of watering in the period from November to March. The plant is watered about once every three weeks and little by little, only wetting the soil. No top dressing is carried out. Cacti should be located in a cold room. If there is no glazed loggia or balcony, then a window sill will do, where there is no radiator. On the windowsill, cacti are located closer to the cold glass.

At the same time, you need to watch the cacti. If they begin to wrinkle, then they need to be sprinkled with a little water. With the onset of March, the cactus begins to wake up. It is sprayed at this time, at the beginning it is good, and then watering begins, gradually increasing its intensity.

How to care for a cactus in a pot at home in winter for beginners

Cactus care is not difficult. However, there are features that differ in spring and winter care. The main difference is the irrigation conditions. If in the spring the cactus begins to grow and vegetate, then it needs intensive watering.

With the onset of winter, the cactus, on the contrary, goes into a state of rest. During this period, it is better not to disturb him, unless you need transplants. The second important condition for the winter dormancy of a cactus is the creation of cool resting conditions for it. Winter rest for a cactus that is grown at home begins in October and ends in early March.

Why is it necessary to create such conditions? The fact is that it is in winter that flower buds begin to form near cacti, and if wintering conditions are not created, then the cactus may not bloom.

We expose the cactus to a cool place where it hibernates. In most cases, wintering takes place within two or three months. For the entire period, watering should not be. Sometimes you can spray a couple of times or slightly moisten the soil.

Many flower growers use an aquarium for wintering cacti.

Under such conditions, the heat from the battery is not transferred to the cacti. Otherwise, the cactus will begin to grow and will not bloom by spring. And its trunk can be bent from a lack of light. Winter natural light is enough for cacti, but if they woke up a little earlier, then you will have to put additional lighting for them.

Winter watering, starting in autumn, is gradually reduced. If the soil is too dry, then the cacti can be watered, but very little. But since March, the intensity of irrigation again begins to increase. Top dressing is not done in winter.

Winter is the best time to transplant cacti. In general, all plants “like” transplants precisely at rest. The most favorable time for such work is from November to the end of December.

The cactus is transplanted very simply - by transshipment. We just take, take out the cactus from the pot along with the earth and transfer it to another pot, add the earth, which should be dry.

The transplanted cacti are put in for the winter and no watering is done, as when transplanting other plants. Well, then, we are waiting for spring and we are already starting spring care for the cactus.

How to care for a mini cactus for beginners

Mini cacti are small plants growing in the same small pots. In almost every garden store you can find such cacti.

These cacti are very easy to care for and even a novice plant lover can grow them on the windowsill.

In addition, such cacti are very compact and do not take up much space. But you can put several different types on your home windowsill at once, creating a kind of collection.

And, most importantly, these little "hedgehogs" are very unpretentious and do not require special care.

After buying such a "baby" in the store, it is not at all necessary to transplant it. It will do well in a small pot.

In winter, when the cactus is at rest, the best place for its wintering is the windowsill. A little winter lighting will be enough for him. The cactus is watered very rarely in winter, only once every four or five weeks.

The main watering is done from the beginning of spring to the end of autumn. For irrigation, settled warm water is used. Watering is carried out in two ways: in the pan and under the root. At the same time, it must be remembered that it is better not to top up the cactus a little than to overfill it.

Mini cacti are not afraid of low temperatures, but the optimum temperature for wintering will be between 5 and 15 degrees.

In addition to watering, cacti must be sprayed every 2-3 days from a spray bottle, also with settled warm water.

In the summer, standing on the windowsill cacti, you can open the window, giving them access to fresh air. You can also build a special shelf on the balcony.

As the roots of the cactus grow, it is transplanted into a new pot. This is usually done every two years. The capacity for each transplant is selected a little more than the previous one. Moreover, if the root system of the cactus is pivotal, they are elongated, then the pot needs to be high. If the roots grow in width, then the pot needs a wide one.

There are many types of mini cacti. The most popular among them are: Tiny Blossfeldia (Blossfeldia liliputana), Tiny Rebutia (Rebutia minuscula) of Williams Lophophora (Lophophora williamsii), Obregonia denegrii and Notocactus Otta, which is shown in the photo below.

When growing mini cacti, pay attention to their location. A window sill located on the south or west side is best suited. These cacti grow best at temperatures from +20 to +25 ° C. If you plant a cactus in a new pot, then you need to put drainage on its bottom. Expanded clay stones are best suited for this purpose. Can be grown in separate pots and in a common container. But at the same time, it is necessary to plant them at a distance of at least 10 cm, so that the roots do not intertwine. You can also divide the cacti among themselves with partitions.

Watering is done as the soil dries. Top dressing is done along with watering. A soluble fertilizer is best suited, which can be applied both as top dressing and as watering at the same time. The cactus is fed only once a month and only in the spring and summer.

Before you start repotting a cactus, you need to stop watering a week before. After transplanting, you can water only two days later.

If you decide to do more and propagate your cacti, then this is done in the following ways:

• sowing seeds,
• rooting cuttings,
• planting shoots,
• graft.

Sowing seeds is carried out in the same way as in other plants. Seeds are laid out on the ground, sprinkled with earth. The container is covered with a film and put on germination. Every day, the container is opened for ventilation and, when the soil is dry, the soil is moistened. A week later, the seeds give the first shoots.

Cuttings reproduce more often leaf-shaped forms of cacti. Before rooting, the cutting site is dried and placed in moist soil. Moreover, the stalk is not buried, but simply placed, slightly pressed into the ground.

The grafting method is a little complicated, and not everyone will be able to use it without the skill of such work. An incision is made on the cactus trunk - a small area is removed, in place of which a fresh cutting is attached, which must be fixed.

The most common method of reproduction is planting by shoots or children.

When such processes appear, they are separated from the mother trunk and simply transplanted into another pot.

Caring for cacti is easy, but it is not always possible to get them to start blooming.

How to care for a cactus in a pot at home so that flowers grow on a cactus

Among all plants, cacti are distinguished by infrequent flowering. Yes, like other representatives of the flora, they bloom in the spring, however, this happens every 3-4 years. Moreover, with improper care, they may not bloom at all. But this does not mean at all that it is worth giving up and either throwing cacti, or not doing them at all.

There are several simple conditions by which a cactus is gaining color. First, the cactus should grow at this moment. If this does not happen, then this indicates that the nutrients do not enter it, which means that there are problems with the root system. The main reason for this is too overgrown roots, which occupied almost the entire volume of the pot. It is simple to solve the problem, the cactus must be transplanted into a larger pot, and the soil should also be replaced with a fresher and more fertile one.

Secondly, the cactus must go through a stage of winter dormancy before creating buds. If it was not there, then the cactus will not bloom in any case. It is also not recommended to often transfer a cactus from one place to another. If the lighting changes, then a cactus that has already begun to bloom will most likely shed its buds. Lighting should be of constant direction and as much as possible. In the spring, this is easy to achieve by placing the plant on the sunny side of the house.

And lastly, if you transplanted a cactus, then it will begin to bloom only a year after that.

In general, for each variety there are subtleties of cultivation. Before you want to grow any variety of cactus, you need to familiarize yourself with these conditions. Many try to feed cacti for its flowering, but this does not always justify itself. In practice, it is well known that those varieties of cacti that are unpretentious in cultivation bloom best and most often.

It goes without saying that diseased plants will not bloom at all. Therefore, if you find rotting or diseased areas on your cactus, then do not expect it to bloom at all.

Thus, the main condition for the flowering of a cactus is the creation of a dormant period for it in winter. Without this, you will not get a flowering plant in the spring.

As for watering, it differs significantly in different seasons of the year. So, in spring and summer, you water either every day or once every two days. In autumn, the cactus is watered once a week, and in winter it is not watered at all or once every two weeks, but not abundantly.

How to care for Mammillaria cactus

Mammillaria is a popular cactus due to its unpretentiousness.

Their homeland is North America, where it grows on chalk and limestone rocks.

This species rarely blooms, but if it does bloom, then the eye simply rejoices at the beauty of its flowers.

In form, these cacti are very diverse. They can be spherical, which is most often, can be elongated and flat. The flowers of the cactus are small: from 10 to 60 mm, the color is red, white and yellow.

This variety of cacti is very photophilous, so sufficient lighting is necessary for its cultivation. However, if your cactus is located on the south side, then it must be shaded. Windows on the west and east sides are best suited for placement.

Once every three or even two years, the cactus must be transplanted. Spring is considered the best time for this. The soil needs to be loose so that moisture can easily pass through it. The stores sell special formulations for cacti. But, if you decide to make your own soil, then you need to mix turf and leaf soil with sand in equal proportions.

The pot is taken wide and shallow. If you are growing a still young plant, then it is transplanted annually into a pot slightly larger than before. Drainage is poured into the bottom of the pot. Then we take out the cactus from our pot along with the ground, put it in a new pot and fill it with fresh soil, which we then lightly tamp. Small stones are placed on top. They will help the roots not to rot. In general, for almost all cacti, it is recommended to put small pebbles on top in pots. It also looks beautiful, like in the desert.

Frequent and abundant watering for mammillaria is not needed. In summer, the cactus is watered generally only 4 times per season. But he responds well to spraying. Top dressing is made every 30 days, the first - in the spring and the last - in the fall. In autumn, watering is also reduced, which is not carried out in winter.

Once the cactus blooms, it must not be moved at all, otherwise the buds may fall off. It is also impossible for a flowering cactus to be exposed to direct sunlight. In this case, the flower is covered with a translucent cloth.

If you follow these simple conditions, then your cactus will grow and delight with its beautiful flowers.

How to care for cactus mix

Cacti can be grown both as individual species, in individual pots, and as whole compositions. In this case, you will get the so-called cactus mix, those groups of cacti that are grown in one container or pallet. Most often, when you come to the store, you will see a set of such cacti standing in one pallet, not marked to the point of appearance, but with a simple inscription: “cactus mix”.

Caring for a cactus mix is ​​​​very simple and practically no different.

In the spring-summer period, these cacti are kept at a temperature of 22-27 ° C. Since autumn, the temperature must be gradually lowered and in winter it should be in the range of 10-12 ° C.

As for lighting, the cactus mix loves strong lighting, but it is best if it is diffused. During the heat of the day, cacti need to be shaded.

Top dressing is applied once a month during the growth period and during the flowering period of the cactus. Special cactus fertilizers are used.

And, most importantly, watering the plants. On hot days, the cactus needs a lot of water. It is watered with warm settled water every other day. Watering is best done in the morning. By winter, watering is reduced. If you spend a dry cold wintering (for flowering) on ​​a cactus, then watering is not carried out at all. In the case of a warm wintering, the cactus is watered up to 2 times a month.

There are some difficulties that beginner "cactus growers" may encounter. For example, if crooked stems and small spines form on a cactus, then the wrong wintering was carried out.

With improper or careless watering, limescale can form on the cactus. In bright sunlight, if there was no shading, the cactus can get burned, as a result it will turn red. In addition, with too much light and high humidity of both air and soil, brown spots may appear on the cactus. The same will happen if you overfed the cactus with fertilizers.

If there is not enough lighting for the cactus, then it can become discolored, and its stem can stretch out a lot.

If the cactus falls under a sharp cold snap, it may wrinkle. And with a sharp watering of a cactus with cold water after a dry content, the growth of buds will not only stop, but they may also fall off.

In order to prevent such a state, it is necessary to carefully monitor the care, which is not so complicated.

How to care for gruzoni cactus

Gruzoni cactus, which belongs to Echinocactus, is perhaps the most popular among all cacti that are grown on home windowsills.

Gruzoni is a spherical cactus with long spines. Subsequently, it takes a barrel-shaped form. It differs from other types of echinocactus in the number of ribs - there are 35 of them.

The homeland of this cactus is Mexico, and therefore this species needs bright lighting. It is not afraid of cactus and direct sunlight, so it can be taken out on a sunny balcony in summer. If the cactus grows all the time on the windowsill, then, in order to avoid distortion, it is recommended to periodically turn it in different directions to the light. With a lack of light, the cactus will begin to lose thorns, and those that grow will be very thin.

The optimum temperature for this species is 25 degrees. But at a higher one, the growth of the cactus may stop.

In winter dormancy, the cactus is kept at a temperature of 12 degrees. Moreover, if the temperature drops below 10 degrees, the cactus will freeze and may die.

In the spring and summer, watering the cactus is carried out only after the soil has completely dried. Water is used separated and at room temperature. As for watering during wintering during the dry period, the cactus is not watered at all. With a warm wintering, it is necessary to slightly moisten the soil once a month.

It is not necessary to spray the cactus; a little moisture is enough for it when watering.

The pot in which gruzoni is grown should be shallow and slightly wider than the stem of the cactus. In general, its height is determined by the size of the root system. The root in the pot should be free.

Transplanting a cactus is similar to other species of this prickly family.

This cactus is propagated and grown using seeds. The video below shows you how to do it the right way.

In general, caring for cacti is not so complicated, it is enough to follow a number of simple rules.

Things to know (Q&A)