How to plant a cactus: examples at home

Many growers are wondering: how to plant a cactus? And this is not surprising, because no one wants to punch their fingers on sharp thorns. And the cactus itself, although it is a picky plant, can rot due to non-compliance with the planting rules. Therefore, further we will talk about how to plant cacti so as not to injure yourself and the plant.

The choice of soil and container for planting

In order for a cactus to fully develop, it needs to choose the right soil. It must contain the necessary nutrients, as well as not allow excess moisture and air to pass through.

There are many types of cacti

The pot should be slightly larger than the plant itself. The container can be made of any material. It is better to choose a light color of the pot so that the roots of the plant do not overheat.

Required soil components

Ready-made substrate can be purchased at the store. It should include river sand, brick chips, peat, humus from leaves and turf, as well as other nutrients.

You can prepare the soil for planting yourself. To do this, mix in equal parts:

• washed river sand, fraction 1 or 2 mm;
• earth with small lumps;
• humus.

To obtain a slightly acidic environment, peat is added.

Growing from seeds

Suppliers from Holland bring only certain types of cacti to our country, which is why it is not so easy to get the desired specimen into your collection. Therefore, you should study the information on how to grow a cactus from seeds at home, and start sowing.

Growing cacti from seeds makes it possible to acquire a species you like. For this purpose, you can turn to well-known cactus growers or order seeds from abroad.

Choice of tools

Before you start growing cacti from seeds, you need to prepare all the things you need for this:

• soil for planting;
• potassium permanganate solution, which is diluted to a dark cherry color;
• sowing container, measuring 10x10 cm;
• polyethylene or glass;
• labels on which the plant variety can be indicated.

Choice of capacity

For sowing seeds, plastic bowls with a height of about 7 cm are suitable. Many drainage holes are made in them and placed on a pallet.

Further grooves are made and seeds are sown. If necessary, a label with the name of the variety is glued opposite each row.

Soil options

To sow seeds, you need to choose the right soil. It should be water permeable and low in nutrients. It is their absence in the soil that contributes to the development of the root system.

There are several soil options that will be ideal for growing seeds:

1. The earth of rotten leaves is mixed in equal amounts with coarse sand, plus a third of crushed charcoal.
2. River sand, leaf humus and crushed peat.

It is most reasonable to sow seeds in the soil in which the cacti will live in the future.

Seeds prepared for planting

The soil for growing seeds must be sterilized. To do this, take a pot of water and put it on the fire. A colander is placed on top, at the bottom of which a cloth is spread and soil is poured. Cover everything and boil for 30 minutes.When the water has cooled, the colander can be removed.

The seeds themselves need to be disinfected. They are placed in a solution of potassium permanganate for 10 to 15 hours.

How to plant a cactus with children

Planting cactus babies is a fairly simple process if the shoot has already formed roots. Cubs can be removed from the mother tree when they have already reached 1.5 cm in height.

When the roots begin to cut through the babies, you need to wait a little until they get stronger. Then they can be taken and planted even in one pot. Mix representatives and different varieties. The main thing is to maintain a distance between them, since the processes need space, because they will increase in size. It is important that different plant varieties have the same needs and can be easily looked after in the same way.

Planting options for cactus without roots

What to do with children who have a root is clear, but how to plant a cactus from a shoot without roots? It is better to plant such children in spring or summer. To do this, you should use the recommendations of real professionals who have been breeding cacti for many years:

1. It is necessary to tear off the baby very carefully so as not to damage either the process or the mother plant, therefore it is even better to cut it off.
2. The resulting baby is placed in a cool dark place for 3 days so that the cut dries up a little. If this time is not enough, then you can hold the sprout in a dark place for several more days.
3. The baby is placed in a pot, which is only a couple of centimeters larger from her. You do not need to sprinkle the baby with soil. It should lie freely on sandy soil. It only needs to be carefully watered periodically so that it does not budge.
4. When the baby has roots, it is planted in a pot.

Children with roots

How to plant a cactus

It is better to plant plants from the end of March to May, when cacti begin to grow. Although this can be done throughout the growing season.

The new pot should be slightly larger than the previous one. If rotten roots are found in the cactus, then they must be carefully cut off with scissors. In this case, the capacity is selected a little less from the previous one. More sand and pieces of charcoal are added to the soil.

In the case when the cactus grows slowly and its root system does not develop well, the pot is left the same size. They just change the ground to keep it fresh.

If you need to transplant a cactus, then watering is stopped 3 days before that, since the wet earth will stick to the roots and, with the slightest damage, the plant may begin to rot. The pot is turned over and the plant is pulled out of it with tweezers. If the container is not very rigid, then the walls can be pressed a little to make it easier to pull the cactus out.

You need to shake off all the remnants of the old soil from the plant, but if it is stuck inside the tuber, then you do not need to tear the roots. The cactus is planted in slightly damp soil. Drainage is poured at the bottom of the pot, and the substrate is placed on top. It is not necessary to tamp the earth during planting, as this can damage the root system of the plant. The substrate is poured over the root collar, otherwise the cactus may begin to rot.

How to plant a cactus? If the plant has a narrow root collar and a wide stem, it can be surrounded by large stones around it to make it more stable. Small stones are not suitable for this, since the soil will not breathe. If the stones cannot hold the cactus, you need to build a support and tie the plant to it.

Landing scheme

Young cacti, before they turn 4, are transplanted every year, and older cacti every year. Flowering varieties are transplanted after flowering.

Transplant instruments

First, you need to acquire the tools that you will need to transplant your plants. For this process you will need:

• Plastic tweezers or a strip of paper that can be folded into several balls to wrap around a cactus and lift it off the ground.
• A pot of the appropriate size.
• Alcohol or hot water.

Cactus growth time at home

Another frequently asked question is how does a cactus grow? The growth of a cactus directly depends on its variety. There are small species of cacti that grow up to only 1 cm. An example of this type is the Blossfeldia. Ariocactus, which are also called "living stones", also grow slowly. These specimens grow by only 12 cm in 50 years.

Hanging varieties of cacti have been popular among flower growers for a long time. Therefore, the question often arises of how to plant a Decembrist.

These varieties are planted in separate pots with their leaves hanging down freely. The Decembrist has 2 or 3 new leaves every year, and in growth he adds from 2 to 4 cm.

The fastest growing specimens are the Strauss cactus and prickly pear. They grow very beautiful, up to 1 m in height and add about 10 cm per year.

Further care of the flower

For the full development of cacti, you need to provide proper care:

• Lighting. Children do not like bright light, but adult cacti really need it. They are not even afraid of direct sunlight. On the contrary, poor lighting can destroy the plant. In some varieties, bright light promotes flowering.
• Watering. Adult specimens need moderate watering in summer and cut back in winter. Some varieties do not need watering at all in winter. There is no need to pour water on the cactus, they carefully moisten the soil itself.
• Top dressing. Plants are not fertilized immediately after transplanting. It is forbidden to do this during the rest period. Cacti can have it both in winter and in summer. This is noticeable for the plant, it absorbs little moisture during this period. It is better to carry out feeding in cloudy weather. If the cactus grows more in width than in height, then there may be an excess of nutrients in the soil.

Watering procedure

Now that it became known how to grow cacti, you can start choosing a pet. The main thing to remember, no matter how prickly it may be from the outside, it still requires attention and proper care.