QA

Question: How To Care For Cactus Indoors

Cactus can be grown indoors as long as you place them in a spot where they receive at least 4 to 6 hours of daily sunlight. We recommend putting them in your brightest windowsill, which is often a southeast-facing window and rotating them every day to ensure they are etiolated.

How often do you water indoor cactus?

How often do you water a cactus? During spring, summer and autumn months a cactus plant grown indoors will need to be watered every 7 to 10 days typically. During winter months cactus plants only need to be watered every 4 to 6 weeks.

How do you keep cactus alive indoors?

Place plants as close as possible to the window and provide good air circulation, rotating them once a month to ensure even light. With indoor cacti, it’s better to under-water, about once a month, rather than over-water. A cactus can survive without water for many, many months; but rot is an instant killer.

How much sun does an indoor cactus need?

On average, cacti prefer around 12 hours of light per day, but need a minimum of 4 hours of light per day. These plants don’t enjoy being in the shade, so it’s important to find the brightest spot you have in your home, so that they get enough sunlight. Don’t expose your cacti to more than 14 hours of light per day.

How do I know when to water my cactus?

The easiest way is to simply stick your finger in the pot. Make sure you go down at least two inches (often times the surface can be dry when the dirt underneath isn’t). If it feels wet, damp, or even a little colder than the surface – don’t water. Give it a few days.

How do I know if my cactus is happy?

A strong, succulent stem, upright leaves, evenly green outlook and strong roots stand out as some of the characteristics of a healthy cactus. A healthy cactus will hold a considerable amount of water without showing any signs of weathering and will bloom bright colored flowers each flowering season without fail.

Should I mist my cactus?

Don’t mist desert cactus. They are not native to regions where surface moisture and humidity is prevalent. Instead, they reach deep into soil to harvest moisture left over from the rainy season. In general, most cultivated cacti will be desert denizens, so watering overhead should be avoided.

Where should I put a cactus in my house?

Place your living cactus plants in a sunny spot with good flow of air, and say goodbye to negative energy. Good Feng Shui placement for cactus plants protects people from the negative energy rays that cactus spines radiate in all directions.

What do cactus need to survive?

5 Things Cacti Need to Survive Light. Exposure to sunlight is essential for a cactus to grow properly. Air. As obvious as this may seem, your cactus needs to be in an aerated space; like any other plant, it needs air to survive. Water. Drainage. Nutrients.

How long do indoor cactus live?

Indoors they may survive for 10 years or more. The trouble with old ones is that every single knock, scratch or blemish they get stays with them, so they tend to look less appealing as they get older.

How do I know if my cactus needs more light?

Other signs of your cactus not getting enough light is discoloration, fading colors, and root rot where the soil stays wet for too long. Cacti have a deep green color when they are healthy.If a cactus needs more light, signs include: Etiolation. Thinning of top growth. Discoloration or fading. Root rot.

Do cactuses need darkness?

Cacti and other succulents need to have between 10-14 hours of light a day. In fact, cacti plants need darkness to take in carbon dioxide that will be used in the process of photosynthesis during the day.

Do cacti need grow lights?

Succulents and cacti are highly adaptive plants and can typically survive in any location you put them in, but if you want them to truly thrive, grow lights are beneficial. Cacti, on average, require 20% more light than succulents.

Do you water cactus from the top or bottom?

Use the method employed by expert cactus growers and water from the bottom. About once per week during hot weather, or whenever the pot feels light, place the potted cactus in a shallow saucer filled with about 1/2 inch of water and leave it in the saucer for about 1/2 hour or until it sucks up the water.

How long can you go without watering a cactus?

How long can a cactus go without water? Typical desert cacti can survive for up to two years without water. This is because it has developed thick stems that store a lot of water and has a protective layer that prevents water loss.

When should I repot my cactus?

Cacti should be repotted as soon as the roots begin to show through the drainage holes at the bottom of its pot. As a general rule, fast growing species should be repotted every two to three years and slow growing species every three to four years.

What type of cactus do I have?

You can find out by looking at their leaves. Spines on a leaf will be needle-like and sharp, while non-spiny types have soft edges. Some other helpful clues about your cacti plant would be the color and shape of its leaves.

How much room does a cactus need?

In general, a cactus should have a minimum of 1/4 inch of space between its main body and the pot’s rim. The soil itself needs to cover the root system loosely without any protruding tips exposed to the light; the roots must form a stable base for the cactus to grow tall and wide, depending on the species.

How do you know if a cactus is unhealthy?

Symptoms to watch for include small sunken spots, discolored scabs, round soft areas surrounded by fruiting bodies, and black or other colored dots on the surface of the cacti skin. You may even notice some oozing of your cactus plants.