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How To Care For Cactus Houseplants

Cactus houseplants are becoming increasingly popular both for their unique appearance and easy care. If you need a quick primer on how to care for cactus houseplants, here are some great tips for beginners.After recently sharing how to create mini marbled painted pots, I wanted to follow that post up with a little something about caring for the cacti inside them.  After all, there’s little point in having a pretty pot if the plant inside is left to fend for itself!  Now, most houseplants are pretty easy to care for:  water once a week and you’re golden!  But unlike the more common houseplants out there a cactus seems like a prickly (pardon the pun 😉 ) puzzle to solve.  It looks different and certainly responds differently to watering, sunlight and common potting soils.

If you are a newbie to cacti and want a quick primer on how to care for cactus houseplants, here are some easy tips to get you started.

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1.   WATERING

Since several varieties of cacti originate from dessert areas, many believe that providing a bit of water every once in a while will do the trick. Not so! Although cacti are hardy plants and will certainly survive, they may not necessarily thrive this way.

How To Care For Cactus HouseplantsA general rule of thumb is to water your cacti every 3-5 weeks depending on the time of year.  Cacti grow best when they are allowed to fully dry out between waterings. During a cactus’ regular growing season, from spring to fall, a three-week interval is a good rule of thumb. From late fall to early spring, when the cactus ‘rests’ or goes dormant, use a five-week interval as your guide.

Here is what to look out for:

Under-watering:  Crispy, shedding bits.

Over-watering:  Limp and lighter than normal colour.

2.   SUNLIGHT

You probably guessed it, but cacti generally require full and direct sunlight.  Keep in mind, however, that the type of cacti  you bring home may require less time in the sun than others.

How To Care For Cactus HouseplantsHere is what you should look for:

Too much sunlight:  ‘Bleached out’ or turning yellow, orange or brown.  Anything that changes it from the colour that you had when you originally took your cactus home is a good way to tell if things have taken a negative turn.

Too little sunlight:  ‘Reaching out’ excessively towards the sun (i.e., seeking more sunlight because it is not getting enough).  All plants do that to some extent, but keep an eye on over-extension.

3.   POTTING SOIL

This may come as a surprise, but there are actually special potting soils for cacti.


 

Most mixes contain more rocky bits to allow for faster drainage, which is especially good for cacti.

How To Care For Cactus HouseplantsIf you’d prefer to use up the soil you have at home first, then simply add ‘grit’ to the soil (i.e., those rocky bits that will ensure good drainage).  These include such materials as perlite, porous gravel or even those bits of chipped clay from those broken pots you may still have kicking around somewhere in the garage ;)

4.   RESOURCES

Caring for cacti houseplants need not be intimidating.  With some extra care they can truly thrive in your home.  For more indepth beginner guides to caring for cactus houseplants, check out these articles & books:


 

I hope these guidelines have helped remove the intimidation factor out of purchasing your first cacti for your home. Like most guidelines, the care of your cacti will differ depending on such things as your climate, the temperature in your home, and type of cacti purchased, to name just a few.  Experiment and see what works. And, if you buy yours from a florist or garden center, speak to the experts on the ground!

Happy planting 🙂

 

 

 

Cactus houseplants are becoming increasingly popular both for their unique appearance and easy care. If you need a quick primer on how to care for cactus houseplants, here are some great tips for beginners.

 

 

 

 

12 Comments

  • Reply
    Heide
    May 3, 2016 at 5:27 am

    I used to have one of these. I placed it by the window so it got a lot of sunlight in the morning. I watered it once a week. Now, I know why it turned a little yellow and died. Ha! I might try this again to redeem myself. Now I know what to do and how to water it. 🙂

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 3, 2016 at 8:17 pm

      Second time’s the charm Heide 🙂 !

  • Reply
    Katrin
    May 21, 2016 at 3:50 am

    I love cacti Jelica, my only plants that won’t give up on me! I didn’t know you could under~water them, but yes, I more or less manage to remember every 4 weeks to give them a little water and so far they are good! Thanks for the tips! Pinned!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      May 21, 2016 at 7:40 am

      Cacti are definitely a great option, especially for any plant killers out there 😉 – been there, done that. But as with any plants, there are always a couple of things to look out for, including these little guys. Glad you got something out of the post Katrin!

  • Reply
    Heather
    April 8, 2019 at 5:24 pm

    I have been trying to figure out what kind of cactus I have and it is the multi-stemmed one! Can you please tell me what it is called?? I have some guesses but am not sure I’m correct. Thank you!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      April 16, 2019 at 6:59 pm

      Hi Heather, There are lots of types of multi-stemmed cacti, so I’m not entirely sure. However, I did find this A to Z visual guide of 132 different cactus types! Perhaps you might be able to find your here 🙂 https://www.homestratosphere.com/garden/cacti/

  • Reply
    Brandley
    November 12, 2019 at 9:32 pm

    What is the name of the cactus in the pink pot?

    • Reply
      Jelica
      November 17, 2019 at 8:24 pm

      Hi Brandley: I can’t be certain as it has been quite some time since I purchased it, but I believe it’s a variant of the silver torch cactus.

  • Reply
    Thais
    May 9, 2020 at 5:37 am

    I crashed my cactus :Ëœ Now it’s a little smashed on the top. Do you know how I can recover it? Thanks!

    • Reply
      Jelica
      April 14, 2021 at 2:34 pm

      Hi Thais, Good question – without seeing it myself, it’s hard to say. You can still grow a cactus when it’s cut, for example, so I think you’ve got a great chance for it to return to being a healthy cactus. Here is a great how-to article I found online: https://www.wikihow.com/Save-a-Dying-Cactus It shows that you can even cut away bits that are not growing well or are dying – this may be helpful in your situation.

  • Reply
    daniela
    July 22, 2020 at 8:25 am

    I’ve had 2 mini cacti for 7 months now, I water them every 2 weeks or so, but sometimes I forget about them… They’re doing great still, I don’t keep them in the direct sunlight, but I let them sit on the window sill to catch light every day. I got a new cactus and a friend said hers is doing well in a ceramic bowl with no holes on the bottom. Could I use a bowl with no holes for my new cactus or will it ‘drown’ in too much water?

    • Reply
      Jelica
      April 14, 2021 at 2:31 pm

      It’s hard to say, but I would err on the side of caution and make sure you have holes in the bottom. Otherwise, the water has no place to drain out and this may compromise the health of the plant in the long run.

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