Cactus Care Tips For Beginners – Light, Soil And Watering

An article dedicated to those who love cacti.

Cacti are those plants that many adore them but few know how to care for them. They are decorative plants that offer a great show when they bloom, even if their flower lives only a few days.

That is why we thought it would not be bad to describe in a few words the basic rules you need to follow when you have such plants in your home or outside.

The cactus is a plant that does not need special care, on the contrary. The first rule is to achieve the right mixture of soil, then comes the light and not the least, water.

We will start by saying that the soil mixture should resemble as much as that in the natural environment. Therefore, the recipe that we recommend is composed of wood chips, gravel, topsoil, peat and mulch made from leaves.

If we have to take each individual component, we could say that wood chips is designed to retain moisture, forming a layer that will rot, but will contribute to soil fertility, and the gravel is designed to drain the water and to keep the soil airy. Peat is a variety of quality coal that serves as manure. All these components are important for a harmonious plant growth, and it wouldn’t be bad that once every few years to repot your cacti.

The second important factor for your cactus is the light. If you want your plant to grow harmoniously, the morning sunlight and the afternoon’s shade are the best. Therefore, the place you put your cacti is very important.

How do we recognize a cactus that isn’t getting enough light and heat? It remains fragile and doesn’t grow properly, and the whole secret lies in the fact that its roots must be permanently heated.

Water is the third factor, but not the latter. Contrary to expectations, cacti should be watered regularly: once a week in warm periods, every three or four weeks in colder periods and not at all in winter.

Only those living in their natural habitat survive harsh conditions. So, if you follow these simple care rules, it is impossible not to marvel at the spectacle offered by those cacti that bloom overnight.

Image Credits: eHow