Indoor Cacti Growing

Take precautions to protect your hands from the spines when repotting a cactus.

For low-maintenance houseplants, nothing beats the cactus, which requires water every two to four weeks on average. These tropical and arid succulent plants require high levels of light but low levels of daily care. Gardeners may choose a flowering cactus, a cactus that resembles rocks or tall, spiny cactus plants. While these plants are native to arid areas, gardeners in temperate climates may enjoy indoor cactus plants. With the right care, cacti may thrive for years.

Things You'll Need

• Mesh screen
• Scissors
• Container
• Gravel
• Cactus potting soil (optional)
• Sphagnum moss (optional)
• Soil (optional)
• Builders' sand (optional)
• Tongs
• Newspaper
• Water
• Grow light (optional)
• 5-10-10 fertilizer

Instructions

1. Cut a piece of mesh screen to fit at the bottom of your container; this prevents soil from washing out when you water your cactus. Place the screen at the bottom of your container then cover it with 2 to 4 inches of gravel.

2. Fill your container halfway with cactus potting soil, which is specially formulated to be fast draining and sandy. To create your own potting soil mix for cactus plants, combine equal parts sphagnum moss, garden soil and builders' sand.

3. Remove the cactus from its temporary plastic container and place it in its permanent pot at the same depth. Top off the container with potting soil to within one inch of the top.

   To move a spiny cactus without hurting yourself, grasp the plant with kitchen tongs or wrap it in newspaper. This allows you to safely plant a spiny cactus.

4. Water the newly planted cactus until the soil becomes saturated and liquid flows from the holes at the bottom of the container. Then allow the container to dry out (in spring and summer) until the top 1/2 inch of soil is dry and crumbly, advises the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Then water until the potting soil becomes saturated.

   In fall and winter, water once every three to four weeks, always watering until the potting soil becomes saturated.

5. Keep indoor cacti in a southern-facing window where the plants receive adequate light. Rotate the pots in the windowsill once a week to expose a new side of the plant to the direct light.

6. Supplement natural light with an incandescent or fluorescent plant light if your cactus develops weak, spindly growth. Even if you live in a temperate area, during summer you may move cactus plants outdoors where they will benefit from natural light.

7. Fertilize cactus plants from spring to fall using 5-10-10 fertilizer. Apply the fertilizer every three months following the manufacturer's recommendations. Do not fertilize a cactus during winter; they need a dormant period.

8. Repot your cactus if it grows too large for its container. This takes a long time; most cacti grow slowly. When the cactus has less than 1/4-inch of room on the sides of the container, it's time to repot.

Tips & Warnings

• Gardeners growing a tropical cactus—or jungle cactus (this includes the Christmas cactus)—should water more frequently. Care requirements for jungle cacti different slightly from those of desert cacti.

References

• Cacti Guide: Grow Cacti
• University of Nebraska Lincoln: Care of Cactus in the Home