Cacti are indestructible, forgive some care mistakes and enchant us with a wonderful flowering time. Professional planting plays a central role in ensuring that the prickly survivors feel comfortable far away from their homeland. Here you will find compact, practice-oriented answers to important questions.

Cacti also need enough space in the pot

At which location do cacti want to stand?

The vast majority of popular cacti are native to the sun-drenched, hot steppes and arid deserts of South and Central America. Therefore, choose the location based on the following criteria:

  • Sunny, warm window seat with shade in the blazing midday sun in summer
  • Ideally from May to September on the sunny balcony under a rain cover
  • From November to February in a bright, cool location with 5 to 12 degrees Celsius

Only leaf cacti, such as the Christmas cactus, are satisfied with a partially shaded location.

Which substrate is best suited?

Please only use special cactus or succulent substrate from specialist retailers. If you want to mix the soil yourself, we recommend a mix of 40 to 60 percent humus and 40 to 60 percent mineral components such as pumice, lava granules (€13.99) or expanded clay.(€19.73) Commercial potting soil is perfect for cacti not suitable.

What should be considered when planting?

Cacti from the garden center or supermarket are rarely in the right substrate and suitable pot. By planting the plants professionally immediately after purchase, give your new roommates a warm welcome. How to do it right:

  • Put on thorn-resistant gloves
  • Unpot the cactus and remove the substrate with a root claw or wooden stick
  • Fill the new pot with a thin layer of expanded clay for drainage
  • Fill in the mineral-humic cactus soil

Plant the cactus as deep as it was in its previous pot. After 8 to 10 days of regeneration, water the plant with lime-free water. If the cactus has buds and is about to bloom, please wait before watering. Only when the buds are about to unfold are they watered.

How do cacti propagate?

There are several options available to you to propagate cacti:

  • offshoot
  • child
  • cuttings

If you already have a wealth of gardening experience and a lot of patience, sowing seeds is another option for breeding.

Repot cacti - when is the best time?

Since cacti only grow slowly, changing to fresh soil and a larger pot is only on the agenda every 2 to 5 years. The best time is between March and May, when the plants have finished their hibernation. At this time, the substrate is still dry, so the work is easy to do.

tips

A variety of magnificent cactus species, such as Opuntia or Echinocereus, are hardy and can be planted out in beds. The succulents feel in good hands in a sunny, rain-protected location. Plant the proven exotics in spring in lean, coarse-grained, sandy-dry soil in which mineral components dominate.

Category:

Vegetable garden