How to Grow and Propagate Flowering Cactus Plants
A cactus with flowers is a lovely sight. Here's how to cultivate your own!
Denisse Leon from Unsplash (Free to use under the Unsplash License)
How to Care for a Cactus Flower Plant
Cacti are popular plants that are grown by gardeners and collectors all over the world. These hardy plants can be grown indoors, outdoors, in greenhouses, and under glass. They are relatively easy to grow when conditions are right.
People often say, "You can never kill a cactus plant," and it's true—if the cultivation conditions are right. I have known people who had killed heaps of cactus plants despite all the tender, loving care they gave the plants. This also includes me!
Even though I have successfully nurtured hundreds of cacti during my life, sometimes plants just succumb or give up when a certain condition does not suit them.
Pots and Containers
Most cactus plants grow best in containers. Small plastic and ceramic pots are suitable for small plants. Shallow containers are suitable for large clumping plants that spread sideways. Plants with long taproots may prefer to be planted in long toms.
Larger cacti require full-depth pots with good drainage. Larger containers take much longer to dry out between watering than smaller containers.
In this article, you'll learn about:
- Soil
- Watering
- Repotting
- Propagation Methods
- Basic Cactus Care Tips
- More on Gardening and Plants
Life is like a cactus: full of pricks but also very beautiful.
— Anonymous
Soil
Cacti can be grown in peat-based composts and soil-based composts. Peat-based soils are suitable for epiphytic cacti like Epiphyllums and Schlumbergeras. Other cacti prefer soil-based composts that are mixed with coarse sand and gravel to produce a free-draining mix.
As a rule of the thumb, cacti are more likely to survive in well-drained soil than waterlogged medium.
Ground pumice and perlite are also used in soil-based composts. Slow-release fertilizers are added to the compost for the plants to absorb slowly for up to 18 months. Most cactus plants are happy to be planted in the same container for many years.
My Old Lady Cactus, a.k.a Mammillaria Hahniana, has a baby offset and carries a ring of small flowers around the top of her head.
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Water
Cactus plants are best left to almost dry out completely between waterings. Always remember that most cacti are found in natural desert environments where water is scarce and infrequent. It is still preferable to give a cactus plant less water than too much.
However, different conditions need to be considered when watering these plants. Plants in smaller pots should be watered more frequently, as they tend to dry out faster than larger ones. Porous pots like terracotta tend to dry out more quickly than plastic or glazed pots.
Plants grown in hot areas with low humidity dry out more quickly than plants grown in humid areas. Plants grown in cold countries do not need to be watered frequently in winter because the plants tend to go dormant in cold temperatures.
Light
Most plants, if not all, thrive when there is light. Cacti are no different from other plants. Even though they might go through a period of dormancy in winter, they still need light to survive and grow.
Potted cacti do best when they are exposed to sunlight for several hours per day. Most plants are fine with direct sunlight, but some do suffer sunburn in extremely hot weather. Dark patches start to form on the surface of the areas exposed to the sun.
Sometimes, the plants continue to survive with scars, but other times the damaged areas start to rot and kill the whole plant.
Cacti come in interesting shapes and sizes.
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Like most flowering cacti, the Peruvian Apple Cactus blooms only once a year. The flowers bloom for 24 hours only, wilting the next day. Many of these plants can live for many years without producing a single bloom.
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Repotting
Cacti grow very slowly and only need to be repotted every two to three years. When the plant has outgrown its container or the clumps look a bit overcrowded, it is time to repot to another bigger container.
Remove some of the old soil and transfer your plant to a bigger pot with a new potting medium. Sometimes, some of the stray roots can be trimmed off a little bit. The main root ball of the cactus should be left as it is.
Watch out for spines when handling the plant. Use gloves and tongs when handling cacti plants.
A healthy collection of cactus and succulent plants
Propagation Methods
There are three ways to propagate cactus plants: seeds, cuttings, and grafting.
1. Seeds
Cactus seeds are available from many specialist suppliers. To germinate cactus seeds, sow the seeds thinly on the surface of the cacti compost and then cover the seeds with a thin layer of grit. Remember to label the containers if you are growing different varieties of cacti.
The optimum temperature for seed germination is around 21°C. It is necessary to maintain a fairly humid atmosphere for the seeds to germinate. The best way is to cover the pots with plastic bags or sheets of glass. Once germinated, the seedlings can be exposed to more light and air, but they have to be kept moist at all times.
2. Cuttings
Cacti propagate readily by cuttings. This method is easier than the above when propagating cacti plants. Use a sharp knife to cut a piece of the cactus for propagating.
It is important to keep the cut surface of the cutting clean. The cutting also needs to be left in the shade for three to four days to allow a dry callous to form over the cut area.
Once the callous has formed, the cutting can be planted into moist, well-drained soil. Rooting powder is not really necessary for propagating cuttings, but it may be helpful. It may take several weeks or months before the roots appear. Do not water the newly planted cuttings until they start to form roots.
3. Grafting
Another way of propagating cacti is by grafting. This method is usually used on cacti species that are difficult to propagate or weak growing species. A vigorous rootstock is required for this grafting method.
The cutting is placed on top of the rootstock and then secured with rubber bands. This grafted plant is then left in a warm place out of direct sunlight for several weeks. The rootstock helps to provide nutrients to the cutting that is attached on top and keeps it alive.
Echinopsis with a display of flower in spring
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Cacti grow well on a sunny window sill and will flower when the temperature and soil conditions are right.
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Basic Cactus Care Tips
Below are some quick and easy tips on how to look after a cactus plant. Follow the guidelines and you will be rewarded with blooming flowers from your cacti collection every year.
- Use a good-quality cactus/succulent potting mix.
- Water the plant thoroughly when it is watering time.
- Do not overwater or allow the plant to stand in water.
- Have sufficient sunlight for your plant.
- Place your plant in a well-ventilated area.
- Let the soil dry up before the next watering.
- Feed with mild liquid fertilizer during the growing season.
- Minimal or avoid watering when the plant is dormant in winter.
- Pot up every 2-3 years depending on growth.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2011 lady rain
