Even though you may think that taking care of cacti and succulents is pretty easy, it may require some more knowledge than you think. Believe me, I learned it in the worst way possible by killing a couple of them myself... Oops!
For example, did you know that this kind of plants has different needs depending on the kind, weather and season? I had no idea!
Back in the days, I used to water my cacti as much as any other plant in the house. Well, to be fair that wasn't really the reason why they died because they were in a sort of a greenhouse, but rather because of a plague that attacked all my plants at the same time and puff they were all gone for good in just a couple of days. But, if it wasn't for that I am pretty sure that they would just ended up rotting someday anyway.
So basically cacti and succulents have two periods in life:
- The growth period which is usually between Spring up to Fall
- The rest period which can go from late Fall to early Spring
Because the weather is warmer and there is more light, the cacti and succulents grow faster and therefore need more attention and water. The best would be (depending on the kind) to water every other week and fertilize it every three to four weeks. Don't over do it though.
During winter or the rest period, because the weather is colder, more humid and there is less light, they won't need to much water. They will actually absorb a lot of what they need for this kind of "hibernation" period. During the rest period it is recommended to water only once a month if needed, some not even that much.
The best way is always to leave the soil to dry up completely before the next watering.
Most cacti and succulents will only give a couple of flowers (some only one flower) per year. I was extremely lucky to see the cacti above flowering in real time during a night that I wasn't sleepy and decided instead to stay in the living room watching some Netflix. And what a surprise I got! The next day both flowers were drying and now it has this two new fluffy things from where the new flowers are coming from.
The best is always to plant cacti and succulents in clay or ceramic pots. Never ever use plastic or glass pots as they tend to dry too quickly and in short term suffocate the roots. You can, of course, keep the plastic pot inside the ceramic pot as I have the ones above, just make sure that they have holes to drain the water and never leave them exposed to direct sunlight. One of the reasons why ceramic pots are the best is because they absorb the water and keep the humidity at a nice level for longer.
Learn to understand when your plant is telling you when it needs to be re-potted. Mostly it is recommended every year so that you keep a fresh soil, but truly speaking, if you give them nice care and fertilizers, the most important to pay attention to is the size and if it seems healthy or not. When I notice that they still have some room to grow the roots, I just add some more soil and wait until it shows signs of being too big for the pot they are in.
When re-potting, use some pebbles or little stones at the bottom of the pot and layer them with the dirt. This will help with the drainage of the water and will keep them happier for a longer time.
A nice tip, if you don't own gardening gloves and are afraid to sting yourself, just use some newspaper or towel.
Remember that the best water to give your plants it is always coming directly from the rain since some tap water treatments can be too harsh on your plants. Try to keep a recipient in your balcony or garden and use that water every time you are watering your plants. They will appreciate it!
Overall they are very easy to maintain and will make your living place so much prettier and lovely.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions in the comments below and I will get back to you.
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