Care for a flowering cactus

[kessbethler]

So it's February, I live in New England where there isn't much light this time of year, and my cactus has been a little dormant looking since the fall - a little less green, maybe even a little shrunken, but still hanging in there. As I understand it this is normal, and you're supposed to hold back on watering as much until the cactus starts greening up again for spring.

But then all of the sudden my dormant looking cactus started blooming! So now I'm wondering if this means my cactus is not dormant at all but putting out flowers in response to stress. Should I start watering it more?

On the other hand, if this isn't a sign of stress, do you typically give a cactus some fertilizer when it starts to bloom?

[img]https://bethkessler.com/photos/blooming-cactus.jpg[/img]

[catasetum-ian]

not a good idea to water a cactus when there isn't much of sunlight (may end up with stem rot)
it is not advisable to fertilized them during flowering period, I usually fertilized them when they are actively growing
the mammilaria u got there are quite hardy ., just avoid over watering

[kessbethler]

Well, I took your advice and it's still hanging in there. Believe it or not it has kept flowering almost continuously all these months, and still looks about the same. I guess that's just what it does - though I swear it used to be greener!

[Kisal]

I don't fertilize my cacti while they are flowering. However, I sometimes will fertilize when the flowers are just very small buds, with actual flowering still a couple months away.

I'm sorry, but I have no insight into why your cactus suddenly decided to flower so early in the year.

[catasetum-ian]

good to hear its continuously flowering, well just water when the medium is really dry (even the bottom since u r keeping it indoor).
and from my experience, it is easier grow cactus like this one on a broad shallow pot, easier for the medium to dry up.
good luck