Advice for taking care of new cacti? + ID

[lissakinsz]

For Christmas I received 3 little pots of succulents, and unfortunately I don't have any experience with them at all and I've already lost a Lithop from one of the pots I don't want to kill any more of them so advice on how to take care of them on anything from re-potting to watering would be lovely and possible identification would also help!

[Sweyn]

The plant in the bottom right of the photo looks like a lithops. Is that the one that died? One plant in the dark red pot looks like an aloe. I don't know what the others are.

Regarding repotting, I would wait until March or April. Spring is the best time to do it. They don't need much watering outside the growing season (March to September). You could give them a very light watering just once, before March.

Another issue is that your plants seem overcrowded and in smooth containers. Unfortunately, many garden centres and shops sell them like that. Succulents can die from overcrowding and smooth pots. In spring, you can separate them into a pot each. It would be best to use unglazed, clay pots because they allow the soil to drain properly. Succulents usually hate having soggy soil. It causes them to rot and die. That's why smooth containers are unsuitable. It is best to use pots that are of a similar size to the plants. You don't need pots that are a lot wider or deeper. You can use ready made Cactus soil or, mix equal parts of peat and coarse, large grain sand.

[imafan26]

The one with the white fuzz on it looks like an "old man cactus", Cephalocereus senilis.
The one in the light blue square container looks like a barrel cactus but I don't know which one.

[baileysup]

I agree that the one in the red pot kinda looks like an aloe, but I must say that I've never seen an aloe quite like that before. I'm curious if it is a type of aloe, or some other succulent.

[lissakinsz]

Thanks heaps for all the help! I'm pretty motivated to keep the rest alive for as long as I can.
The lithops died from overwatering, and I'm afraid the rest in that pot will too
Do they usually survive re-potting easily or?

[Sweyn]

Thanks heaps for all the help! I'm pretty motivated to keep the rest alive for as long as I can.
The lithops died from overwatering, and I'm afraid the rest in that pot will too
Do they usually survive re-potting easily or?

Cacti and aloes usually do but, I don't know about lithops. It is important to remember that they are not cacti or aloes, they are something else. I am also new to the subject of lithops but, from what I have read on the internet, they have a growing season that is the complete opposite to that of cacti and aloes.

When re-potting, it is best to wait a few days between doing that and watering the plants. When watering in the growing season, apply water until it runs out the bottom of each pot. Watering a month should be enough.

[purpleinopp]

The 'Lithops' is a Pleiopsis.

I wouldn't water any of these unless/until the weather is warm again. If you don't water at all, you can't overwater. They just need as much light as possible for now.

Forgot to say, the other is not an Aloe, it's Faucaria.

The prickly ones are mysteries to me regarding name, but I know enough to not water them during winter.