voddak wrote:Have a clay pot, and universal potting soil from the hardware store mixed with very little sand.
Is the pot unglazed? That's important because it allows the soil to drain quickly enough. Succulent plants don't like to be in pots and soil that stay wet.
You also need a soil that does not hold much water. That means you should not use ordinary garden or potting soils.
There are ready-made soils for cacti and other succulents, that you could buy. If you don't buy one, you can prepare some yourself. There are many different combinations of materials, for doing this and different people use different mixes. Beginners don't need to worry about them. The minimum that you need is plain peat and sand, mixed together in a 1 to 1, 50/50 ratio. The sand should be coarse, the kind that is sold for building work or gardening. This ensures that the peat will not hold much water.
Do not use fine grain sand, like the kind you see on beaches. It sticks together when it is wet and will therefore hold too much water, when mixed with peat. I use this minimum preparation and don't have any problems with it.
It is best to wait a few days between potting and watering. I have had better results with my plants, by doing that.
When watering, you can do it once a month from march to september. It's best to do it until water runs out the bottom of the pot.
Having a saucer under the pot is not a problem. I use different kinds of dishes under mine, to catch water when it runs out the bottom of the pot. It stops water going all over the surfaces that I keep my plants on. When water gathers in the dish, just empty it. Plants like this don't like to sit in water that has already passed through their pot.
Considering your photo, you might not be able to save your plant. When bunny ears (
Opuntia) cacti become soft and baggy like that, they normally rot and die. You could try potting it with a suitable soil and pot as I mentioned, but, there is no guarantee that it will survive. Do have any more pieces?