I agree with Elizabeth, succulents don't mind a little neglect. Full sun, a well drained media and pots that breathe. I do not over pot my succulents. It is the only way to keep them smaller longer. I have both cacti and succulents without thorns. My cats are indoors but I doubt a cat would make a bed in cacti anyway. Shelving is a good idea, but mine are outdoors so I just need a place with good sun and out of range of the sprinklers but still accessible with a garden hose.
A drill with a ceramic bit and a soldering iron I find very useful for putting extra holes in pots. Especially if you want to grow succulents in a recycled container or teacup. I don't like plastic pots, but some of my plants are in them so I use the soldering iron to put more holes in the pot. I also do the same for plastic pots that my orchids are in.
don't have much tips for tools really, other than cacti turns beautiful by neglect! And those prickly pears, torch those hairs with a burner, or over a gas stove or even a barbeque grill, and they will burn off, then you can handle them as you want. And they are the most lovely tasting fruit, specially the red variety.
I grow some different cacti, and most of them are shown love by neglecting their existense most of the time. I have seed sown Lophophora that I have in the same pots I germinated them in! That was soon 10 years ago. Tools are little needed in theese cases...
I grow some different cacti, and most of them are shown love by neglecting their existense most of the time. I have seed sown Lophophora that I have in the same pots I germinated them in! That was soon 10 years ago. Tools are little needed in theese cases...
I use cinder, #3 rocks or pea gravel for most of my succulents. I do have some in nursery pots but they have extra holes for drainage.
I cannot use scissors very much because my succulents are not that small for the most part. The small ones are not the problem. I have to thin the aloe twice a year and they are heavy and the sap is slimy and sticky. Cereus is the same way. I can cut them off where the sections are but they are too thick for a scissors. they like to go over the wall into the neighbor's yard. I use a hand saw on those. I can use loppers if I can get between them and they aren't that thick. With the aloe, sometimes, I just pull and take out wherever it breaks.
I have to sluggo the succulents because the slugs and snails don't care about the thorns, they still eat them.
Sometimes the cacti can get really tall, then it helps to put the pot in a cement pot or a bigger pot with the space filled with rocks to counter the weight of the top.
Rain tent helps. If it rains a lot I either have to to move the succulents or put up a temporary shelter to keep them drier.
I make a pvc frame and put a clear plexiglass over it. it keeps out the rain but lets the sun through. I can add plastic sheeting to the sides but I don't like to block the air, as long as the rain is not being driven by wind, the plexiglass keeps them dry enough. Plastic sheeting did not work as a roof because the water collected and collapsed the roof.
I have my succulents on a mini terrace of stacked hollow tiles. I have three tiers that keeps the plants dry and gives them maximum exposure to light. The tiers are pitched so they don't hang onto water either.
I cannot use scissors very much because my succulents are not that small for the most part. The small ones are not the problem. I have to thin the aloe twice a year and they are heavy and the sap is slimy and sticky. Cereus is the same way. I can cut them off where the sections are but they are too thick for a scissors. they like to go over the wall into the neighbor's yard. I use a hand saw on those. I can use loppers if I can get between them and they aren't that thick. With the aloe, sometimes, I just pull and take out wherever it breaks.
I have to sluggo the succulents because the slugs and snails don't care about the thorns, they still eat them.
Sometimes the cacti can get really tall, then it helps to put the pot in a cement pot or a bigger pot with the space filled with rocks to counter the weight of the top.
Rain tent helps. If it rains a lot I either have to to move the succulents or put up a temporary shelter to keep them drier.
I make a pvc frame and put a clear plexiglass over it. it keeps out the rain but lets the sun through. I can add plastic sheeting to the sides but I don't like to block the air, as long as the rain is not being driven by wind, the plexiglass keeps them dry enough. Plastic sheeting did not work as a roof because the water collected and collapsed the roof.
I have my succulents on a mini terrace of stacked hollow tiles. I have three tiers that keeps the plants dry and gives them maximum exposure to light. The tiers are pitched so they don't hang onto water either.
Cat Litter should be avoided, I think. It is essentially baked clay, that can break down and form that "BRICK-LIKE" soil mentioned above. Baking it forms it into pellets, but over time (and water absorption and release) they break down into guess what? CLAY once again, and that is like adding portland cement to your mix.
Kitty litter is also designed from the start to ABSORB MOISTURE... (not to mention smells) so those are two reasons it should be avoided, even if you find a brand with no chemical additives to make it smell springtime fresh or whatever - that could become a third reason.
We think of cat litter as being light weight coarse grainy stuff, but it doesn't stay that way long. Its effects are the opposite.
Some options I can think of if you find a good price for it are aquarium gravel (available in whatever your favorite colors are!) and lava sand, or lava gravel.
But the ultimate source of cactus soil is if you happen to be driving down interstate forty anywhere between california and oklahoma and have an empty tub or some lawn and garden bags with you
Kitty litter is also designed from the start to ABSORB MOISTURE... (not to mention smells) so those are two reasons it should be avoided, even if you find a brand with no chemical additives to make it smell springtime fresh or whatever - that could become a third reason.
We think of cat litter as being light weight coarse grainy stuff, but it doesn't stay that way long. Its effects are the opposite.
Some options I can think of if you find a good price for it are aquarium gravel (available in whatever your favorite colors are!) and lava sand, or lava gravel.
But the ultimate source of cactus soil is if you happen to be driving down interstate forty anywhere between california and oklahoma and have an empty tub or some lawn and garden bags with you
There is a difference between scoopable cat litter and old fashioned clay litter. They both absorb water, but regular clay litter does not clump. It is a cheaper alternative to turface. So is cinder. It depends on what is available. My true cactus are in the entry and unless the wind blows the rain sideways, it stays dry. I water the plants only once or twice a week. Even if I miss a few more days, it is usually o.k.
I killed a lithops accidentally. It was shedding its leaves (dormant) and I was taking it out in the daytime and bringing it in at night. I forgot to bring it in; it rained. lithops does not need any water at all for the 3 months that it sheds its leaves. I was told to dry the leaves with a paper towel after watering to make sure they did not absorb too much water.
I don't use them but I think some people might consider a misting bottle part of their tool kit.
I killed a lithops accidentally. It was shedding its leaves (dormant) and I was taking it out in the daytime and bringing it in at night. I forgot to bring it in; it rained. lithops does not need any water at all for the 3 months that it sheds its leaves. I was told to dry the leaves with a paper towel after watering to make sure they did not absorb too much water.
I don't use them but I think some people might consider a misting bottle part of their tool kit.
Just thought I'd throw my 2 cents in ...
first I've found rubber gloves to work the best at preventing cactus spines, and especially the glochids (tiny, almost invisible hair-like spines on some cacti) from getting to your skin.
And sometimes if you do get those glochids in your skin, they can be removed by putting a bit of cheap wood glue on the area, then just peeling it off after it dries in a couple minutes. That will often pull the glochid from your skin.
Also tongs are another tool that can sometimes be very useful.
I've also found a thick, proper-sized paper bag put over the cacti to be helpful handling or repotting some particularly spiny cactus and it won't ruin any of the spines.
And when cutting or transplanting a large column of cacti like from a Cereus cacti be aware that they are strong when vertical, but tipping them over horizontal will cause them to break. This can be avoided by using a bed sheet or I had a piece of carpet I used like a sling to carry it with.
Also be sure to allow the cut end of a cactus to dry for several weeks before planting it otherwise it will cause the cacti cutting to rot. And if concerned about a large cacti cutting rotting, ordinary perlite can be used very effectively to get the cut to callus over and the roots going.
And I suggest always using an unglazed terra cotta pot for all your small cacti and succulents - it just lets the roots breathe easier.
And just for a fun fyi, some of the very high-end cacti collectors use a special material called Akadama to grow their prized cacti and succulents in. This is like small grains of clay and pumice bonded together but is very expensive. A similar but different substance, also called Akadama is used by Bonsai tree growers too. And when I say high-end collectors, I mean cacti that are no bigger than your thumb but going for hundreds of dollars. Years ago I started writing a book on collector cacti, where to get them, how to grow them etc. You'll never find them for sale at a nursery or growing wild in a near-by desert - only from other serious collectors. I never finished the book but its still on my old XP computer. I know I have pictures, including a couple small cacti no larger than your thumb, one that went for over $400 and another that went for over $600 at auction.
As a final request, please NEVER take any cactus or cactus cutting from the wild. Not only is it illegal to do so for many of the species, but there are many species no longer available anywhere except in cultivation because of collectors and poachers. Realize it takes about 75 years for a Saguaro cactus to start growing its first arm, so you can only imagine how old many of these plants are. And that barrel cactus often seen in the wild, also takes hundreds of years to grow to the commonly-seen full size. It's like destroying an old-growth tree - it will never be naturally replaced. There is no cacti in the wild you cannot get from a grower or collector.
I hope these tools and tips might help someone. I know growing cacti, but sure don't know how to make a raised vegetable bed, or how to plant my Arborvitae trees. Still looking to learn more from those posts.
Thank you.
first I've found rubber gloves to work the best at preventing cactus spines, and especially the glochids (tiny, almost invisible hair-like spines on some cacti) from getting to your skin.
And sometimes if you do get those glochids in your skin, they can be removed by putting a bit of cheap wood glue on the area, then just peeling it off after it dries in a couple minutes. That will often pull the glochid from your skin.
Also tongs are another tool that can sometimes be very useful.
I've also found a thick, proper-sized paper bag put over the cacti to be helpful handling or repotting some particularly spiny cactus and it won't ruin any of the spines.
And when cutting or transplanting a large column of cacti like from a Cereus cacti be aware that they are strong when vertical, but tipping them over horizontal will cause them to break. This can be avoided by using a bed sheet or I had a piece of carpet I used like a sling to carry it with.
Also be sure to allow the cut end of a cactus to dry for several weeks before planting it otherwise it will cause the cacti cutting to rot. And if concerned about a large cacti cutting rotting, ordinary perlite can be used very effectively to get the cut to callus over and the roots going.
And I suggest always using an unglazed terra cotta pot for all your small cacti and succulents - it just lets the roots breathe easier.
And just for a fun fyi, some of the very high-end cacti collectors use a special material called Akadama to grow their prized cacti and succulents in. This is like small grains of clay and pumice bonded together but is very expensive. A similar but different substance, also called Akadama is used by Bonsai tree growers too. And when I say high-end collectors, I mean cacti that are no bigger than your thumb but going for hundreds of dollars. Years ago I started writing a book on collector cacti, where to get them, how to grow them etc. You'll never find them for sale at a nursery or growing wild in a near-by desert - only from other serious collectors. I never finished the book but its still on my old XP computer. I know I have pictures, including a couple small cacti no larger than your thumb, one that went for over $400 and another that went for over $600 at auction.
As a final request, please NEVER take any cactus or cactus cutting from the wild. Not only is it illegal to do so for many of the species, but there are many species no longer available anywhere except in cultivation because of collectors and poachers. Realize it takes about 75 years for a Saguaro cactus to start growing its first arm, so you can only imagine how old many of these plants are. And that barrel cactus often seen in the wild, also takes hundreds of years to grow to the commonly-seen full size. It's like destroying an old-growth tree - it will never be naturally replaced. There is no cacti in the wild you cannot get from a grower or collector.
I hope these tools and tips might help someone. I know growing cacti, but sure don't know how to make a raised vegetable bed, or how to plant my Arborvitae trees. Still looking to learn more from those posts.
Thank you.
I like to use terra cotta or cement pots too, for both succulents and orchids. They breathe. Sometimes the holes in the terra cotta pot are small, so I enlarge them.
There are no native cacti here. There a many "wild" prickly pear cacti here especially in the drier areas. Since they are not native, no one really cares if anyone takes it. Most of them are escapees from cultivation.
There are no native cacti here. There a many "wild" prickly pear cacti here especially in the drier areas. Since they are not native, no one really cares if anyone takes it. Most of them are escapees from cultivation.
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