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Gary350
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Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

Re: Cactii care

Cactus native to high elevation where it, rains, snows, ice, blizzard, conditions does good with lots of water but soil still needs to have good drainage. This type cactus can stand in water a week or 2 from time to time and do good. These make good house plants no worry about killing them with too much water.

Low elevation desert cactus native to 115 degrees F temperature and very little rain all year is very sensitive to too much water. Soil that is too wet can give plants root rot & cactus plants will turn black color an rot near the bottom where moisture is.

It is very tricky to know what cactus you have if you bought it in the store. Go to Phoenix AZ Botanical cactus garden online look at pictures, read info, see if you can learn what cactus you have. There are many look alike cactus but take a closer look and know what to look for you can learn what cactus you probably have. There may be other places to look too. If you have cactus from another country it might be hard to learn what you have. You also need to know what color spring flowers are to know what cactus you have. Put your plants outside in spring they should blossom in about 1 month.

Mix about 75% sand with 25% garden soil if you need better soil. Cactus is an amazing plant it can stand worse possible conditions, freezing weather, snow, blizzard, 115 degree hot blistering sun, no rain, terrible soil with extremely low food value and still live. Cactus does very well growing in cool early morning sun for about 3 hours then full shade the rest of the day at 75 degrees every day, it will grow as fast as weeds if you feed it.

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Gary350
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Posts: 7392
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

GUMBEE wrote:
Thu Apr 23, 2020 8:51 am
Did you see the one at the top with all the babies. It started as one 4 inch cactus I got at Home Depot. It is actually pushing out the sides of the plastic container (has no drain holes). Should I try and transplant or leave it be? I am afraid to mess with it. Thanks again. Sorry one more stupid question. Should I fertilize?
I would transplant it, give it room to grow larger. Babies will get as big and mother plant and babies will make babies too when they get larger. Divide it into several pots. That cactus reminds me of 1 had they get 7 ft tall in 2 years with plenty of food & water.



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