The principles of watering cacti
The editor introduces you to some tips on caring for the succulent cactus, the principles of watering cacti, let's understand together.
Watering cacti is actually an easy task, and the principles of watering cacti are also easy to grasp. The difficulty lies in the fact that every cactus enthusiast's situation is different. Some are small potted plants bought from the market, and some are cacti bought online and planted with their own soil. This article tries its best to explain to cactus enthusiasts.
Firstly, let's talk about the principles of watering cacti under normal conditions. It is absolutely impossible to determine the number of watering times based on time. It is not about watering every few days, but to decide whether to water based on the moisture of the soil. Since cacti are relatively drought-resistant, watering less, even twice or three times, will not kill the cactus. However, watering more than necessary may cause the cactus to rot.
In winter, for most cacti, they enter their dormant period. During this period, watering should be largely stopped. Generally, after watering in mid-to-late October, there is no need to water until Qingming the following year.
In spring and autumn, when the temperature is suitable, cacti enter their vigorous growth period. Watering should not be neglected at this time. It is sufficient to keep the potting soil slightly moist and fertilization can be appropriately applied.
Cacti grown indoors and outdoors should also be watered differently: outdoor cacti, with good air circulation and sufficient sunlight, will dry out the medium easily, so they should be watered more frequently; indoor cacti, with poor air circulation and weak sunlight, will not dry out the medium easily, so they should not be watered too frequently. Also, cacti placed in sunny areas and those in shady areas should be treated differently when it comes to watering: the former should be watered more, while the latter should have longer intervals between watering.
In summary, when watering cacti, the following principles should be observed:
1. Do not water until the soil is dry, and water thoroughly when you do;
2. Do not water in winter, and water less in summer;
3. Do not water newly purchased cacti, cacti that have just been exposed to the sun, cacti in early spring, or cacti that have just been repotted or newly propagated.
It is necessary to emphasize the small potted cacti bought from the market (as shown in the picture below). After purchasing such cacti, it is recommended to repot them with new soil. The purpose of this is to check if there are roots (whether you believe it or not, some are fixed with toothpicks or sticks); secondly, the medium used in the pot is not suitable for cacti. The seemingly attractive medium looks good but is not practical. The specific soil mixture can be sandy soil.
Most of these cacti are placed indoors by enthusiasts. They might survive for half a year or even longer with little or no watering. However, once they are watered too much, they rot quickly! Therefore, if you want to take good care of them, it is recommended to repot them and then refer to the above watering guidelines. If you do not want to go to the trouble, you need to control watering as much as possible and not water them as you would with other plants.
That's all for the detailed content on the principles of watering cacti. I hope it can be of help to you!