Your Peruvian apple cactus stands tall and blue-green by the window, and you are holding a watering can, unsure whether today is the day. This is the most common question growers have, and it causes the most damage when guessed wrong. The short version: Water a Peruvian apple cactus only when the soil is completely … Read more >>
You notice a dull, tan patch near the top of your cactus, and when you lean closer to the window light, faint threads of webbing stretch between the spines. The short version: Isolate the cactus, rinse it hard with lukewarm water, then treat every surface with insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, or 70% rubbing alcohol. Repeat … Read more >>
Your Peruvian apple cactus sits by the window looking a little off, maybe pale at the tip, soft near the base, or leaning toward the glass. If you are wondering how to get my apple cactus healthy, start by finding the cause, because most problems come from a few fixable habits. The short version: Most … Read more >>
Your cactus sits on a windowsill or shelf, maybe leaning slightly toward the glass, maybe looking a little paler than when you brought it home. If you are wondering how much sunlight a cactus needs, the answer depends on what kind of cactus it is, which window it faces, and the season. The short version: … Read more >>
You are holding a packet of seeds no bigger than ground pepper and wondering how anything that tiny turns into a spiny, sculptural cactus on your windowsill. Learning how to germinate cactus seeds is mostly about getting moisture, warmth, and light right at the same time, then keeping them steady. The short version: Sow cactus … Read more >>
Your cactus sits on the windowsill looking exactly the same as it did last month, and you can’t tell if it is thriving or quietly thirsty. If you keep asking yourself how often should I water my cactus, you are already ahead of most growers, because guessing is how most indoor cacti get into trouble. … Read more >>
A bright red, orange, or yellow ball perched on a green stem sits on your windowsill, and you are wondering whether it needs more water, more sun, or nothing at all. The short version: Give your moon cactus bright, indirect light, water only when the soil is completely dry, and keep it above 50°F. The … Read more >>
Your spring cactus sits on a windowsill, its flat, scalloped segments arching over the pot edge, with no buds in sight. The short version: Give a spring cactus bright, indirect light, water when the top inch of soil is dry, and keep it in a fast-draining, slightly acidic mix. For flowers, it needs 6 to … Read more >>
Your round, ribbed cactus sits on the sunny windowsill looking firm and full, and you start wondering whether all that stored moisture could actually be tapped. Learning how to get water from a cactus starts with one surprise: the water is there, but it is not in a form you can safely drink. The short … Read more >>
Your Christmas cactus sits on the windowsill with the same few drooping stems it had last year, healthy enough but stubbornly small. If you want to know how to grow a bigger Christmas cactus, the answer lies in a handful of changes to light, water, feeding, pruning and potting that work together during the growing … Read more >>