Check all the Cactus related blog posts. Grow and Care Cactus houseplants.
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 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 >>
Water a Christmas cactus when the top inch of soil feels dry, which works out to about every 7 to 14 days in spring and summer and every 2 to 3 weeks from fall through winter. Each time, water until it runs out of the drainage hole, then empty the saucer. That schedule moves around … Read more >>
Most people have heard that a cactus can go months without water, so you can basically forget about it. That’s true for a big cactus growing in the ground in Arizona. It’s misleading for a 4-inch pot sitting on an apartment windowsill. What actually works: a typical potted cactus indoors can go about 3 to … Read more >>
Peruvian apple cactus is the one cactus people buy small and then measure against the ceiling a few years later. It’s tough, it forgives a missed watering, and it shows you every bit of light you give it by how fast it climbs. The short version: outdoors in a warm climate, an established Peruvian apple … Read more >>
Most cactus roots grow only 4 to 10 inches deep, even on large plants, but they spread sideways a long way, often as far out as the plant is tall or farther. A few kinds grow a thick taproot that goes deeper, and the biggest desert cacti rarely root much past 2 to 3 feet … Read more >>
You’ve got a new cactus, a shelf of pots to choose from, and a vague memory that cacti are supposed to go in clay. My pick: unglazed terracotta with a drainage hole, for most indoor cacti in most US homes. It dries the soil faster than plastic, and that protects against the most common way … Read more >>
You notice that the tall green stems of your Eve’s needle cactus have turned pale, the small pointed leaves along the top are yellow, or a soft yellow patch has appeared near the soil line. The short version: An Eve’s needle cactus turning yellow is usually caused by too much water, too little light, or … Read more >>
The Eve’s Needle Cactus, or Aporocactus Flagelliformis, is a species of cactus native to Mexico that is both unusual and striking in appearance. It’s a favorite for indoor and outdoor gardens because of its eye-catching appearance and low maintenance needs. Nonetheless, Eve’s Needle Cactus, like other cactus, requires regular watering. Because of its susceptibility to … Read more >>
Did you know that there are over 1,750 species of cactus plants found worldwide? Although all these species have certain similarities and differences, one thing that almost all of them have in similarity is that whenever they are not treated well or are unhappy, they communicate that to their owners through signs like yellowing leaves. … Read more >>