How often to water a cactus: quantity and options at home

Features and Rules

How to water a cactus? In this matter, the quality of water and the time of the procedure, even its temperature, come first.

Time spending

It is better to water cacti at a certain time. So, water it in the morning, regardless of the time of year. But if it is summer, the procedure involves adding water to the pot in the evening, avoiding burns to the leaves.

The appearance of the flower depends on proper watering.

Important! Watering in cloudy weather is strictly prohibited; if the cactus was recently replanted, then watering is combined with spraying.

Water quality

A cactus, like any other flower, loves soft water with a low pH level, otherwise the level of alkali in the soil increases and the functioning of the root system is disrupted, plant growth slows down, immunity decreases and the susceptibility to disease increases.

• It is better to take water that has been settled or passed through a filter, soft and with a slightly acidic reaction.
• It is optimal to collect rain or melt water; if there is none, simply boil it or let it sit for a day.
• It should be at least room temperature.

How to water a Decembrist or cactus in order to fertilize the soil at the same time? You can add succinic acid to the liquid, which is sold in the pharmacy in tablet form. They are simply dissolved in water at the rate of 1-2 tablets per 1 liter.

Temperature

Keeping a cactus at home differs from its natural environment, so when watering it is important to take into account the temperature in the room. If it is high, water more often; in the cold season, when the thermometer shows 10-15 °C at home or in a greenhouse, then watering is reduced.

As for the water temperature, it should be 5-6° above room temperature. Although some experts argue that it is optimal to irrigate the plant with water whose temperature is 30-40 ° C, regardless of the ambient air temperature. For spraying, you should take water whose temperature is 50 ° C, and the sprayer is small.

Other nuances

In this section we will talk about Cactus mix and Mamillaria cactus. Without knowing how to water mamillaria correctly, it is important to remember that waterlogging the soil is detrimental for this species. The main condition for care is to water it in the summer as the soil dries; in winter you don’t have to moisten the soil at all. In summer, you can spray the plant while simultaneously applying fertilizing at intervals of two weeks.

Note! After purchasing the plant, it is transplanted into a new pot with good drainage, but after that it is not watered for several days. As a rule, this period is 5-7 days, and for better acclimatization the pot is placed in a dark place.

What to consider during care

What else should you consider when watering?

The frequency of the procedure is also affected by whether the cactus is classified as dry-loving or moisture-loving.
Thus, mamillaria are considered dry-loving, so they are watered less often, while zygocacti and rhipsalis, on the contrary, are moisture-loving. It is also important to take into account the age of the plant: the older it is, the more developed its root system is, and accordingly, it requires more moisture. Such plants take root deeper into the earthen ball, absorbing moisture from the flowerpot, so they are watered less often.

What should the water be like?

What kind of water to water a cactus? For most succulents, the quality of water plays a huge role in the success of their growth. All water contains impurities, so it cannot be considered completely pure. As you know, cacti are not often replanted, so over the years the composition of the soil changes dramatically.

Does cactus love water?

This happens because with each moistening, a new substance is introduced into the substrate, which chemically interacts with other components of the earth.

This cannot be avoided because such experiments are carried out in laboratory conditions.

When watering, you must follow the following rules:

• Keep in mind that this cactus needs to be done with clean water, which should be soft and have a slightly acidic composition. Melt, boiled or rain water is best suited. You can use settled water.
• The water temperature should not be low, but rather slightly higher than the air temperature.
• A good procedure for this plant is spraying with warm water (about 30-40 degrees).

Please note that the sprayer must be adjusted to fine droplets, otherwise the plant may be damaged. Epiphytic cacti are an exception, so they can be wiped or thoroughly washed under running water.

Choose the purest water with a slightly acidic environment, as this is beneficial for the cactus.

How often to perform the procedure

How to replant a cactus: options at home

Depending on the time of year, whether the cactus is at the flowering stage, watering can be done more often or less often.

Winter watering is the key to beautiful flowering in summer

in winter

If it is winter outside, the cactus does not require water at all, since growth and development decrease during this period. The cactus stores nutrients for future flowering and active growth. Wintering a cactus provides for the following maintenance rules:

• It is better to place the plant in a room with the lowest temperature, where there is practically no lighting;
• Watering is carried out no more than once a month, or even only 2 times a season.

in spring

In the spring, the transition to the stage of active growth requires a lot of effort from the plant, so watering is gradually increased. The first sign that the cactus has entered the stage of active growth and development is that small buds and fresh greenery appear on the top of its head. The volume of water is gradually increased, but between procedures the soil must dry completely.

For the first time, just moisten the soil in the morning so that it is saturated with moisture by 2 cm, or simply spray the plant. It is also important to monitor the night temperature; it should not fall below plus 15 °C.

Important! Watering is carried out in the very morning so that the plant has time to be saturated with moisture before evening, and then the excess is poured out of the pan.

In summer

In summer, watering conditions are directly determined by the ambient temperature. The hotter the summer, the more abundant it should be, then the plant has time to evaporate the moisture. In this case, they water in the evening, but if the day is cloudy and gloomy, the weather is rainy, the flower does not need to be watered, since it takes moisture from the environment.

in autumn

When autumn comes, the plant gradually prepares for the dormant period and, accordingly, at this stage the watering regime is gradually changed. To prepare the plant for successful wintering, the intervals between procedures are gradually increased in time: from weekly application of water they move to once every two weeks, and then once a month.

During flowering

Most novice gardeners do not know how to properly water a cactus during flowering and for this very reason they make a lot of mistakes. During the period of knocking out buds, the plant enters the stage of active awakening and, after a period of winter dormancy, needs feeding and abundant watering.

How to properly pour water into a pot during flowering

After the buds begin to bloom on the plant, the frequency of irrigation is increased. If this is not done, the cactus will drop flowers and buds.

Note! Some gardeners spray the plant during the flowering period, although more experienced lovers of these prickly plants advise against doing this. The whole point of the problem is that cool water will cause the plant to shed its buds. And even if the water is warm, when it comes through the sprayer, it no longer becomes the same temperature, so it can negatively affect the development of the flower. Experienced flower growers remove dry buds after flowering and only then begin to spray the flower.

Methods

Which watering option is better - from above or into a tray - is a matter of ongoing debate among gardeners. The thing is that the bulk of the roots that absorb water are located in the very bottom of the pot. Regardless of this, each method has its positive and negative sides.

Above

Fluffy cactus: what is it called and care options

This method is more familiar, plus you can see how much water is added, although, on the other hand, many nutritional components are washed out from the upper layers of the soil.

Note! In order not to wet the cactus, it is important to add water along the edge of the flowerpot, for example, do this with a juice straw or dropper.

Through the pallet

This type is convenient, according to many gardeners, because nutritional components are not washed out of the soil, as often happens when watering from above, but with this method it can be difficult to understand how much moisture the plant needs. This option is suitable for more experienced gardeners who have been keeping cacti for a long time.

And, as many cactus owners say, there is no fundamental difference between watering into a tray or from above; it is rather a matter of experience and habit. Therefore, everyone chooses for themselves what is convenient for them.

Home care rules

In terms of cactus care, watering and fertilizing play an important role. And by the way, the frequency of watering significantly depends on the latter.

How to water an orchid correctly and how often

How and with what to water to get beautiful red or yellow needles?

If you want to get colored needles, then you should understand that such specimens do not exist in nature, since they are the creation of human hands. In practice, there are two ways to make multi-colored needles on a cactus: by adding colored soil to a flowerpot or by watering with tinted water. The first can be purchased at a special store, and in the second case, you can add any color of food coloring to the water.

When it comes to watering and caring for a cactus, beginners often make mistakes that can lead to the death of the plant. The most common of them:

• frequent application of water when the soil is not completely dry;
• lack of water, when the roots do not receive enough moisture;
• watering with hard and unsettled cold water or frequent watering of a cactus kept in a cold room.

Important! If a transplant was carried out, the cactus is not watered for at least a week.

Other things to remember:

• temperature in the room with cacti. Regardless of what species the cactus is classified as, watering at low temperatures in the room is reduced and reduced significantly, or even stops altogether. If the room temperature is below 5-7 °C, do not water the cacti;
• It is important to evaluate the place. If the flowerpot is on the south side, it is watered more often than those that are on the north windowsill;
• lighting. So, during the period of active growth, in spring and summer, when there is enough light, the plant is watered once every 1-1.5 weeks; in winter, once every 2-4 weeks is enough.

Is it necessary to feed cacti with liquid fertilizers? Cacti do not particularly need frequent feeding and fertilizing. But, nevertheless, once in the spring and autumn they can be fed. When choosing a fertilizer composition, you should give preference to those containing nitrogen. As for organic fertilizers, such as manure, they are strictly prohibited for cacti.

All watering methods are good to one degree or another.

It is optimal to apply liquid fertilizers at the root, and it is best to buy a ready-made solution in a specialized store. Such products often come in the form of a concentrated solution, which is diluted at home, according to the instructions, in water and watered over flowers. And here, too, you should not overdo it, since cacti do not like abundant feeding.

When choosing fertilizer for cacti, you should pay attention to the following types:

• to stimulate the flowering of cacti. Such fertilizers contain nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus;
• before entering a period of rest. In this case, use any fertilizer for cacti, but with a lower phosphorus content.

The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions and not add more than recommended than is required for the normal development of the plant.

Thus, cacti are unique flowers that require special attention. The tips presented in the article above will help you grow a real beauty from a small and prickly shoot in the house, delighting with its flowering and spectacular and terrifying appearance.

Feeding cacti

Fertilizing is carried out only during the period of active growth (from early April to mid-July). The transplanted cactus is not fed for several weeks to allow it to acclimatize to new conditions and heal wounds after microtrauma.

Cacti require special fertilizers (for cacti and succulents). Their feature is the minimum nitrogen content. The use of nitrogen fertilizers can cause plant death. In this case, the stem becomes loose and watery, and scars and rotting wounds form on it. Therefore, organic feeding of succulents is strictly contraindicated.

Forest cacti are fertilized monthly, and desert cacti - twice a month.

When feeding succulents, you should strictly adhere to the dosage. With an excess of nutrients, the cactus greatly increases in size and swells, and in advanced cases it can burst. But don’t panic - the plant can be saved. The wound is sprinkled with sulfur or crushed activated carbon. Soon all that will remain is a scar.