Many people love cacti for their unusual appearance and for the fact that they do not require complex care and frequent watering. You can safely go on vacation for a couple of weeks and not worry about the plants. But there are still certain rules for care, especially if you want the cactus to bloom.
There are many types of cacti. All of them belong to succulents, a group of plants that accumulate moisture in the stems and leaves and therefore can live for a long time in drought conditions. In nature, cacti grow well in South and North America, as well as in any regions with a hot, dry climate. Ideal conditions for them: dry ground, air movement, daylight hours are approximately equal to night.
At home, cacti are considered one of the most unpretentious plants. The first thing to know is the correct watering regime. The year can be conditionally divided into two seasons: spring, summer and early autumn and late autumn and winter.
The first season is the active growth of the plant and the flowering period. At this time, you need to water the cacti about once every three to four weeks. If the planter does not have a drainage hole, then excessive watering should not be allowed, as moisture will stagnate at the bottom of the planter and can lead to decay of the roots. The soil must be completely dry between waterings. If you have not watered the cactus and it has slightly decreased in volume - it's okay, just water it for a couple of days in a row in small portions, and it will take water again. In the warmer months, it is good to put the pots of plants outside or on the balcony.
In winter, it would be good to arrange a "wintering" for the plant: put in a cool place, where the temperature is 15-18 degrees Celsius. If it was possible to provide the plant with such conditions, then you can reduce watering to once for the whole winter, or even exclude watering. All processes in this case slow down and the plant goes into a kind of hibernation. Proper wintering is very important if you want your cactus to bloom, which is why all professional growers try to ensure it.
Lighting is another important factor. Never place cacti in a corner of a room away from a window. A sufficient amount of daylight must fall on the plant, or you need to install special lighting with lamps. The lamps should never heat the plant, they also need to be set to a timer or manually turned on and off. Plants won't benefit from 24/7 lighting.
More attention should be paid to the correct soil. Especially if you bought a Dutch cacus from a flower shop, be sure to transplant it into specially prepared soil. Ready-made mixtures "for cacti and succulents" are not very suitable, as they contain mostly pure peat. The soil must be loose and breathable so that it dries quickly. You can mix sand, zeolite or fired clay, as well as agropyrite and other leavening agents, to the universal soil. Thus, it will not be caked.
You can transplant cacti every one and a half to two years, or even less often, provided that they are planted in the correct soil. Ordinary ceramic unfired pots are best suited for growth, but you can take any decorative ones if they match the interior. It is best to put a layer of expanded clay on the bottom of any pot, which will play the role of additional drainage.
With proper care, cacti will delight you for years to come.
