-
Members of the previous forum can retrieve their temporary password here, (login and check your PM).
How much water do you give your cactus?
- Thread starter Nathaniel
- Start date
Mr.Peabody
Rising Star
I generally let the soil completely or nearly completely dry, and then water it. I use enough water so that a little trickles out the bottom of the pot, to ensure the soil is about as full and evenly damp as it can get. Seems to work fine!
nicechrisman
Kin
I would think rather than giving it a bit at a time to maintain a consistent moisture level that it would like to dry considerably between waterings, then be watered thoroughly.
For my mature cacti I pick up the pots and feel the weight. If they feel light I water. As my pot soils are covered in grit I can;t tell from the surface. I give them a good soak and then leave for a while. Sort of simulates a rain shower then a dry period.
For my younger cacti I water frequently.
For my younger cacti I water frequently.
In the summer and spring i water every few days
I generally feel the ribs of my cactus to gauge if he's thirsty or not. Right now they are kind of soft so I bet he would like some more water. I usually water about every two weeks, so considering that time frame it's not time to feed him again. I would like to see his ribs swell up with pride, though!
I've been told to leave the seedlings in a zip lock bag and slowly introduce them to the environment . only watering when you first plant the seed .
My question is once I take them out of the bag and they've been transitioned to the environment how often do they need water when there this young? Do you approach it as if there adults or is this different I can't seem to find anything on this.
My question is once I take them out of the bag and they've been transitioned to the environment how often do they need water when there this young? Do you approach it as if there adults or is this different I can't seem to find anything on this.
Spanishfly
Rising Star
wakeup said:
For their first year seedlings do well if kept well watered - do not let them get dry for any length of time.
Spanishfly
Rising Star
bub said:
LOL - for my larger cacti I can barely lift the pot !!!!
Spanishfly
Rising Star
dg said:
Absolutely, my plants get drier here in the fierce Spanish summer much faster than they did in the dull, soggy UK. But then I water the plants in smaller pots about once a week, when they will be bone dry. Plants in larger pots can take two weeks to get totally dry (in unglazed terracotta - plastic takes longer) - so the big boys get it every fortnight.
In winter they are left to rest without any water at all from December to February - but still give them plenty of light.
I live in a dry hot climate.
For Trichocereus, I grow them in rich soil (potting soil and compost with some garden loam in) and once the weather gets hot I water them daily so the soil is always wet. I've virtually never lost one to rot and doing it this way I get many times the growth compared to when I grew them in 'cactus' soil and watered when dry.
This year as an experiment I even thoroughly leached and soaked short pine needles, mixed 3 parts that to 1 part garden soil, and planted a bunch of T. scopulicola and bridgesii X pachanoi clones in that sponge like mix and fed them fertilizer daily, all 14 of them are loving it.
Trichs arent lophs
Trichs arent Ariocarpus
Trichs most closely resemble tomato plants
If you water your tomato plants only when theyre droopy and squishy your tomatoes will suck :lol:
I'm zone 7a tho, freezing winters. On the approach of winter I stop watering early enough so the soil will be bone dry by the first freeze, then I move them to the coldest room of my house and dont water them again until I move them out in spring.
For Trichocereus, I grow them in rich soil (potting soil and compost with some garden loam in) and once the weather gets hot I water them daily so the soil is always wet. I've virtually never lost one to rot and doing it this way I get many times the growth compared to when I grew them in 'cactus' soil and watered when dry.
This year as an experiment I even thoroughly leached and soaked short pine needles, mixed 3 parts that to 1 part garden soil, and planted a bunch of T. scopulicola and bridgesii X pachanoi clones in that sponge like mix and fed them fertilizer daily, all 14 of them are loving it.
Trichs arent lophs
Trichs arent Ariocarpus
Trichs most closely resemble tomato plants
If you water your tomato plants only when theyre droopy and squishy your tomatoes will suck :lol:
I'm zone 7a tho, freezing winters. On the approach of winter I stop watering early enough so the soil will be bone dry by the first freeze, then I move them to the coldest room of my house and dont water them again until I move them out in spring.
Spanishfly
Rising Star
Auxin said:
Agree what you say about Trichocereus - I treat my Pereskia and Selenicereus very differently to my desert cacti. But the OP was asking about his CACTI - non specific about genera.
Well I suppose I should have specified that I was talking about Trichocereus cacti. This was applying to my pedros, so I realize I didn't say that originally :roll:Spanishfly said:
How much water for a lopho?
3 peyotes came into my possession at shambhala..about the size of peas. I would also like to know how much water to give them, how often etc. I am experienced growing trichs but not peyote.
jamie said:
When lophs are that small I keep them wet constantly. Sometimes I'll let them dry out but immediately water them after the top layer dries out.
With my adult plants it all depends on species, climate, soil type, pot type, pot size, time of year, ect ect ect... Trichs I water everytime they dry out. About once a week in the conditions I have them in. With plants like lophophora I water once every two weeks or so. They're in terra cotta pots in mineral mix so they dry out pretty quick. Copiapoa I will only water a couple times a year. Different species/genera, different watering times.
Spanishfly
Rising Star
Hope it comes on well for you, Nathaniel. But your picture is pretty crap (phonecam maybe?) - hope it actually looks healthier than that - MOD EDIT...No talk of trading on the forum!!
Similar threads
