Proper watering of cacti is the key to successful plant growth, and for flowering forms it is a prerequisite for the appearance of buds. For beginners cacti in this regard, there are many questions. The most common of them is how often you need to water the cacti, and what water to water the cacti to ensure their full development and longevity.
Rules and methods of watering cacti
Watering cacti at home is not easy. It is useful to take into account some of the most common principles of watering.
Not one succulent loves when a stream of water falls on its stem: wetting the earthy mixture, it is necessary to ensure that the water on the cactus itself does not fall.
There are two main ways of watering cacti: from above, in a pot, and from below, from the pallet. The latter method has several advantages: in pots the substrate is not eroded and nutrients from the earth mixture are not washed out so quickly; most of the suction roots are located near the cacti in the lowest part of the root system - at the bottom of the pot; therefore, water supply to this part of the earthen coma is justified, wetting of the thick main roots and stem of the stem is not only useless, but also dangerous; and finally, watering from a pallet makes it easier to take care of a collection, especially a large one. This method has its drawbacks - the difficulty of individual care for individual cacti and the difficulty of controlling the amount of water in the pot, but these difficulties are overcome with experience and through the use of simple moisture meters of the substrate.
When watering cacti in winter and summer from above, it is important that the whole lump is soaked with water. And therefore another important principle: it is better to water once abundantly (so that the whole earth lump is saturated with moisture) than to water a part a little (when the water wets only the surface of the substrate in the pot). It should be remembered that water is stored longer in larger pots and in heavy (clay) soil mixture.
How to water a cactus at home, given the weather conditions? In dry hot weather, cacti are watered in the evening, on cooler days in the morning.
Very good results are obtained by heating from below, which is turned on after irrigation for the period while the substrate retains moisture.
How often do you need to water the cacti at home?
The vast majority of cacti are watered only during the growing season. Most of the species - in late spring - early summer and late summer - early autumn. Here it is necessary to briefly describe the seasonal cycle of the main mass of cacti in European collections. In winter, the dormant period, from mid-spring, the beginning of the growing season, in the second half of the summer, a short summer dormant period and a new growing season at the end of the summer - early autumn. But there are groups of cacti and other succulents (in the first place, aizonovyh), whose life cycles are fundamentally different, and this must be taken into account when caring for them.
Even knowing how to water cacti correctly, keep in mind that many blossoms do not coincide with the growth period! And here there is a problem: to water or not to water a plant that blooms during the period of rest, for example, in winter. Solving it, it is necessary to take into account a number of circumstances. An adult strong plant can normally bloom without watering. But on a sunny day, when the air temperature rises significantly, it can be watered. A young or weakened copy of the forces for flowering without watering may not be enough. It is safer to relocate it to a warmer and lighter place (for example, a greenhouse) and then water it. Or accept the fact that the flowering will have to admire in the following years. It is more confident to water the vaccinated plants during the rest period, and it is wiser to refrain from watering “difficult” or vulnerable ones.
But even during the growing season, cacti are watered carefully. The basic principle is that it is better not to water than to water excessively. In cool, wet weather, watering is unnecessary, even if the earth lump dried out completely (except for seedlings and rooting plants). In dry hot weather, the earthen mixture should be constantly wet, but the stagnation of water in a pot or tray should not be allowed. (Close to optimal drip irrigation, but it is, especially in room conditions, technically difficult.)
What water to water cacti?
Before watering the cactus, take care of water quality. Chemically pure water is rare. Usually it contains a variety of mineral and organic bring. Since cacti are transplanted relatively rarely, over several years with irrigation, you can bring so many different substances into the pot that they completely change the quality of the substrate. There are many recipes for how to avoid this, but most of them assume the presence of a real chemical laboratory. And again, most even experienced cacti growers do not resort to such difficulties.
It is important to bear in mind that as much as possible clean, mild water with a slightly acidic reaction is desirable for irrigation. It may be thawed, rain, boiled or simply separated water. It is better if the water temperature for irrigation is several degrees higher than the air temperature.
It is useful to spray all cacti with warm (30-50 ° C) water. It is important that the sprayer gives the smallest spray. Large drops falling on the stem of a plant can damage it. In hot weather, spraying is done in the evening; in the winter - a warm sunny day. As a rule, the airborne stream should be directed not over the plants, but on top of them. The exception is the stems of epiphytic cacti and flat stem opuntia. Most epiphytic cacti can be washed under running warm water and wiped with a wet swab.
Now you know how to water the cactus, which means you can provide decent care for your succulent.
Many flower lovers wonder: Do cacti water at all? Answering briefly this question, we can say that you should not be zealous with this procedure for these, however there are a large number of subtleties, observing which you can save and significantly prolong the life of your pet. This article is designed to answer questions about cacti home and how to water them.
Principles and methods of irrigation
In general, there are two methods of watering any indoor plants: above and below.
The first implies habitual moistening, on which the plant grows, with the help of a watering can or some other container containing water, and the second, often watering in a pan, when moisture is placed in the lower part of the pot and is drawn in by the soil as it dries.
Did you know? California Cereus is considered the largest cactus in the world. Its height can reach up to 20 meters, age - up to 150 years, and the stem can accumulate up to 2000 liters of water.
It is difficult to say which way is best suited for your plants. Experienced kaktusovody not make a significant difference between these techniques and argue that this is only a matter of taste and experience.
Answering a question about how to water, so that they more often bloom, some gardeners offer the following method: you must take a pipe or part of a dropper and immerse it in the soil approximately to the middle of the pot.
Watering is done by injecting water from a syringe. However, it should be borne in mind that when using this technique it will be quite difficult to control whether the soil is dry or not. 
Cacti classification
Cacti are a family of plants that belong to the order of Clove. In turn, they are divided into 4 subfamilies.
Among these plants, you can find a variety of plant forms, ranging from low deciduous trees and ending with the usual xerophytes, adapted to long-term arid conditions.
The first subfamily is called Pereskievs and has only one genus of shrubs, on which are located the leaves and stems of non-succulent nature. Scientists believe that this plant is a link in the chain that connects with various deciduous species.
Did you know? In the city of Bunarg, located on the Australian continent, a monument to the Argentine moth, which saved the local livestock industry in its time, has been erected. She restricted the spread of Opuntia cacti, which caused livestock to die.
The Opuntia subfamily includes plants that carry reduced leaves, clearly visible on young shoots, stems and specific spines, called glochidia. 
Despite the large number of this subfamily, they are very easily identified by the specific structure of the flowers and the similar morphology of large seeds.
The Mauhia are a subfamily consisting of only one genus, whose habitat is limited to Patagonia. Their morphology resembles the structure of Opuntia, but glochidia are absent.
All remaining species are united in the subfamily Cactus, the distinguishing feature of which is the absence of leaves in any form, as well as the absence of glochidia.To help find out what kind of pet your pet belongs to, may be the consultant of the store where you made the purchase.
Plants located in rooms with central heating, high air temperature and a dry room should be watered more abundantly than those that are affected by low temperature and high relative humidity.
It is worth less to water the cacti growing in clay soil with high density, and accordingly, more that are planted in the soil with high drainage properties.
The older your plant, the more developed its root system is - it is more branched and penetrates into deeper layers. Such plants can absorb moisture much longer from the same pot in volume than those in which the root system has not reached a similar level of development. From this it follows: the older the cactus, the less often it is watered.
Water quality when watering
Water required for irrigation must be at least separated for several days or filtered. Even better if you have the opportunity to collect rain or melt water.
Distilled water is also suitable, but the method of its production is quite expensive, and it is unlikely that you will want to use it as a source of moisture for irrigation. 
Watering and applying liquid fertilizers, their advantages and disadvantages
It should be borne in mind that these succulents require a very small amount
All cacti prefer watering with soft water that does not contain chlorine. Water should be clean, i.e. do not contain any impurities or salts. Ideally, you should use rainwater or thawed water, but you need to have patience to collect it, so you can use separated water for at least 24 hours or boiled water, you can also use water filtered through household water filters. Water temperature for irrigation should always be at or above room temperature.
Regarding the method of watering cacti - from above or through a pallet, sometimes there is a lot of controversy among cacti operators. Apparently, this is due to the fact that in cacti the main part of the roots absorbing water is in the lower part of the root system. Undoubtedly, each method has its advantages:
Watering from above is convenient and familiar, you can see how much water is consumed, the earth lump is all wetted with water, but after a while with this method of irrigation, nutrients are washed out from the upper soil layers. In order not to wet the cactus stem, it is convenient to make a sprinkler from a usually plastic bottle: take a piece of flexible tube (for example, from a dropper) or a juice tube, use a drill or a sewing machine to make a hole in the lid of a suitable diameter and insert the straw.
Watering through the pan is convenient because the soil in the pot is not eroded, the soil nutrients are washed out much longer than when watering from above, but with this method of irrigation, it is difficult to know how much water the plant needs, i.e. This method will suit more experienced cactusisitu. For some reason, the question of the method of irrigation is very exciting for the owners of cacti, although in fact it is not fundamentally important, but rather a matter of taste and experience.
How to water cacti
- water should not be allowed to fall on the stem of a cactus, pour on the ground from the edges of the pot;
- it is impossible to prevent stagnation of water in the pot, for this each cactus must provide good drainage, and when watering from the pallet, after some time (after the roots absorb water), the remaining water drains;
- any cactus can endure a certain time in a completely dry soil, even during the period of growth and flowering, the excess of water can be detrimental to it;
- the quantity and frequency of watering directly depend on the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air; the lower the temperature and the higher the humidity, the slower the evaporation of water from the substrate occurs, and the less need to be watered. In addition, temperature influences the rate of absorption of water from the soil by the roots. Cold water is practically not absorbed by the roots. But pay attention, if for us cold water is 18-19 ° C, then for cacti it is still warm, and cold water from 12 and below. The cooler the temperature of the surrounding air, the less moisture the cactus needs. When there are hot, dry days in the summer, cacti are watered every day, it is better not to water the cactus on a cool and even rainy day;
- time for watering cacti - morning or evening, it is believed that it is necessary to water the cacti in the summer in the evening, and at other times of the year in the morning, but this again does not matter.
When watering cacti more or less
Almost all cacti prefer cold (or at least cool) wintering, but not every owner can provide it and then cacti overwinter at normal room temperature, which can be 18-25 ° C. With such a warm wintering cacti watered less often than in summer (at the same temperature), the earth should have time to dry well.
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Most cacti bloom is not associated with a period of growth, i.e. and in winter, during the rest period, cacti can bloom. Since watering is sharply reduced during the dormant period, the question often arises how to water the cacti that bloom in winter. In this case, watering should be a little more or more often than if the plants did not bloom, but definitely need to be watered much less frequently than in spring and summer.
Very often, when watering with hard water containing a lot of lime, on the stem of a cactus at the base, raids of light brown color are formed, which eventually turn into cortical growths and are not removed. Most often this happens in cacti that do not have thorns or with small, rare thorns. Not rarely such a phenomenon is taken for a disease, but it is the deposition of salts from the water that eats into the cactus tissue. Therefore, it is recommended to water the cacti with boiled or filtered water.
Air humidity
It is known that all cacti tolerate dry air and therefore are considered hardy plants, but in nature most of them are refreshed with dew or fog in the morning and evening. Cacti are very responsive to daily spraying at their natural hours, but in order not to harm the plants, it is necessary to spray only from a very fine - pulverized sprayer, so that no water flows down the cactus stem.
The temperature of the spray water should be slightly above room temperature, i.e. warm (30-40 ° C). On sunny days, spraying is carried out only when the sun's rays already or still do not fall on the plant. With the onset of autumn rainy days, it is better to stop spraying, but in winter you can spray cacti at the end of a sunny day. Read more about. Cacti that have leaves (ripsalis, epiphyllum, etc.) can not only be sprayed, but also arranged for them to shower, to wash away the dust and prevent the appearance of the spider mite.
Cacti - the original evergreen plants, their feature - the trunk of an unusual shape with sharp leaves, needles. They belong to the family of pink flowers. The homeland of cacti is America, more than 3 thousand specimens are known, which, according to their habitat, are divided into desert and forest ones.
These plants can be found in the deserts of Africa, Argentina, Mexico, Chile. Representatives of forest species grow in the tropical jungle. In nature, cacti can grow up to several meters in height, and varieties intended for home cultivation are bred by breeders, therefore they are small in size.
Some of the exotic plants have healing properties, others can bloom very beautiful flowers and are used for decorative decoration of rooms.
Besides home care for cactus is not difficulttherefore, prickly pets have long been widely recognized by almost all lovers of flora.
Varieties of cacti
The most popular species intended for growing in homes include:
How to care for cactus - the basic rules
Care for cacti is very simple, as they are quite unpretentious and drought-resistant. Habout certain rules for the maintenance of these plants must be observed so that the prickly pets grow healthy and delight you with their gorgeous flowering.
All cacti are divided into 2 groups:
- Deserts. Such plants need sunlight, in the winter they need to be watered very rarely.
- Forest. In summer, these specimens must be protected from direct sunlight and with the onset of cold weather they reduce watering.
Desert and forest species are distinguished not only by external data, but also by conditions of detention. After acquiring the plant, you need to know exactly what kind it belongs to, depending on this, how to care for the cactus that you have.
Peculiarities of home cactus
Exotic plants are very sensitive to changes in seasonal temperature. Their livelihoods are divided into a period of active growth and a stage of rest. Depending on the change in temperature in the room, the cactus can go from one state to another. For its full existence, it is necessary that in the spring and summer there should be 25–27 degrees of heat indoors, and in the winter, when cacti “fall asleep” no higher than 10–12 degrees.
Spiny plants should be comfortable and cozy in your home, so you need to adhere to the following rules when caring for them:
Cactus: care and cultivation
Planting and breeding
First of all, you need to choose a suitable pot for a spiny pet. The root system of these plants is quite powerful and branched, so for planting it is better to choose a high pot, given that its height was greater than the width. Ideal clay or plastic containers of any shape.
For planting, you need a soil containing leaf soil, turf, coarse sand. All useful ingredients must be selected depending on the type, variety and age of the plant. Often, growers simply buy ready-made substrate, designed specifically for cacti, in a special store. Properly selected soil and competent care in the home will help grow a healthy and beautiful plant.
Landing is necessary in spring time. In the bottom of the tank, where the plant will be, as a drainage layer, you must put a small amount of coarse sand or pebbles. Then you need to fill the pot with soil and place the cactus there. After that, at the very top, you need to pour a little river sand and small pebbles, so that the soil does not hold water when you water the plant.
Cacti are propagated by seed or cuttings. Growing a plant from seed is a rather complicated and time-consuming process, often using the vegetative method for this.
In order to grow an exotic flower from seed, the following steps will be needed:
The most common method of propagation of exotic flowers - cuttingsIt is the most efficient, convenient and simple. On many cacti, side shoots or “kids” often grow from which you can grow a new cactus. To do this, you just need to separate the regrown part, put it in a pot with soil, pour it with water and take care of it, like the rest of the cacti.
Cacti without shoots can also be propagated. To do this, cut off a healthy shoot or part of the stem, then dry the cut and plant it in a moist substrate.
When leaving exotic flowers, you need to periodically replant them. For young plants, transplantation should be carried out once a year, and adult cacti need to renew the ground once every 3-4 years. The best time for this is from the beginning of March to the end of May.
How to water a cactus at home
Plants must be regularly watered. Water for this must be soft and settled. You can use rain or melt at room temperature. In summer, flowers should be watered daily, every morning. If the room is cool and fairly high humidity, watering is not necessary, as the plants can feed moisture from the air. In winter, you need to water in small doses, so that the soil does not dry out. It is best to moisten the soil in two ways - on top of the plant and pour water into the pan.
The basic rules for watering are:
Fertilization
For full growth, development and flowering of exotic flowers should be fed organic fertilizers with phosphorus, potassium and calcium. It is necessary to feed once a week from the end of March until the beginning of autumn. In winter, when the plant is at rest, it is not necessary to fertilize the soil.
Possible problems with the maintenance of the flower
If the cactus does not grow, looks bad or, in general, dies, the reasons for this may be the following:
- Wrong care.
- Pests and diseases.
- Bad mode.
- Changing conditions, stress.
- Mechanical damage.
Most cacti suffer from different types of rot, which occurs due to waterlogging. To cure a plant, you must remove it from the pot, rinse all the roots in running water, then dry and cut off all damaged roots and parts of the plant. After that, sprinkle these places with an antiseptic and transplant the cactus into a new container and put the lit place, but do not water it until you notice that the flower has begun to grow.
Often a plant can infect: mealybug, shield aphid, spider mite. Here, the main thing is to start pest control in time, for this you need to treat cacti with insecticides - chemical preparations that destroy insects.
With proper care for prickly pets, you can achieve excellent results - an exotic garden will appear on your window, consisting of original cacti blooming in lush and vibrant colors.
Cultivation of domestic cacti, at first glance, seems to be quite simple, low-cost, and not burdensome. So, for most novice florist, caring for these indoor plants is mistakenly associated with rare watering and minimal care. In fact, "thorny pets" need not only attention, but also a very special approach - the only way they will fully develop and delight with unusual flowering.
Choosing a place for cactus
Conventionally, all cacti belonging to an extensive group of succulent plants are divided into desert and forest and the choice of location for their location in the room directly depends on natural origin:
- Desert plants need a lot of sunlight, so they will be comfortable near the southern or southeast windows. Under conditions of scarce lighting, the tops of cacti of such varieties are drawn out and thinned. In this case, for green "pets" equip additional artificial lighting.
- Forest succulents are less demanding on the quantity and quality of lighting. To accommodate them, you can choose the western or northern part of the room. Otherwise, for normal growth, such cacti will have to organize periodic shading.
Note! Cacti do not like direct drafts and frequent changes from place to place.
Lighting, temperature, watering cactus
Competent watering, suitable lighting and air temperature are the main components of proper care for a room cactus and they depend, for the most part, on seasonality.
Features of winter care for cacti
In winter, for the "prickly" comes a period of rest. At this time, plants can still be kept on window sills, but in order to prevent rhizomes from overcooling, it is better to place the pots on a tray or place them on high stands. Experienced cacti growers claim that succulents need a dry and moderately cold winter to lay flower buds. As a conclusion, the optimal air temperature in winter for cacti varies between 12-16 degrees, while watering is done with warm soft (separated) water no more than once every 10-15 days.
With the onset of spring, succulents can and should be watered more often (optimally every 3-4 days, focusing on the degree of drying out of the soil) and periodically irrigate from a fine spray dispenser (keep in mind that evening hours are the most suitable time for spraying). Starting in March, when the plants enter the phase of active growth, the cacti overgrown with their pots can be safely transplanted into more spacious planting capacities.
The primary task for owners of succulents in the summer period is the organization of shading. Intense sunshine combined with high air temperatures can destroy even desert hardy plants and lead to extensive sunburn. In order to prevent overheating of the root system, pots with cacti can be placed in boxes filled with clean soil or peat. Perfect summer option -
transfer of succulents to a balcony or garden. Do not forget that during the hot time they need partial shade.
Autumn care for cacti
In the autumn it is extremely important to properly prepare the "thorny" pets for the state of winter "hibernation." With the onset of cold weather, when the outside air temperature drops below 7-8 degrees, cacti are transferred into the room. Before this, the green part of the plant should be gently rinsed under a warm shower to wash away the summer dust deposited on them. The number of irrigations at this time is gradually reduced to 3-4 times a month.
Cacti transplant
Moving a cactus to a new dish is a simple process, but extremely responsible. Specialist tips can help you avoid mistakes and easily cope with this relatively difficult task:
- As mentioned above, the spring season is considered the most suitable for cacti transplantation.
- A few days before the planned transplanting, it is necessary to stop watering the plant in order to avoid damage to the rhizome when removing from the old pot.
- Young individuals need to be transplanted annually, and specimens over three years old - every 3-4 years.
- The optimal planting capacity for succulents is a plastic pot with a drain pan, while the size of the dishes should correspond to the size of the plant itself and its root part.
- Ideally, the substrate for growing cactus should consist of three components of equal weight - sheet (sod) land, coarse sand and drainage material. As the latter, you can use crushed coal, small pebbles or brick chips.
Diseases and pests of cacti
Most often, the defeat of cactus diseases and pests is the result of errors in the content and improper care of the plant. Draft, excessive watering and irrigation with cold water, excess fertilizer and improper transplantation - all of these factors can provoke a significant weakening of the protective functions of the succulent.
How to cure home cactus from rot
The most dangerous for cacti is considered to be wet rot of the rhizome. The treatment algorithm of the plant in this case is as follows:
- The cactus, affected by rottenness, is carefully taken out of the pot and its root part is washed under running water, carefully cleaning it from the rest of the soil.
- Next, the rotted parts of the succulent are cut to healthy tissue. Place the slices carefully treated with antiseptic.
- After pruning, the plant is dried on a paper towel until it forms a crust at the cut point (this period takes 7-15 days).
- Then the dried cactus is planted in a small pot filled with sand, and set in a bright, but protected from direct sunlight, place.
Pest control on cactus
From time to time, home cacti should be carefully examined for the presence of pests. Aphids, mealybugs, scales, and spider mites are the most devious “enemies” for succulents. If they are found, the affected areas of the plant should be immediately treated with a suitable insecticide with a brush. Otherwise, it is impossible to avoid infection of the neighboring “thorny” copies of the green collection.
Remember that competent care and creation of conditions comfortable for a cactus is a guarantee of its full development and regular flowering.
