Depending on the size and degree of spikyness of the plant, specific instruments are needed for cactus transplantation. For instance, towels and/or newspapers may not be required while transplanting smaller cacti, whereas larger cacti may need a complete complement of safety gear.
No of the size, handling cacti is always safer when done with thick, protective gloves.
Remove the Cactus from the Old Pot
If required, loosen the dirt around the pot’s edges with a dull knife or trowel. If necessary, you can use the towel to handle the cactus or wrap it in many layers of newspaper to make it easier to hold. Lay the cactus flat on the surface of your work area after gently wriggling the root ball out of the old pot.
Loosen the Root Ball & Discard the Old Soil
The root ball should be loosened and the old soil should be dumped after the cactus has been removed from its old pot. This can occasionally be a delicate process depending on how root-bound the plant is. Slow down and take care not to uproot too many roots.
Inspect the Roots and Trim if Necessary
It is advisable to inspect the roots for any evidence of pests or illnesses while they are exposed. If necessary, prune back any sick or dead roots and use a fungicide.
Choose the New Pot
For your cactus, pick a clay or terracotta pot if you have a tendency to overwater plants. Cacti can grow in any type of potting container, although unglazed clay pots are better since they can absorb extra moisture from the soil and help limit overwatering. No matter what kind of pot you select, make sure the bottom has a drainage hole.
Plant the Cactus in the New Pot
To ensure that the cactus will be planted at the same depth as its previous container, fill the bottom of the new pot with the cactus soil combination (you may buy cactus soil in stores or make it yourself). Place the cactus in the pot gently using the towel or newspaper and hold it there while you add dirt to the remaining space in the pot.
The newly transplanted cactus needs time to adapt to its new environment, so avoid watering it right immediately. You can resume your regular watering regimen after about a week.
Cacti are resilient and adaptable, and the majority of kinds do well when transplanted as long as they were in good condition before being repotted. Make sure to replant your cactus in the same spot where it was originally located so that it can continue to get the same amount of light and ventilation as it did before it was moved.
Cacti are desert plants, thus to promote new development, they need a lot of sunlight. Most cacti kinds thrive in a sunny windowsill that faces south or west. One of the best ways to promote new growth is to leave your cactus outdoors in full light throughout the summer if you live somewhere with warm summers.
How do you move a cactus without damaging it?
There aren’t many ways to repot a cactus without getting pricked and hurt. Wearing nitrile coated gloves (may be two pairs or double coated) and utilizing folded newspaper may be sufficient to handle small to medium sized cactus.
Utilizing silicone tongs is an additional technique for handling little cactus (not metal ones). Be very cautious with your cactus and avoid pinching it. Use foam sponges or anything comparable as well.
You must be careful not to harm the roots that are wrapped around the main root ball. Try to remove a cactus from its pot by turning the pot vertically. If you wait three to five days before repotting your cactus, it should be simple to perform.
Use this technique if your cactus isn’t coming out on its own. The top soil layer should be removed with a thin wooden stick or something similar. Then, while holding the cactus and using folded newspaper for particularly spiky cacti, gently tap the pot against the table to see if you can slide it out of the pot. By pulling your cactus in this way, you risk damaging its incredibly thin and delicate roots.
How to handle and repot a large or tall cactus with sharp spines
You must exercise extra caution if your cactus is large and tall, grows outdoors, or both. When moving your cactus, put on your nitrile-coated gloves and use some folded newspaper. Additionally, you could wrap your cactus in a large towel.
If you’re having trouble getting your cactus out of the pot, try using a wooden stick to push the rootball out of the drainage holes.
You can smash the pot or chop the cactus if nothing else works to get it out. If your cactus still won’t emerge after you cut the pot, you can use a hose to spray water on the roots of the plant. This will soften a rootball. You don’t want to hurt your plant, so always be kind. Remember that you must wait for the roots to dry after spraying them before potting them into a new container.
To ensure that the roots of your cactus dry out, hang it. Put something underneath the huge cactus to provide support (for example some bars under the cactus so it is hanging). Additionally, hanging it outside the pot will help the roots dry out more quickly.
Before planting the cactus, you must dry the roots if you used a hose to shower them.
After you have removed your cactus from an old pot
You must clean the rootball and get rid of old soil after taking the cactus out of its old container. Dry soil should make this task simple. However, if the soil has dried and you are unable to clean it, put the rootball in a plastic container and soak it for 20 to 40 minutes in warm water (about 122 degrees F or 50 Celsius).
Wash the rootball with water to remove any remaining soil after it has softened. Dry the rootballs of your cactus for 12 to 30 hours to ensure full drying.
A helpful suggestion would be to hang your cactus so that the roots are upright. This will hasten the cacti’s transition to a new pot and preserve the roots’ healthy natural shapes. The rootballs of your cacti will sprout more plants if you wash and soak them in warm water.
Take a look at cacti’s roots
Examine the roots after removing your cactus and removing any remaining soil by shaking (or washing) it off. You must inspect the roots to look for rotting and parasites. You must use micro-tipped pruning shears to remove any visible rotting roots.
Another option is to use tiny scissors. However, be sure to sanitize the blades with alcohol, a flame, or boiling water and antibacterial soap before cutting any bad roots.
Wash off the dirt and dab some alcohol on cuts if you notice any damage or cuts in the roots. Before putting the cactus in the pot, let the roots dry.
Place the cactus in its new pot
Place your cactus in the pot after looking at the roots. It ought to already be partially filled with gravel or rocks, charcoal, and dirt on top. Insert your cactus, then begin slowly filling in the sides with soil.
While adding the soil and once you are finished, pat the earth lightly without using any instruments. Be sure to leave the top layer’s soil free by 1-2 inches. Your cacti may be more susceptible to root rot if the dirt is overfilled in the pot.
You can water your cactus after about 5-7 days. Add extra soil on top if it has greatly drained. Two to three weeks after repotting, a good cactus should become sturdy and feel at ease in the soil. Your cactus’ roots are unhealthy if it is unsteady and need additional support.
What to do after you have repotted your cacti
You must give your cactus a 7–10 day period of relaxation after repotting. When your cactus are resting, avoid watering them. Additionally, throughout these 7 to 10 days, you need to stop any water from the cacti’s stem from evaporating. The stem will dry out if you don’t do this, which is really crucial.
Take your cactus to a cool, dark location, and cover it with a white transparent plastic veggie bag to make sure water is not evaporating from the stem. Spray your cactus with little warm water after 4-5 days and cover it again if the room becomes too hot. Take the cactus out and plant them in their permanent location after 7–10 days have passed. Additionally, after repotting, water them for the first time.
During the first month or two, you may notice additional growth and possibly even flowering if the repotting was successful.
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When should I switch to a larger pot for my cactus?
Cacti come in a wide range of colors, textures, and sizes for their flowers. Cacti can be divided into two primary categories: desert cacti (which are typically armed with spines) and jungle cacti (often without spines and most are epiphytes). You can have an interesting houseplant that is trouble-free and long-lasting if you choose the proper cactus for the right location.
When to repot
As soon as the roots start to peek through the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, cacti need to be repotted. Fast-growing plants should typically be repotted every two to three years, whereas slow-growing species should be done so every three to four years. The optimum time to repot cactus is in the spring when they are actively growing. Two days prior to repotting, water the cactus to keep the roots moist but not soggy.
How should a cactus be replanted?
When you’ve decided whether to repot your cactus, it’s time to grab your equipment and exchange the old soil or container with the new one. Fresh soil is an excellent idea even though every cactus doesn’t require a new container. Only plants that are pot-bound require a larger pot.
Gently tong, glove, or wrap the plant out of its pot. If the soil is dry, they normally come out easily, but you might need to use a trowel to remove the soil around the edges. Plant the cactus at the same depth it was growing in the old soil after shaking off the old soil. Put it in a bright southeast or east window, filling in the area around the roots with your medium.
Not watering the plant right away while it is accustomed to being handled and new soil conditions is one of the most crucial repotting cactus advices. A few weeks later, you can water the plant, let it dry up, and then water it once more.
Can a cactus be dug out and planted again?
Mature cactus plants may need to be relocated. It might be difficult to move cacti in the landscape, especially huge ones. Due to the spines, thorns, and other deadly armor most of these plants have, this technique really puts you in more danger than the plant. Cactus transplants can be carried out throughout the year, although the optimal period is in the cooler months. Here are some pointers for safely transplanting a cactus without endangering yourself or the plant.
Which containers work best for cacti?
The pot or container you choose for your cactus is crucial and might have an impact on the health of your plant. We will discuss many best and worst cacti pots and containers in this article. We’ll also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various pots and the significance of size and shape.
Cacti and their growth are significantly influenced by the type of container, its form, and size. While some containers are ideal or excellent, others are completely inappropriate.
Importance of cacti pot/container shape
Before we discuss container materials, let’s discuss another crucial aspect. Take care of the container’s form while buying one for your cactus. When purchasing a planter for your cactus, some qualities to consider include the following:
- The size of the container should be similar to that of the cactus. This is so that, if planted in a large container, cacti’s roots, which are frequently not very long, will remain in the middle of the container.
- Cacti grow well in cylinder, short, and square pots. Avoid selecting containers that are overly deep, tall, or small.
- All of the dirt in the container should be “used” by your cactus. Therefore, there shouldn’t be an excessive amount of dirt that the cactus roots can’t penetrate. Only leave enough room around the plant for growth and drainage in the bottom.
Size of pots for your cacti
As we’ve already established, your cactus, and more specifically its roots, should practically be the same size as the pot. The best plan is to take your cactus outside and examine its roots before selecting a pot or container. Remove a cactus from its current container, examine the roots, and measure them.
Your cactus needs a wide container if its roots are short but growing to the sides, and a deeper container if its roots are long and spreading outward. Additionally, you’ll need to give room for drainage, so a pot should be just a little bit deeper than the roots.
To make your cactus comfortable in the pot, while picking a pot, add around 1-2 inches in width (to your plant’s full width). Depending on the type of cactus you choose, the depth of the container should be between 4 and 7 inches. Cylindrical cacti, for example, have lengthy roots, whereas other varieties have shorter roots (such as ball cacti).
Ceramic terracotta or glazed ceramic pots/containers for cacti
Among the advantages of ceramic planters are:
- Pots made of ceramic are sturdy and weighty.
- Ceramic pots come in a variety of styles and colors, many of which are glazed, making them a great option for ornamental settings.
- Ceramic pots’ porous nature prevents water logging or accumulation (provided you have potted your plants in the right soil mix).
- They are lovely and stunning in any environment.
- They are appropriate for the colder months when it is not as heated outside.
Several drawbacks
- Terracotta planters in particular are porous and minimize water buildup, however this can be detrimental to young seedlings and plants. This indicates that the soil will dry up more quickly, especially if you leave your cactus outside and during hot weather. You can forget about it, but frequent watering can also cause the pH of the soil to rise. In the section on selecting soil for cactus, we talked about how the pH of the soil should be acidic. However, larger plants thrive in ceramic containers.
- To avoid having to drill the drainage holes yourself, make sure the ceramic pots include them. Drainage holes are necessary, but they might not be present in all ceramic pots.
- Cactus roots may not penetrate the soil completely and instead focus on the sides. This occurs as a result of the ceramic container’s water evaporating quite quickly and leaving behind mineral residue on the sides. The roots of cacti lean to the sides in an effort to reach these minerals, but they can only burn themselves because the sides of the planters heat up.
- Ceramic pots are more likely to develop mold.
- Ceramic utensils may crack (especially with children or pets).
Make sure to choose the appropriate size and shape when selecting a ceramic planter. This set of three ceramic planters for small plants serves as an illustration of a ceramic pot or planter for your cacti.
Plastic pots/planters/containers for cacti
Plastic planters are another kind of container that is excellent for growing cacti in.
benefits of using plastic containers to cultivate cacti:
- Plastic containers are portable and lightweight, making them simple to transport.
- Less watering will be needed to maintain soil in a plastic container because it will dry out more gradually. In comparison to ceramic pots, this means fewer watering sessions.
- Cacti do well in plastic pots since they don’t overheat easily and can retain heat even after the sun has set. Because most cacti don’t enjoy quick temperature drops, this is a useful feature.
- The low cost of plastic pots offers an additional benefit.
- To avoid waterlogging, most plastic containers feature numerous drainage holes. Additional holes can be drilled if necessary.
- The roots of cactus do well in plastic containers because they spread out uniformly across the soil. This is because roots won’t lean to the sides of a plastic container since water won’t evaporate through the sides. Additionally, the acidity of the soil will last longer.
- The likelihood of mold formation is decreased.
- Both little and large adult cacti do well in plastic containers.
- If you bang on them from a table or windowsill, they won’t break.
Hanging containers for cacti
For your cacti, you can also choose hanging basket pots. Smaller or larger trailing cactus can grow in hanging pots. Additionally, you can use them to indoor or outdoor adorn your home. Make sure your hanging pot has drainage holes and perhaps a saucer to catch any water that may drip from it as many hanging pots lack these features. These particular plastic pots allow you to drill your own holes in the bottom.
Bad containers for growing cacti
Let’s start by stating that growing cactus in glass pots is not recommended. A cactus terrarium is often made in a glass container. This is not the same as letting a cactus develop for several years. Cacti do not appreciate humidity or waterlogging, thus terrariums are not the best environment for them.
Glass cactus containers have several advantages.
- For a special occasion, you may assemble a lovely terrarium with cacti and take the plants out right away (maximum of 2-3 weeks). If you’re making cacti terrariums, only use open glass containers. Plant cacti together only if their requirements are comparable. For making a cactus terrarium, you can add decorations like colored sand, shells, and figurines. Utilizing small, recently-planted cacti is the best option.
Cons of using glass cactus containers:
- Glass containers are very unlikely to have drainage holes, which can lead to water logging and a buildup of moisture. This will result in root rot, which will ultimately kill your plant. You must exercise caution and give your plant some water each day, but doing so runs the risk of preventing water from penetrating the soil completely and reaching the roots.
- Even an open terrarium is susceptible to fogging up and having an elevated humidity level within. Cacti require sufficient airflow and detest humidity.
- Your cactus won’t be able to absorb water from the rocks in the bottom layer of soil if the dirt is layered. Roots cannot obtain water from rocks, and neither can rocks absorb it.
- A glass container’s sides will quickly heat up and may burn your cactus and its roots. Your cactus may actually be cooked to death if you put it in a terrarium out in the sun.
Metallic containers for cacti
Cacti cannot be grown in metallic pots. This is due to the possibility that rusting metallic containers could seriously harm cactus.
Additionally, metallic containers quickly experience excessive heat and cold, and cacti detest abrupt temperature fluctuations.
Conclusion: Ceramic (terracotta and glazed), plastic, and hanging (may be ceramic or plastic as well) pots are the ideal containers/pots for growing cacti. Glass containers should only be used temporarily (or not at all), and metallic pots should be avoided.