A Simple Guide on Cactus Care.

I have never been very successful with gardening, unlike my mum who just has to sow the seeds and the seeds will sprout effortlessly. I tried protecting my plants, checking on them day and night and to no avail, the plants will die in one way or another. Snails munch on them, parasite bugs sucking on their juices, or sun burn etc. The list goes on and on. I love plants and hope to have my own space so I can plant anything I want, from fruit trees to bushes to flowers and even herbs. And with my hopes down I tried my hands on the cactus.

Everyone says that the cactus is easy. Some told me not to water them. Some say it needs full sun. Some says a little shade will do wonders. I did my own research in the end because I did not want to fail again.

Well I haven’t failed since. So I thought I would share what I learnt and in hope that others like me won’t have to see another dying plant killed by our innocence. Yes, I considered myself innocent when those plants died under my hands (my eyes trying to hide the guilt).

Anyway, when you buy a cactus, try to do a little research on it before you run to the shop and buy a few. Not all cactuses come from the desert (I thought that they were all from the desert before my research because cartoons always showed them in deserts, yes, let us all blame it on the cartoons). Some of the species are actually from the jungle (such as the species that bears the dragon fruit). So their way of living is different. If you can’t find any information on the species, it’s best to ask the shopkeeper for some information. They usually have lots of info from their experiences; some even teach you how to make certain species flower.

After you get your cactus and bring it home, you will need to decide where it will live. For most cactuses, the best spot is a place that provides the morning sun and shade from the afternoon sun. Do not place them immediately under full sun, if your cactus came from the indoors, giving them full sun might burn them. So you might want to help them get use to the idea by giving them full sun little by little gradually every day for at least two weeks before they go out for a longer sun tan. Also make sure that the place will not be wet because of the rain. In Malaysia, it rains often, so I do not recommend planting them straight on the ground.

Once you find the perfect spot, you might need to consider repotting it. Most cactuses that are sold at shops had outgrown its pot. So think about giving them some more space. Some say that cactus grows best in individual pots that are not too big, that way it limits the maximum size that it will grow into. I plant mine in big long pots and I mix different kinds together (this is not recommended for beginners due to the different needs of different cactuses, but I’m experimenting so it’s okay). Plant your cactus in individual pots to be safe. Always use pots that have holes at the bottom.

Next is to choose the best medium for your cactus. The key is good drainage. Whatever you choose, make sure that there are many pores in it that when you water the plant, the water will go straight down and comes out from the holes beneath the pot. Search the internet if you want to know what choices you have.

Wonder how you are going to transfer your cactus into their new pots? First is to get them out, you can try knocking on the side of the pot to loosen it up or use something thin enough to go through the sides. After that, knock gently until the cactus comes out of its pot. Next is to handle them with care, you won’t want one of them pricks stuck in your hands. My way is to use a long piece of newspaper to wrap around the cactus, hold the newspaper to tighten your grip on the plant and transfer it to their new home. Or you can just use the newspaper any way you want to, newspaper helps a lot in the transferring process. Another way is to use very thick gloves, do not use gloves made with cotton or cloth as the pricks will easily get stuck on it.

Now it’s time to take care not to kill them. Knowing how to water a cactus is important, once you know how, you’ll most probably do fine. The shopkeeper that I frequent thought me a good way to indicate when to water. When you see that the top layer of the soil is dry (like really dry), water until water is seen coming out of the holes of the pot. After that, do not water until the top layer is very dry again. Take care not to get water on the cactus plant; if water gets stuck on the plant and does not dry in time, it might cause the cactus to spoil, I’m not sure if ‘spoil’ is the right word. The cactus will become soft and start to rot and you’ll end up sad that now it has a permanent scar. Yes, once a cactus has a scar, it will keep it for the rest of its life to remind you of your mistake. In case you watered too much, quickly remove your cactus from the pot and let it dry under the sun, and if you are lucky it will survive.

Lastly, food is of course important too. It benefits to feed your cactus with fertilizers specially made for cactuses. I heard that normal fertilizers do well too, but I’ve yet to try them out. If your cactus bends towards the sun or has a small/thin unusual growth that tries so hard to grow towards where the light is at, then you will know that it needs more sun. Change the location and it will be fine.

I guess that’s all I can share with you for now. I hope we (the people who fail at gardening and lastly resort to cactuses) will become successful at out new hobby. Happy gardening people!