How to Grow Cacti

For plant lovers, they are all really beautiful, and sometimes having an ideal garden consists of having at least one specimen of each type of plant, because its variety is what will make it much more beautiful. From a beautiful rose, through a lily, to even having a cactus although some consider it unattractive, they can give your garden a great touch. They are plants of great presence in America, but there are those who give their origin in Africa, the fact is that they are plants very resistant to hot climates, and there are a variety of species. Currently, there are many people who have taken on the task of growing them, in small pots, or directly planted in the garden, in any way, they are an excellent decoration, when they are small, you can have them in your office, and even decorative on the balcony of your house, since they provide a unique style wherever you want to place them.

If you intend to start this task of growing cacti, you must first know a little about them, in addition to the ideal procedure that you must follow to do it successfully, on the other hand, despite their resistance, these plants also require good care, That is why, I recommend you from the beginning to be well informed. But do not worry, that the objective is with this, to give you a hand, guide you a little about what you should do to properly grow the cacti you want.

What do you need to grow cacti?

• Cactus

Instructions for growing cacti

Crop. This, in essence, is not that complicated, however we cannot do it lightly, so we must take into account various aspects, in order to grow cacti in a feasible way, without any inconvenience, so let’s avoid improvising, plan ahead, and better sure results you will get.

1. Start from scratch, that is, plant the cactus seeds, keep in mind that this process is slower than you may consider, in order to see the results of the sowing it will take at least 1 year, for a first cactus sprout you can appreciate, and if you want to see its flowers, you will have to wait another year, however, it is a good alternative, so you can take good care of your cacti, and feel satisfied, because you have grown them yourself.  To start sowing, get the seeds, and the pot, the procedure is simple, make a mixture of sand and soil, it is the most recommended soil for growing a cactus, then place the seeds and cover them With enough soil, water carefully, and start giving them the best of care daily. You can cover the seeds with a plastic, until the first shoots appear, to water them; it will be enough with a spray bottle, after all the cactus is a fairly arid plant.
2. Another alternative to achieve cultivation is through a shoot, the procedure is to cut it, and place it in a rooted area, water it enough, do not saturate it with water, little by little it will adapt to the place where it was placed.
3. The easiest way to carry out the cultivation is to buy the plant planted in pots at once, in any nursery we can get it; on our part it will only be necessary to provide them with the necessary care, so that it can survive.

Cacti care. Once you have the cactus, you must provide it with proper care; below I explain how you should proceed to obtain excellent results.

1. The cactus is a plant from arid zones, so irrigation will not be very frequent compared to what we are used to with other types of plants, if it is winter, we must reduce it much more, in fact, we must wait for the land in the that it is dry enough to water it again.
2. Lighting is essential, if you have a cactus indoors, provide adequate artificial light, if they are in a garden, do not fear that they will receive a little solar radiation, it will not do any harm, on the contrary, in it will help you a lot.
3. With regard to temperatures, if they are very high, this will not harm it, the only inconvenience that can be generated with the weather, is in winter, in very cold areas, because frost can damage it, if you have them in a pot, Keeping it inside the house will suffice, but if it is in the garden, you will need something to cover it with, otherwise, your cactus will lose.
4. Fertilizing the plant with supplements that contain phosphorus and potassium will help its growth, it is not essential, but it can help them in various aspects, so do not stop doing it, and if you use a liquid fertilizer, you will see better results for your cacti.
5. The most suitable soil to plant a cactus must be sufficiently permeable, it must allow adequate drainage, since stagnant water in a pot will end up damaging the cactus that you have cultivated with such care, so, in the process of cultivation, make sure you are using the right tools, from the pot to the type of soil, because a small mistake will make you lose your job.

Avoid pests.

1. If you notice the infection of one of your cacti, the solution is simple, remove it from the pot in which it is planted, cut the roots and then replant it, you can change the pot and discard the previous soil, since all this it may be contaminated.
2. If you notice that any branch of the cactus is very deteriorated, discolored, or completely rotten, you should immediately cut it.

Tips for growing cacti

1. If you’re growing cacti from seed, don’t plant them too deep because they won’t grow properly. You should cover them with a layer of sand, not very fine, thick enough so that they do not come out of their place with the first watering.
2. Although the cactus needs the sun, this does not imply that you should leave them totally exposed, since it can end up roasting, it achieves a balance, and that it is in contact with solar radiation, but for certain moments.
3. If you want to decorate your office with a cactus, in these cases, the famous mini cactus is ideal, and does not require too much care, and also your desk with this small plant will look great.
4. The ideal pots to plant cacti are those made of materials such as clay.
5. For the cactus to be more comfortable, and to have a better growth, use large pots, especially those that are wide, this will allow the cactus to have the expected development.
6. Plants are very sensitive, it has always been said that it can be very convenient to talk to them, in the case of cacti, I am not telling you to talk to them, but if you avoid stressing them, because yes, your cacti can get stressed, so avoid moving them place, only move them in strictly necessary cases.
7. When you buy a cactus, avoid those with some deteriorated branches, always buy the best looking ones, with thick and strong branches, otherwise, you may be acquiring a sick cactus.
8. Cacti do not require great care, however from time to time supervise them, do not leave them forgotten, abandoned, so that they are always beautiful, you must give them some care.