Question
Cacti I
I live in central Minnesota. I've aquired several cacti over the past year, and I've noticed that they could be growing better. I tried to research the specific care needs, but I have no idea as to what kind of cacti they are. I picked all of them up at a Rose Floral, so I'm certain they're very common cacti. Do you think you could help in identifying them? Unfortunately, it appears I can only send one image at a time. I really apologize if this is frustrating, but I'm going to send you 2 more messages with the other pictures attached. I'm really sorry if that's inconvenient!
AnswerDear Mary,
Yes, it is frustrating to only be able to send one picture at a time. You can send me the others at my e-mail,
[email protected] if you like..
I believe you have a Ferocactus latispinus ssp. latispinus. That's my best guess. There 30 types of ferocactus but after looking at all of them this is closest. There are tons of cactus called species cactus and have no particular name.
Cactus care is easy and basically the same for all of them. The problem that happens is when someone has a succulent and thinks it's a cactus. All cactus are succulents but not all succulents are cactus. Anyway, I digress.
Cacti like well draining soil. If you google cactus soil you'll come up with a ton of recipes, it's crazy. I use a sterile mix of peat moss, turface ( or sifted builders sand , or perlite) and potting soil - the kind that doesn't have the moisture retaining fertilizer features in a 2:2:1 ratio. If the cactus is really spiny use either rolled up newspaper or kitchen tongs while you pot it up. They like to be crowded, with not much more than an inch or so of space between the plant and the pot edge.
They usually have shallow roots so be aware of that in terms of pot depth. After you repot don't water for 3-4 days and then water thoroughly. Cacti like a little more water in the summer, but always, always less is better. If you're not sure the plant needs to be watered, don't water it. Wait till you are sure. They can dry out completely before you water again. They are very susceptible to rot so think neglect in terms of watering.
They love being outside in the summer but you have to gradually acclimate them to full sun or they will get sunburned. In winter you have a couple of choices. You can bring them in and put them in a sunny window and really cut back on water or, and this is what I do, you can stop watering by the end of September, bring them in around the end of October and put them in a cold, but not freezing room and forget them till March. They are normally dormant during those months and I've found I get more and better blooms in the spring and summer if I just let them sleep for the winter. I gradually start to water in March (giving them a lot of water all at once will kill them) and they will start to develop new feeder roots. I've put mine out as early as April in MA. In MN you'd probably have to wait till later till you're sure there won't be any hard freezes.
Well, I see I've probably given you too much information and I apologize. Pick and choose and don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions.
Enjoy!
Maureen
