Piante grasse cactus spine

Tag: roots

Repotting cacti in winter: here’s why and what are the advantages of this choice

Given that it is possible to repot cacti and succulent plants in almost all months of the year, for more than fifteen years I have been carrying out this operation during the winter, between December and February. If necessary, for example in the case of a suffering plant or a new purchase, I repot even in spring or in the middle of summer. I almost never repot in autumn, because in this period the plants begin to slow down their growth to start the winter stasis and I prefer to avoid “disturbing” this natural process, since repotting is always a small trauma for a plant.

We look at the benefits of repotting cacti and succulents over the winter in the article that follows. (…)

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When the cactus “explodes” from too much water: how to avoid cracks on the stem

Succulent plants, and cacti in particular, have evolved to accumulate water reserves and thus be able to deal with long periods of drought. In their natural habitats, cacti are subject to sudden changes in temperature between night and day, but also to an alternation between periods of total drought and periods of great water availability. In the sub-desert regions of the southern United States (California, Arizona, Texas, Nevada, etc.), as well as in Mexico, Central America and Latin America (Chile and Argentina, for example), during the growing season, corresponding to spring and summer, the hot, dry days are often abruptly interrupted by heavy downpours. If in nature the plants know how to manage these conditions without particular problems, in cultivation it can happen that the transition from the stasis season to the growth season, if accompanied by an overly “decisive” resumption of irrigation, gives rise to the phenomenon of splitting of the stems.

In this article we see how and why this phenomenon can occur, how to remedy it to prevent the plant from contracting rot and above all how to avoid splits. (…)

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Cactus without roots: how to save the plant and which soil to use to get it back to full health

Cacti can be capricious plants, expecially because of their roots. It can happen, in fact, that despite all the cares we dedicate to one of our succulent plants, it stops growing, stops producing thorns and flowers and, in the space of a few weeks (or months, in some cases), begins to deteriorate, deflating and turning yellow. At the origin of this phenomenon, not always a pathology exists, as a bacterial attack that can cause the rot. In the same way, the cause may not necessarily be due to a parasitic attack. If you look closely at the plant, for example, you might not find any traces of spider mite or mealybug, the two main pests of succulents. With experience I have learned that when a plant, even apparently healthy (i.e. not affected by parasites or bacteria) and grown in the best conditions (light, air, watering, soil, etc..) begins to deteriorate deflating and yellowing despite watering, it is always better to remove it from the pot and check the health of the root system. More often than we might think, the problem can hide just there, below the collar.

In this article we will see everything we can do to save a cactus or a succulent plant in evident difficulty or when, after having flared it, we realize that it has lost all or part of its roots. (…)

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Repotting cacti: a few tips on how best to do it without… donating blood!

Repotting is often one of the reasons why many people steer clear of cacti. Maybe they like the plant, but the idea that sooner or later it has to be repotted, with all those thorns, frightens those who are new to this kind of plant. Many people even decide to give up on cacti for getting leafy succulents, which are much easier to deal with when repotting. In fact, even particularly prickly plants like Echinocactus grusonii or Ferocactus are not so complicated to repot. A little experience and a few “tricks”, and you can get out of it without literally having to “give blood”.

Let’s see how to proceed and all there is to know about repotting,
especially the most challenging ones due to the plant’s size and the thorns on the stem. (…)

Continue reading “Repotting cacti: a few tips on how best to do it without… donating blood!”
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