3 Mistakes People Make When Growing Cactuses

No matter if you have a green thumb or not, there are always issues when growing plants. Cactuses can be beautiful, but can also be prone to problems if you don’t know how to care for them. Let’s discover what 3 of those are, and how to prevent them.

Caring for your cactuses takes some planning, strategy, and constant upkeep, but if you do it right these plants will be the thing that just makes your landscape stand out.

The striking look of cactuses can be enjoyed even if you have dogs and children to watch out for as some varieties come without the thorns and stickers, and many of them bloom beautiful flowers during the spring and summer months. Some of the ones that grow taller can even be put into tight spaces and add an element of height to your landscaping that few other plants can match.

Mistake # 1
Planting Your Cactus In Regular Potting Soil Mix
The number one rule for successfully planting cactuses is that they must have proper drainage, and that means you need to have a mix of soiling materials to plant them in. Regular potting soil does not provide the drainage needed for cactuses, and the experts tell us that a mix of peat, bark, perlite, pumice or sand. The peat gives the mix an ability to absorb water while the bark, perlite, pumice or sand gives the mix the drainage and aeration ability needed for successful planting. Desert cactuses and jungle varieties have differing needs when it comes to soil, so make sure you know which variety you are planting before you decide on a soil mixture to put them in.

Mistake # 2
Overwatering is the quickest way to end the life of a Cactus.
Cactuses are succulents, and cactuses are also on their own because they have areoles, which are the little holes you see that hold the little spines that make cactuses beautiful to look at, but definitely hard to touch. Succulents are plants that hold water, so they have the natural ability to survive long periods without watering. This is why, when you overwater, they can easily fail because they can literally drown when there is too much water applied.

Experts also tell us that the standard watering regimen for most succulent plants in the ground is a deep watering (10 to 15 minutes) once a month to keep these plants healthy.

Mistake # 3
Planting or Keeping Your Cactus In Full Sun
Now, I know what you’re thinking, and you are right to think that it is very counterintuitive to not plant cactuses in the sunlight, but it’s true all the same. Yes, there are lots of varieties that survive in the blazing sun of the desert, but most varieties prefer a bright, filtered light that helps them keep their vibrant colors. The type of light needed will depend on the type of cactus your planting, so you need to do your homework and find out exactly what the native conditions are for your specific type of cactus before you plant. You want to make the conditions for your cactus as similar to the native condition form which they come to be successful. For instance, jungle varieties of cactuses don’t need all the light that desert varieties need. Thus, you want to plant them somewhere out of the direct sunlight.

One of the best local cactus suppliers for home gardeners is Altadena Hardware, with its new nursery. Altadena Hardware has over 100 different varieties of cactuses and succulents all available now. Home gardeners, and homeowners, love the large selection they have on hand.

David Mayes, from Altadena, was impressed and said: “One the largest collections of succulents in the San Gabriel Valley. Congratulations to [Altadena Hardware] for all the hard work.”

Nothing else fills in the picture like cactuses. So use our tips for growing these beautiful plants, and plant some different varieties of cactuses and succulents in your landscape as they are all worth the time and effort, you will see, when they make your landscaping pop.

Happy planting everyone….

Altadena Hardware is located at 849 E Mariposa St, in Altadena. For more information call (626) 794-4393 or visit http://www.altadenahardware.com/.