Caring for Cacti

I've noticed a huge increase in people having house plants, especially those of the cactus variety! Although they are easy to care for, and can't really go wrong with, I thought I'd write a little bit about their care so you can make sure you keep your spiky friends happy!

WATERING & FEEDING

Although cactus can survive without water (and won't die if you forget about them for a while) they don't really live without it, especially from spring to autumn when they are active. The best thing to do for your cactus is to water them once or twice a week until the water runs out the bottom of the pot, to really give them a good drink. During winter, they don't require as much watering so only watering them when the soil looks dry is good enough.

You can feed your cactus through spring to autumn using a cacti and succulent feed, which you can find in bottles or in drip feeds, which slowly feed your plant with the nutrients it needs.

POTS & SOIL

It doesn't really matter what material pot your cactus is kept in, although terracotta pots will keep it more stable, especially if it's a tall one. Make sure your pots have a hole in the bottom, as cactus need good drainage!
For soil, make sure you have a well-draining compost. You can either buy pre-made cactus compost from your local garden centre, or you can mix your own by using horticultural sand, horticultural grit and multi-purpose compost.

LIGHT

Cacti like to be in the light, but not in harsh sunlight as it will scorch the plant. Your plant may start to lean slightly toward the light, so slowly turning it round when you have noticed a slight lean will help even it out.

Overall, cacti are a really easy plant to keep if you are inexperienced with houseplants or if you just want some low maintenance green in your house!

Ellie x