Cacti and succulents come in pronounced shapes and colors, making them collectibles and an endless source of joy and fascination. In addition, they are easy to care for and take up limited space.
Caring for cacti and succulents
Placement
Place cacti and succulents in a place with full sun. Feel free to choose a sunny windowsill, but they can stay outside in the summer as long as the temperature is above + 5 C. They should then slowly get used to being outside by covering them for the first 2 weeks with fiber cloth.
Cacti and succulents also thrive in greenhouses or conservatories and they can withstand temperatures between +35 C and + 5 C. Some can even withstand temperatures below zero.
Watering
The warmer it is in the room, the more water they want. During the growing season, from March to September, they should never dry out completely. Then it is extra important that they get plenty of light and that they stand in the right soil. In the autumn and winter, you scale back considerably on watering and if you have them cool enough, you can stop watering them completely until the end of February.
Soil/substrate
Cacti and succulents should be kept potted in clean water mineral substrate (Vulkaponic) . This is natural for the plants and leads to a reduced risk of fungal and bacterial rot. Preferably use a plastic pot with drainage holes, this leads to good root development. At the bottom of the pot, I recommend having about 1-2 cm of coconut mixture and mineral substrate so that the roots extend downwards towards the bottom of the pot.
If you are someone who often forgets to water, you can mix coconut and mineral substrate in a 1:1 ratio and plant in it.
For top-heavy plants, we recommend adding lava gravel to the soil.
Fertilization
Fertilizer is also necessary for cacti and succulents. During the growth period from March to September, they should be fertilized every 3rd watering. No fertilizer in autumn and winter. For cacti and succulents, I recommend using Superex fertiliser .
Winter rest and flowering
In winter, cacti and succulents thrive best in a cool and dry place, at temperatures between 0–15 °C. Of course, this can also vary somewhat from species to species, but approximately 80% of the species found in the trade today can overwinter for approx. 10 °C.
Many cacti bloom with incredibly beautiful flowers in the spring. Most often, they need a rest period where they are cool and dry to form buds. In early spring, when the days become longer, warmer and sunnier, you should start watering them again by irrigating well under running water.
Important to remember that cactus flowers require a lot of water. If the plant with buds dries out too much, there is a risk that they will lose the buds.
It is incredibly rewarding to collect these exciting plants and I know from my own experience that they quickly become collectibles.
You will find my large selection of cacti and succulents here.