Cactus

Tippytoes

Hi

I've just been given a potted arrangement of cactus plants - various types, heights etc - but there are no care instructions. I've checked out the internet for advice, but can't find the answer. The pot has no drainage holes and the top surface is like a hard cement. My questions is: how do I know how much water to give the plants, when I can't test how wet the soil is and when there are no drainage holes in the bottom? With normal house plants it's easy to see how damp the soil is, but with this it's impossible. Thanks for your help.

nikki702

Hi Tippytoes

Cactus like dry conditions, if they were mine I would go to wilkinsons and get some perlite its £1.48 for 5 Litres Here

I would mix 50% compost with 50% perlite and repot the cactus into that.

The perlite will help with the drainage as cactus dont like being in soggy conditions

I would only water once dry.

The pots will definatly need holes because if the cactus sit in water they can rot

A good site is Gardenweb for cactus and succulents

Lots of good info on there .. very friendly people mainly americans If you post pics they will tell you what they are called too

Enjoy ur new plants :T

A._Badger

The rule for cacti is 'summer care, winter neglect'.

In summer, keep them reasonably well watered - in other words, let them dry out between waterings. Occasionally feed them with a specific cactus fertiliser. In winter don't give them any water at all unless they look like they are starting to shrivel.

I would get them out of that pot, if I were you. If you water it, even only occasionally, the roots are likely to end-up standng in water for some time as it has no drainage holes - and that spells doom for your poor old cacti.

Kay_Peel

Watch out for a little cactus pest. it looks like a little white powdery ball and, at first, you might not recognise it as a pest. it just looks like a part of the plant.

I dampen a little cotton bud and roll it over the white powdery ball - and it picks it all up ready for chucking away.

Very good advice (above) too.

:beer:

Tippytoes

Thank you for all the advice. I suspect the pot was purchased from a garden centre as the top surface of the "soil" is decorated with crushed shells. It makes absolute sense that anything sitting in water is at risk of rotting. I don't see how I can actually put holes in the bottom of the pot without breaking it (ceramic). If I repot, how do I break through the hard cement-like surface without damaging the cacti?