How To Take Care Of Cactus Indoors

There are actually Thousands of species of cacti that exist in the wild, including the 2 large groups of cacti grown as houseplants: the desert cacti and the forest cacti. The desert cacti and the forest cacti thrive indoors with relatively little maintenance and they come in many sizes, with small to moderate varieties being the most popular once.

Furthermore, the desert cacti typically bear spines or hair and they are shaped like paddles, balls, or obelisks. The forest cacti actually hail from sub-tropical regions. The forest cacti resemble other succulent plants, such as bromeliads, and they grow in wooded areas of temperate forests and subtropical and tropical regions. The forest cacti are climbing or epiphytic plants that cling to trees in the wild and they make an excellent indoor hanging plant.

The Christmas cactus is the most well-known decorative forest cactus and they are native to Brazil, and they bloom in pink, red, purple, and yellow. Both the Desert and the Forest cacti are slow-growing, boast beautiful blooms, and they are among the sturdiest of all houseplants.

Cactus Plant Info

The common name: The common name is Cactus.

The botanical name: The botanical name is   Cactaceae.

The family: The Cactus plant belongs to Cactaceae family.

The plant type: The Cactus plant is succulent, perennial plant.

The mature size: The mature size is one to ninety-six inches tall, two to thirty inches wide depending on the species and cultivar.

The sun exposure: The Cactus plant prefers full sun.

The soil type: The Cactus plant does well in a well-drained, sandy soil.

The soil pH: Neutral, acidic.

The blooming time: The blooming time is summer.

The flower color: The flower colors are pink, orange, red, yellow, white.

USDA hardiness zones: nine to eleven.

The native area: The Cactus plant is native to North America, South America.

 

Different types of Indoor Cactus

There are several varieties of cacti plant, from those that feature traditional spines to those that look like other succulent plants. However they are all suitable for growing indoors. The following are the few favorite types of indoor Cactus for cultivation:

The Bunny Ear Cactus: The Bunny Ear Cactus is actually native to Northern Mexico and they features stem-like pads that resemble rabbit ears. The Bunny Ear Cactus varieties need to be handled with care because the pads contain yellow glochids (barbed bristles) that look cottony, but contain numerous spines. This particular variety of Cactus bears white flowers and that can grow up to 2 to 3 feet tall.

The Mammillaria hahniana (Old Lady Cactus): The Mammillaria hahniana (Old Lady Cactus) resembles a pincushion, with complete with hair and plenty of spines. The Mammillaria hahniana (Old Lady Cactus) is round in shape, with attractive purple flowers, and they can grow up to 4 inches tall and 8 inches wide.

The Star Cactus: The Star Cactus is also called the sand dollar cactus or sea urchin cactus, and is a star-shaped mound that produces yellow flowers. The Star Cactus grows 1 to 2 inches tall with a diameter of 2 to 6 inches and is often found in indoor terrarium gardens.

Indoor Cactus Care

The Desert and Forest cacti have the unique, stark beauty and they are among the toughest of all houseplants, making the plant a statement piece for any windowsill or brightly lit room. The following are the main care requirements for growing an indoor cactus:

Place the indoor Cacti in the sunniest spot in your home; the indoor Cacti require bright sunlight.

You need to prepare a loose, well-draining soil or you can plant in a cacti mix.

You can only water them once the soil is completely dry; err on the side of under-watering.

Watering the plant and feeding the plant can be cut down in the winter, when the plant actually goes dormant.

Pruning the plant usually isn't necessary unless the growth of the plant needs to be regulated.

Deadheading the Cacti plant only pertains to the flowering varieties, of which dried flowers tend to drop on their own anyway.

Light requirement

The Cacti plants require 4 to 6 hours of bright sunlight daily. However, some of the species of both the Desert and the Forest Cactus can burn in direct sunlight. Make sure you locate your cactus plant near a sunny window, and then choose a spot that receives filtered bright light in the summer and direct light (like a south- or west-facing window) in the winter.

You can easily move your cactus plant outdoors during the summer to provide sufficient light requirements, but you need to do so only when night temperatures warm to fifty degrees Fahrenheit or above.

Soil requirement

The Desert cacti plants grow best in a fast-draining soil mix designed specifically formulated for cacti plant. The Desert cacti plants also grow well in regular potting soil amended with sand, pebbles, or perlite to increase drainage and aeration. The forest cacti plants like well-draining soil, as well, although they can often grow just fine in a regular potting mix.

Water requirement

Throughout the spring and summer, when your cactus plants are actively growing and blooming, you can give the plant a hearty drink every 10 days, allowing the water to drain thoroughly. During the winter rest period, you can decrease waterings to once every 4 weeks (and every 6 weeks for some desert species). The soil should be dry to the touch in between summer waterings and then mostly dry in the winter.

Temperature and humidity requirement

The Cacti plant prefers hot temperatures, ranging from seventy to eighty degrees Fahrenheit. In the winter, the Cacti plant actually prefers a cool-down period, with temperatures hovering near fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit. In its natural habitat, the desert cactus plants is accustomed to very chilly nights and some species can even withstand nights that dip to thirty-five degrees Fahrenheit. More still, any indoor plant that is not hardened off actually needs to be protected from winter drafts.

The Cacti plants prefer humidity average humidity levels, which are fairly easy to achieve in most homes. The Forest cacti plant like the air slightly more humid than the desert cacti varieties. So if you see your succulent plant wilting you can mist it occasionally. 

 

Fertilizer requirement

The Cacti plants can actually survive some of the harshest conditions on earth. Any effort to fertilize the plant is welcomed but is not too necessary. A lot of gardeners yield poor results with standard houseplant fertilizers (probably due to the improper ratio of nutrients), so is better for you to seek out a specialized organic cacti fertilizer that contains more phosphorus than nitrogen.

You can fertilize your cactus plant 2 to 3 times a year, only during the growing season, and also refer to the manufacturer's recommended amounts. You can reduce or eliminate fertilizer during the winter.

Pruning Cacti plants

Generally speaking, the cactus plants don’t really need major pruning unless you are trying to control the plant growth. Removing the dead or damaged parts of the plant, however, can be done with a good clean, sharp garden shears.

Most gardeners typically trim their cactus plants only to remove the new offshoots (or pups) to propagate the new plants. When doing so make sure you always wear protective gardening gloves so that you don't injure yourself in the process of doing it.

How to propagate Indoor Cactus

If your cactus plant actually produces offshoots (or pups) you can easily use them to propagate other plants. Most pups actually grow at the base of the plant, sharing nutrients and water from the mother plant, while others form along the plant stem or on the pads.

Harvesting and propagating pups actually help to contributes to the health of the mother plant while allowing you to replicate the plant. The following is how to propagate cactus plant from offshoots:

- Get together the following supplies: a sharp knife, gloves, rooting hormone, alcohol pads, cactus potting mix, and a pot.

- Make sure you sterilize your knife by wiping it clean with an alcohol pad and allowing it to dry. Don’t forget to put on protective gloves.

- Carefully locate the pup and then cut it away from its mother at its base using a forty-five degree angle (a slanted angle allows the wound to callus before it rots).

- You have to let the pup sit in a dry place for a few days, giving it time to callus.

- Then fill your container with the potting mix.

- You have to dip the cut end of the pup into rooting hormone, and after that press it gently into the top of the growing medium.

- You need to place the pot in a bright but indirect sunlight and then mist it often.

Your new cactus plants should develop strong roots in 4 to 6 weeks.

Growing Indoor Cactus from Seed

Both the desert and the forest cacti plant can be easily grown from seed, although it takes patience. In addition, you will need to get the cactus plant seeds which can only be collected from the plant if it flowers. Some cacti plant might never flower indoors, so purchasing the packaged cacti seeds from a nursery might be your only option.

Actually most of the Cacti seeds need to be stratified (fooled into thinking they've experienced winter) before planting. This can be done by placing the Cacti plant seeds in moistened peat and then storing them in the refrigerator until the Cacti plant seeds crack open (in approximately 4 to 6 weeks).

After the stratification period you can easily prepare a pot with cactus potting mix and then plant the Cacti seeds as deep as they are wide. Make sure you water them lightly, and then cover the container with plastic and place it in a bright location out of direct sun. Most cacti seed will germinate in about 3 weeks, and then you can remove the plastic covering during the day. In about 6 months, the Cacti seedlings ought to be ready for their own pots.

Potting and Repotting Cactus Plant

The Cacti plants are slow-growing plants that will rarely need repotting. In fact, a lot of species of cacti plant will bloom better when they are slightly root-bound. The Cacti plant should be repotted at the beginning of the growing season only when they need fresh soil or if the plants are suffering from rot.

To do so, first, you need to put on a pair of protective gloves. Next, remove the Cacti plant from its current pot using a good clean trowel to loosen the roots. Then fill the bottom of a terra-cotta or clay pot with a fast-draining cactus potting mix. Then add your Cacti plant, after that backfill around the sides and take care not to cover the roots, and then lightly water the plant. 

Pest and disease control 

All the different types of cactus plants can suffer from infestations of scales, mealybugs, fungus gnats, and spider mites. Some of the common symptoms include shriveled leaves, a mold-like coating, and the appearance of bugs on the plant stems or in the soil. In some cases, it is actually possible to carefully wash the pests off using a spray from the sink hose or cotton swabs. A lot of plant pests have grown resistant to insecticides, and the use of chemical insecticides indoors should be your last resort.

The overwatered cacti plants can suffer from fungal rot which looks like dark, sunken spots on the plant stem that eventually turn mushy. The bacterial rot disease can also cause your cactus plant to ooze a black liquid. If either of these conditions presents itself you can easily remove the affected areas of the Cactus plant and then treat it with a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution.

Common Problems with Indoor Cactus Plant

One of the most common mistakes some cactus gardeners make is overwatering in the winter. This can easily lead to rot either at the base of the Cactus plant or at the tips where the new growth appears. If the rot is advanced on the plant, it might actually be required to start a new plant from cuttings or discard the whole mother plant entirely. 

The use of non-organic fertilizer can as well damage your cactus plant because most of the chemical fertilizers contain heavy metals that can eventually poison the plant. And because the cacti plant have no protective bark or leaves, physical injury is very common, causing a bump to lead to an infection. In other to prevent this, try and keep your Cactus plant healthy so that it will callus over before it becomes infected.