Despite its “prickly" appearance, cacti, which received the title of "hedgehogs" of the plant world, are fraught with a huge temptation, which is almost impossible to resist. This unfriendly at first glance, the plant intrigues and incites curiosity. Almost in every house there is a representative of this family. However, caring for them is significantly different from that of other indoor plants, and this is not recognized by many. Today we’ll talk about how to properly transplant cacti at home and what it will take.
Cactus Features
In order to grow a beautiful cactus, it is important to understand three essential circumstances.
Firstly, cacti are plants with a low level of metabolism. This fact explains their slow growth and longevity even with small sizes. They are characterized by long periods of dormancy, they do not respond well to sudden changes in conditions of detention, and this must also be remembered before transplanting home cacti.
Secondly, it’s no secret that cacti are typical succulents. Evolving, they adapted to a constant lack of moisture and store it in their own tissues for future use. That is why they need abundant and frequent watering, since they themselves, in fact, are a reservoir filled with water. This fact determines the main features of care for these plants.
Thirdly, almost all cacti are unsuitable for growing in a typical city apartment or house. This environment is unusual for them, and they are difficult to adapt.
When to transplant
Before transplanting a cactus into another pot, make sure that the plant really needs it. It is not worth it to disturb once again. Many forget that cacti are not 2-3 species that are most common in our homes, but several thousand species and varieties that grow in a wide variety of conditions: deserts, tropics, mountains, steppes, forests, and therefore, care different behind them. In order to understand whether it is possible to transplant a cactus and whether it is necessary to do this, you should consider two factors.
Firstly, all plants are transplanted as they grow, when it is visible to the naked eye that they do not fit in old dishes (roots protruding from drainage holes or protruding on the surface, a pot burst due to root pressure, etc.). Fast-growing species and young specimens are recommended for replanting more often than slow-growing and old plants. So, young cacti must be transplanted annually, and after five years - less and less.
Secondly, in this way you can stimulate the growth of cactus. If your plant belongs to fast-growing species, then you can transplant a cactus up to two times a year. As a rule, this technique is used by those who want to grow a large and abundantly flowering specimen.
Sometimes a transplant is necessary, for example, if a pot is broken or signs of root disease appear.
The end of the dormant period (early spring for most species) or flowering is the best time to transplant the cactus into another pot. As soon as you notice the first signs of awakening, you can begin the procedure. If buds appear on the plant or it blooms, you do not need to touch it.
Tableware
First you need to decide where you will transplant the cactus. How to choose a pot and what size should it be? Experienced cactus growers are advised to determine the volume of new dishes based on the size of the cactus itself and its root system. The depth and diameter of the new pot should not exceed it significantly. Just add 2-3 cm to the diameter of the old pot. The second point is the drainage holes. They must be required. Sometimes they are additionally made in the side walls.
Amateur cactus growers use pots made of plastic and ceramic. Moreover, plastic containers almost completely replaced the rest. For amateur collections, special plastic containers are suitable - mini-greenhouses, consisting of a dense case and a transparent lid. Both those and other pots have their disadvantages and advantages.
Pottery Features
Ceramics are more expensive and easier to beat. Clay pots are quite heavy, take up a lot of space and, due to their moisture permeability, create a not very favorable environment for succulents. They evaporate part of the moisture through the porous walls. Due to water loss, watering should be more frequent, and this can lead to alkalization of the soil when using hard water. Water rushes to the walls of the vessel, all nutrient salts also appear in the same place, and cactus roots stretch behind them, respectively. They braid the inner surface of the pot with a dense network. This is the danger. Any violation of external conditions (cold, overheating in the sun, drying out of the walls) can lead to the death of these thin and delicate roots. In addition, when transplanting, it is almost impossible to damage them.
However, pottery is very decorative. In addition, it is suitable for those who place cacti in the garden for the summer, digging a pot into the soil. Therefore, before transplanting a cactus in such dishes, think about weighing all the pros and cons.
Features of plastic pots
Using plastic pots offers many benefits. They are easier and more convenient to work with, and a huge assortment allows you to choose the product of the right size, shape and design. Due to the lack of evaporation through the walls, the water consumption for watering plants decreases, which means that the probability of accumulation of salts and lime in the soil is reduced. The roots grow evenly throughout the volume. Watering cacti in such pots should be done with caution, since there is a high risk of overflow.
Substrate
Self-compilation of soil mixtures for transplanting cacti is a science, but it is the lot of great enthusiasts and professionals. For amateur gardeners, it is enough to understand the following. Cacti have a low metabolic rate, so they do not need nutritious soil. They do not need an excessively large volume of substrate, only as much as they can master with their root system. Plants do not tolerate organic matter decomposing in the soil. The most important thing they need is water and air. Therefore, the soil must be such that both can penetrate unhindered through it.
When planning to transplant cacti at home, carefully study the species diversity of your collection. It is possible that tropical and desert species coexist in it. In this case, the soil mixture may vary. Remember that most cacti require slightly acidic soil. When composing the soil yourself, keep in mind that the acidic components are sheet soil and peat, the alkaline ones are gravel, brick chips, expanded clay, the neutral ones are pebbles and coarse river sand. The following composition is considered traditional for cacti: land, peat and small gravel in equal proportions.
Precautionary measures
Before transplanting a cactus, think about how to protect your hands. The thorns of these plants are very diverse. In some species, they are quite harmless, in others - long and very sharp, in others, for example, in prickly pears - like dust that instantly penetrates the skin. If this happens, use the old and proven method of removing such needles. On that area of the hand where it feels like they are stuck, apply hot (as long as they can tolerate) wax, wait until it hardens, and carefully remove.
Wear thick leather gloves for work, preferably with a rubber coating. Prepare in advance the old newspapers with which you will extract the cactus from the old pot.
Remove the cactus from the old pot
Before transplanting a cactus (photos on this topic are presented in the article), in no case do not water it. On the contrary, the soil should slip. Removing a cactus from an old pot is the biggest difficulty. If you are not late with the transfer, and the earthen mixture was correct, there should not be any special problems. It is enough to gently tap the walls of the dishes, and then gently push the soil through the drainage holes with tweezers.
Worse, if the plant has grown for many years in a heavy clay substrate. In this case, the soil, roots and walls of the dishes often become one. Removing a cactus without damaging the roots or the pot is almost impossible. Better if you sacrifice the last. Gently break the pot and free the earthen lump from its parts. In an extreme case, and if we are talking about a very unpretentious and tenacious form (echinopsis, zygocactus, etc.), you can try to wet the substrate.
Root cleansing
Put the cactus removed from the old pot on the working surface and, if possible, clean the roots of easily separated soil particles. Do not try to free them completely. Cactus roots are very fragile, and near the base are soft and juicy. Wounds on the roots are extremely dangerous and can become a “gateway” for fungal and bacterial diseases.
Remove rotten, dry roots with soil. Some of the roots die off over time - this is a natural process.
Be sure to transplant the cactus into a larger pot, inspect its roots for rot, pests and signs of disease. Act on the situation. If you notice rot or fungal disease, then treat the roots with a fungicide. If pests are found, get rid of them using a mild insecticide.
Prune roots or not
In cacti with a high growth rate, pruning or removing old roots stimulates the formation of new ones and flowering. Use sterile instruments. With a sharp scalpel, cut off the lower part of the stem root (1/5). Cut large roots too, removing from 1/5 of the part to half the length. Let the slices dry. To do this, leave the cactus for 3-4 days in a dry and warm room.
But in general, remember that the roots of these plants are very sensitive to mechanical stress. If you doubt the appropriateness of this procedure, then it is better to abandon it.
Planting in a new pot
At the bottom of a new pot, lay a drainage layer (gravel, expanded clay, brick chips). Fill the dishes with prepared soil mixture to the level where the bulk of the roots will be. Place the cactus in the pot and hold it so that the base of the stem is at the edge of the new pot. Carefully continue to sprinkle the soil, filling the space between the roots. Shake the pot from time to time so that there are no voids, and a little tamp the soil with tweezers or fingers. On top of the soil you can lay a layer of pebbles, sand or gravel - the upper drainage. It will support the base of the stem and protect it from waterlogging, prevent cracking of the soil and its quick drying, and prevent mold and mildew. Now you know how to transplant a cactus. The procedure is not complicated, but requires some preparation.
Within 2-3 days after transplanting, the cactus does not need to be watered, and do not leave it in the open sun. For species that are most susceptible to gray rot, this period is increased to 2-3 weeks.
How to transplant a cactus at home. The most common mistakes
Very often, inexperienced gardeners transplant a cactus into the first soil mixture purchased at a nearby store, without even thinking about the consequences. As a rule, it turns out to be fine-grained peat, enriched as much as possible with all possible fertilizers. After the first watering, such soil turns into an incomprehensible dense black mass, in which the cactus roots literally “burn out” in a matter of days.
Owners of large and old specimens during transplantation sometimes try to hide the ugly lower part of the stem by burying it in the ground. This technique can be used, but, firstly, you can fill up the lignified part of the stem only with drainage, and not with the earth. Secondly, the green part of the cactus should not be under it. If this happens, then the cactus is very likely to rot.