The historical homeland of cacti is the desert lands of Central America and the tropics. The plant, accustomed to intense heat and a prolonged lack of moisture, is not a particular whim in the care, getting on the windowsills. But for comfortable growth and flowering, he needs to create the right conditions. How often to water a cactus, what water to use, and what should be guided by when building a watering regime?
Features and rules of watering a cactus
Regardless of the purpose for which you bought a cactus - breeding a large quantity, decorating a window sill with a couple of flowerpots or as a gift to a loved one - you need to remember the rules of care and watering. It is a competent strategy and systematicity that will ensure active growth, flowering and the emergence of new shoots for further transplantation.
Cacti on the windowsill
It is especially necessary to carefully approach the watering of succulents in blooming varieties, since a lack or excess of moisture can adversely affect the timely appearance of a healthy bud.
When choosing succulents as a home plant, you should not take them lightly and look at the rules of watering through your fingers. Using the wrong water, excess fertilizer or the wrong irrigation technique can cause the death of the plant in a short time.
How often to water
The frequency of watering a home cactus directly depends on many factors. The most important ones are described below.
Type of plant
The seller must tell about this, as well as provide instructions for caring for a particular variety. For example, if a future pet is brought from the desert - he will not be too whimsical and watery. Such plants need minimal irrigation once a week, one and a half, and even then - only in the hot summer period.
Important! Succulents brought from the tropics love a lot of humidity, so they need more frequent watering both in winter and in summer.
There is nothing simpler than instructions on how to water a Decembrist or prickly pear - they are not afraid of water in any quantity. Mammillaria is also an unpretentious plant.
Succulent Location
If you put the plant at home on a window located on the sunny side, or next to a powerful battery, heater, ventilation of a computer or laptop - it will require more moisture. In cooler and less lighted places you need to water less and less.
Pot material
Even such an insignificant detail affects the frequency. Ceramic and clay pots slightly contribute to the absorption of moisture, so more frequent and saturated watering will be required. With plastic and glassware, there are much fewer problems.
Cactus age
If the plant is very young, it spends more nutrients from water and substrate for its development and flowering. Therefore, he needs more moisture than his older counterparts.
Different types of cactus need a different frequency of watering
Life cycle
When the plant begins the growing season, that is, it begins to grow actively, and the flowering varieties appear ovary - you need to prepare for frequent watering. Usually this is the period from late spring to late autumn.
Due to the relocation of the succulent to a different environment, its natural cycle may go astray, and the growing season begins in winter. Behavior change must be carefully monitored so as not to leave the plant without moisture vital at this time.
Substrate Condition
This is a separate and very important issue when growing a healthy and strong cactus, since most of the so-called universal store substrates, in fact, contain a lot of components dangerous for the plant. Sometimes the quality of the soil simply leaves much to be desired: a continuous peat mass does not deliver water to the roots, and a lot of loose sand or clay, on the contrary, leads to their decay.
Attention! Watering the cactus and its frequency also depends on the quality of the water and the additives in it. It may take some time to observe the absorption of moisture and the condition of the succulent in order to determine the optimal frequency.
What water to water a cactus
Perfectly clean water in the modern world, especially in megacities, is a legend. Most houseplants adapt over time and respond well to ordinary tap water. But succulents, due to the characteristics of their origin, react painfully to the poor chemical composition of water. How can indicators be improved and watering easier?
The best way is to use collected rain or melt water. But this option requires too much effort and patience, so it is not suitable for everyone. A simpler idea is to boil and cool the water in order to lower its hardness and lower the pH level. So you can avoid alkalization of the soil and the negative impact of water on the root system when watering cacti.
Note! If there is no time to manipulate water at all, you can use ordinary household filters or pick up a container and let it sit for 2-3 days before watering.
The following products can be used to improve water quality and top dressing:
- oxalic or nitric acid (do not forget to let it settle and drain the precipitate);
- succinic acid (only one percent solution is suitable);
- divorced peat;
- vinegar 9% (not more than a teaspoon per five-liter capacity).
Water temperature
Here, everything is relatively simple: in no case should you water the succulents with cold water. It should be room temperature, and ideally a little warmer than air temperature. Cold and excess moisture are the two main enemies of your plant; cacti get sick and die from them.
Healthy cacti always have slightly dry ground.
The specifics of watering depending on the season
Although the life cycle of a succulent is the most important indicator, a different strategy is needed in different seasons.
Fall
In plants, the growing season usually ends and preparations are underway for "hibernation". The amount of moisture must be reduced, and the frequency of watering to be minimized - once a month will be enough.
In winter
Succulents really turn into a state similar to a dream: they must be placed in a cool dark place, and watering should be reduced to a minimum. If in the fall the frequency of watering the cactus was once a month, then in winter it will be enough once or twice for the whole season.
Important! Do not be afraid if the pet cringes slightly - this is normal behavior and is not at all a sign that something was done wrong.
In the spring
Spring awakening is quite slow, so the plants fully return to their previous state by the middle or end of April. The main sign that the plant is entering the vegetative period is the appearance of new needles at the top and fresh greenery.
First you only need to slightly moisten the substrate, preferably with hot water. This will help the plant wake up faster. If the weather is sunny and the plant is "active", you need to continue to gradually water it in the morning after the soil has completely dried. Then gradually increase the frequency of watering up to a time of 7-10 days.
Important! In summer, watering a cactus should be more frequent, especially if it is standing in the sun. But on rainy days and at high humidity there is no need to water - the plant will take everything from the air.
Cactus Watering Methods
Having ascertained the dependence of the frequency of watering the cactus on the weather, its origin, location and other factors, it is worthwhile to understand the technical nuances of the issue.
So you can not water
Watering from above
You can not pour water from above onto the pot, capturing the stem and flower of the succulent. Water to the plant should go from the root, and the stem can only be sprinkled slightly from the smallest diffuser, if a lot of dust, sand or cobwebs has gathered on it.
Watering the cactus from above is possible, but the main task is to protect the stem from extra droplets. A small water bottle with a narrow neck will be required to control the flow of water. With top irrigation, you need to try to give so much water that the entire lump of substrate in the pot is immediately saturated, and the water reaches the roots.
Important! Irrigation of the plant gradually and in small portions from above is not recommended, because it is much easier to replenish the plant and create unfavorable conditions for it.
Watering the pan
This option requires a bit more preparation, but is more advantageous:
- Water is guaranteed not to fall on the stem and will not harm the development and growth of succulents.
- The short root system of the cactus will receive better and faster recharge.
- Minerals from additives and the substrate will be washed much more, providing the plant with a favorable environment for development, reproduction and flowering.
Cacti in an individual pallet
For watering through a pallet, it is recommended to choose low plastic pots with holes at the bottom. It is better to buy a pallet with high edges so that water does not flow on the table and window sill. In addition, depending on the size, the pallet can provide moisture to both a single plant and a large collection of cacti. The main thing is not to forget that some succulents may need additional recharge, or vice versa, a smaller amount of liquid, so it is better to place them separately.
When watering through a pan, it is most difficult to track how much moisture has got into each pot, so if cacti are capricious and need a separate irrigation regime, it is better not to experiment. If it is difficult to determine how wet the soil is, it makes sense to buy a special device for measuring moisture and adjust the soil moisture plan according to its indicators.
Important! After 20-30 minutes after watering, it is necessary to remove excess water from the pan in order to avoid excessive humidity of the roots of the succulent.
When transplanting a plant, you need to moisten the soil after transferring it to another container and leave it for a while, observing the condition. Succulents experience some stress, so they can consume less fluid.
Home Watering Options
Being fairly unpretentious plants, cacti do not require complex care. For a comfortable process, you can purchase or make an accurate irrigation system yourself, which will provide the soil with the necessary amount of moisture.
Healthy and beautiful cacti with proper care
You will need a small plastic bottle, which should be placed above the plant, and a small tube - a medical dropper or an ordinary cocktail. It is necessary to make an awl hole in the lid of the bottle and insert the tube there. Such a simple device will protect the flowers and stalk of the cactus from excess moisture, and the roots will receive the necessary amount of water.
Important! For plants accustomed to a dry environment, this method of irrigation is not suitable.
It is possible that choosing a method of watering a cactus, you will have to spend a lot of time and conduct more than one experiment. But choosing one guaranteed suitable method, you can save yourself from numerous hassles.
When watering a cactus, the main thing to remember is that he does not like frequent irrigation and needs much less fluid than other plants. The irrigation plan should correspond to the type of succulent, the features of its life cycle and season.
You can not fill in the roots and water the plant often during hibernation. It is worth taking care of quality water and carefully monitoring the state of the green pet. Following these simple rules will allow the cactus to grow healthy and delight its owner for many years.
