How to Grow Miniature Cactus

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Miniature cactus types are great to be kept both indoors and outdoors. They are low maintenance. Their thick and round stems allow them to store water. They also occupy a minimal surface area. This is a great advantage because once you fall in love with these succulents, you will want to collect more. You can bring them outside during hot summer days, but be sure to put them inside on cold winter days or they will die.

If you are planning to Grow Miniature Cactus indoors, choose the sunniest part of your house. It should preferably be near a window, so it can get the maximum sunlight. If you are going to plant it outside in the garden, make sure that no taller plants obstruct it from receiving sunshine.

To Grow Miniature Cactus in a pot needs to be turned at least once a week. This keeps all sides of the cactus evenly illuminated. These plants produce colorful and fragrant flowers. When they are in bloom, do not move or turn them so that the flowers will not drop and fall.

Majority of the miniature cactus types has the desert as their natural habitat. It is amazing to know that despite this fact, they do get sunburned. Before moving your indoor cactus out, acclimatize it. Keep it in a shade for a week before planting it in the open air. If you notice a change in its pigmentation, either turning lighter or darker than its original color, it might be getting sunburned. Move it to a shady area before it shrivels.

Grow Miniature Cactus

These succulents need minimal watering. With a small stick, poke and prod the soil before watering it to check if it is totally dry. If it is, soak the cactus and the soil. Moist soil does not need watering because it just promotes fungal infection and will eventually lead to rotting.

Wide, unglazed clay pots that are not too large are perfect for your succulents because their roots tend to grow out laterally. Once you choose a pot, stick to it. Cactus does not thrive well with frequent transfers and handling. Layer the bottom of your pot with fine gravel, then top off with a soil that is alkaline and porous with good drainage and aeration. There is available cactus soil sold in the market. They are kind of pricey. So if you want to penny pinch, why not make your own? Just mix equal parts of commercial potting soil with builders sand. You can also add bone meal and ground limestone to this mixture.

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Two of the most common miniature cactus types are the button cactus and the rainbow cactus. The button cactus (Epithelantha unguispina) is tiny and grows up to 4 inches only. It is globular in shape and has beautiful light pink flowers, which then eventually become hot pink colored fruits. The rainbow cactus (Echinocereus rigidissimus), on the other hand, grows solitary and rarely exhibits branches. Its band of spine changes into a different color each year. It has a bright pink flower with a throat of a lighter color and has a greenish or purplish fruit.

You can never go wrong when caring for a cactus. All they need is just lots of sunshine and occasional water. Since miniature cactus types are well known for their spines, be sure to use a tong to handle the smaller ones or wrap the bigger ones in a newspaper when handling them.