The unique beauty of cacti has been captivating us for some time now. If you add to this the fact that they are one of the easiest plants to care for, you will understand why they have gained so many followers. The problem is that despite being so popular, there is a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to their care and needs.
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Not all cacti are created equal, so you'll learn which ones require low light and are perfect for indoor living.
Light or shadow? Where do I put my cactus?
All cacti are native to the Americas, where they thrive outdoors. We have taken several species and managed to adapt them to the particularities of our climate, but they are still plants that require large amounts of light to grow and reproduce.
Cacti can't live in very dark places, where they don't get enough light. If you leave one of these plants in a dark place, it will soon begin to etiolate. This means that the stems of the plant become thinner and thinner, because they stretch looking for the nearest light source. This deformed growth weakens the plant and many times there is no choice but to cut it back into shape.
Does this mean that all cacti and succulents should be placed in full sun? Not really.
One of the most common mistakes when growing cacti and other succulents is to think that because they are desert plants they must be under the inclement sun. The truth is that these hardy plants need a lot of light, but it is safer if they receive it indirectly, especially when they are young and small plants like the ones we buy to have at home.
An informal classification of these plants, which might give us a quick idea of their light needs, divides them into desert cacti and tropical or forest cacti. Desert cacti are those covered in thorns or hairs and require full sun to grow and develop. An example of these is the opuntias.
On the other hand, the so-called tropical cacti have fewer thorns, are native to wooded areas and tolerate semi-shade better. Among these cacti it is possible to find the so-called Christmas cactus or Schlumbergera truncata, which produces very showy flowers.
In short: if it has thorns, it tolerates direct sun better, if it has no or very few, it can live a little longer in the shade.
Caring for Cacti and Succulents Indoors
Lighting & Temperature
You can keep your cacti and succulents inside your home or office as long as they are near a window from which they can get a lot of sunlight. In summer, it's a good idea to take them out a little to encourage flowering. Remember that cacti are from warm soils, so they don't like cold climates.
If your space does not have these lighting conditions, it is recommended that you acquire other plants such as zamioculcas and sanservieria, as they are beautiful, resistant, easy to care for and will grow beautiful even when they do not receive abundant sunlight.
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irrigation
With cacti and succulents, less is more. Always check the substrate before watering, stick your finger in and check that the soil is dry. This is because if you overwater you run the risk of moisture staying on the roots and them rotting.
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You can water every 2 weeks or every 3 weeks, depending on the weather and humidity conditions where you are. If the temperature is below 10°C, avoid watering it. It's better to have too little water than too much.
substrate
The substrate of the cacti is very important, as it must have good drainage. They should not be sown in black soil, but in a special mixture containing sand, turbid and charcoal, for example. There are many suitable blends that ensure good drainage and nutrition.
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Transplant
The size of your cactus is determined by the pot that contains it. It is advisable to transplant it once a year to a larger pot if you want it to continue growing. Remember that it is better to buy clay or ceramic pots, as they facilitate the drainage of water. For this very reason, it is advisable to place a layer of pebbles at the bottom of the pot.
There
are hundreds of varieties of cacti that you can have at home, in many colors and shapes. Opuntias are very striking, with their flat, oval shape covered in spines. There are varieties such as Opuntia microdasys that have different colors. Cacti of the genus Mammillaria are spherical, covered with thorns, and can produce very beautiful flowers.
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But if you're looking for beginner cacti that grow beautiful indoors, aloes are fantastic. We all know aloe vera, which has so many medicinal properties; But these are just one species among hundreds. There are other aloes that are smaller and have interesting colors and shapes. Aloe Pratensis, for example, is native to Africa and has a beautiful concentric shape, very wild and very easy to care for. This Aloe produces a cute red or pink flower.
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