Skip to main content

New cactus? Follow these 5 tips to keep it healthy

Cacti are prickly little plants that just keep increasing in popularity. They’re marketed as easy to care for, they come in a variety of  shapes and sizes, and many boast beautiful flowers. Cacti are great plants for people who sometimes have difficulty remembering to water their plants or are first-time plant owners — but more experienced gardeners enjoy these unique plants, as well. If you’ve just received your first cactus, or are looking into getting one and are a little nervous about caring for it, you’re in the right place! Here are five easy tips  you need to know about taking care of your new cactus.

Identify your cactus

Hopefully, if you’ve purchased your cactus, it has a tag or label stating what kind of cactus it is. However, if you got your cactus as a gift or if it didn’t come with a tag, it isn’t the end of the world. Start your search by observing the shape of the cactus. Is it flat and ovular,  spherical, or cylindrical with arms? Image searches can be a big help in this regard since it’s typically easier to identify cacti by sight than by description.

Identifying your cactus is important, as not all cacti have exactly the same requirements. While there are some general tips and guidelines to follow (such as we discuss in this article), it can be useful to know if your cactus has any peculiarities.

An assortment of small cacti, all different shapes and colors, in black plastic pots
Lena Rose/Unsplash

Get plenty of sun, go easy on the water

Although they can be grown in other climates, cacti are generally native to hot, dry climates. They’ve adapted to those conditions, so it’s important to mimic them to keep your cactus healthy. This means getting several hours of sunlight a day, typically direct light, with the exact amount of sun they need varying depending on the type of cactus.

For water, a good rule of thumb is to let the potting mixture dry out entirely between waterings. Many cacti can go longer between watering, especially those native to especially arid environments. However, cacti are much easier to overwater than underwater. If the potting mixture is still moist or damp, don’t water your cactus.

Make sure you have the right potting mixture

Rich, earthy soil is great for some plants, but not so much for cacti. The thicker and richer the soil is, the slower it will drain — meaning your soil stays wet longer, which can lead to an increased risk for root rot or fungal infections. Most cacti do well in less rich, sandy or rocky potting mixtures. Some can even be planted in mostly rocks with only a little actual soil!

Different materials drain at different speeds, so plants in thicker soils will need to be watered less often than plants in rocky soil. For most plants, this means that being planted in rockier or poorer quality soils means they’ll need more frequent waterings. For cacti, however, this works to your advantage.

Close up of a green and white cactus in the sand
Rigel/Unsplash

Temperature and humidity are important

Room temperature will do just fine for most cacti, so, unless you like to keep your house fairly cold, you should be good to go. The most common problems with cacti and temperatures arise either with outdoor cacti or with indoor cacti near drafts. When choosing a nice sunny window for your cacti to sit in, be sure the window is sealed against drafts.

In general, cacti enjoy relatively low humidity but can tolerate a moderate amount. Some cacti and succulents will even supplement their water intake by absorbing water through the humidity in the air if they need to. Unless your cactus is of a particularly finicky variety or your house is abnormally humid, you should be just fine.

Get your cactus a friend!

Plants love company, and people love plants! Science suggests that growing plants, whether a large vegetable garden or a few potted plants, can have a range of health benefits, including lessening stress and improving mood. Plants also benefit from each other, although the exact benefits can vary depending on the specific plants.

Cacti can be easily grown with other cacti and succulents. You’ll likely need a larger container to grow them in, but otherwise care remains the same. Having multiple cacti in a single container can even help slightly reduce the risk of overwatering them, as there are more roots to absorb excess water.

From prickly pear to saguaro, and old lady to star, no matter the type of cactus you find yourself with, you’re now prepared to keep it happy and healthy! By keeping these five simple tips in mind and checking on the specific needs of your variety, you can hardly go wrong. Keep them warm, make sure they get plenty of sun, go a little easy on the water, and consider getting more than one cactus. You’ll be sure to see success, hopefully in the form of cactus flowers, a vibrant treat!

Editors' Recommendations

Cayla Leonard
Cayla Leonard is a writer from North Carolina who is passionate about plants.  She enjoys reading and writing fiction and…
A guide to winter lawn fertilizer for keeping your turf healthy this season
Tips for picking and applying winter lawn fertilizer
Person pushing a lawn fertilizer spreader

Besides mowing and watering, part of keeping a lush lawn is fertilizing it properly in the fall. If you've ever shopped for grass fertilizers, you may have heard of winterizing fertilizer. Basically, this type of lawn food, typically a nitrogen-heavy version, prepares grass with an energy reserve for winter. For an explanation of how winter lawn fertilizer works and how you should apply it, read ahead.

Why would you fertilize your lawn during the winter?
Fertilizing way ahead of the growing season will help your grass grow healthy when the temperature warms up. You might see companies refer to such seasonal fertilizers as winterizing fertilizers. This name is somewhat misleading since you want to apply the fertilizer during late fall when grass growth slows down. They're all about preparing your grass for winter.

Read more
5 outdoor gardening projects to focus on this November
Things you can do to improve your garden this November
Stone house with yard full of golden leaves

November is the last month of fall, when many plants have already put out their final harvest and others are going dormant for winter. Your garden is slowing down, and there are fewer things to do outdoors. If you're the type of person who loves being active and productive, or if you have kids that need to be kept busy, then this might be a frustrating time for you. Don't worry, though. There are still a few things that you can and should do outdoors in November to improve your garden. Add these five November gardening tasks to your checklist to help your garden thrive through winter.

Harvest the last of your fall garden
If you had a fall vegetable garden, be sure to bring in the last of the harvest. You may have already completed this step if you live in a cooler region, but, for those further south, this is the perfect time to wrap up your harvests. Be sure to store them somewhere dark and cool, like the fridge or a cellar (depending on what you were growing), or can them so they last longer. Any produce that’s left on the vine for too much longer will begin to rot or suffer frost damage.

Read more
6 plants you should cut back to keep your garden thriving this fall
To cut or not to cut? Here are the plants to trim in the fall
A sage plant with purple flowers

Fresh spring growth is a welcome sight in any garden, and it all starts with getting ready at the end of fall and the start of winter. Cutting back plants is one way to prepare your plants for new spring growth, and many plants can benefit from this severe pruning. This form of pruning might sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. If you're wondering how to cut back fall plants, which plants to cut, and why cutting your plants back is effective, then this is the guide for you! We'll answer all your questions, so you can feel confident as you cut back fall plants.

What is cutting back and why do it?
Cutting back is a type of pruning. Typical pruning involves removing specific branches that are diseased, damaged, or growing too closely to another branch. Cutting back, on the other hand, means pruning away all or most of a plant. This provides a few key benefits for your plants and your garden as a whole.

Read more