Having at least one plant in your home makes you happy. Believe it or not. It does not matter if it is the most difficult plant to care for, or a very easy one, such as cacti or succulents. The problem is that, sometimes, something so simple becomes complicated because we do not know the basics. In the case of cacti, do you know how often one is watered?
They always tell us when we buy it that it is not necessary to water a lot, that it can tolerate droughts, etc. But how often is one watered? And how is it done? We will talk about all of this below.
How often is a cactus watered
The first thing we have to tell you about cactus watering is that there really is no fixed answer. Each cactus is a world unto itself. Even being of the same species, there are some cacti that need more water than others. It also influences the substrate it has, the climate, the temperature, the location, the place where it is placed ...
Does that mean we can't tell you how often a cactus is watered? Not much less. But you do have to take several factors into account. These would be:
Cactus size
As you know, all cacti have the characteristics of absorbing and storing water within them. This implies that the larger the cactus, the more water it will have. And that in turn means you will need less water.
For example, imagine you have a large cactus and you water it. The water that you do not consume at that time will store it and, during the following days it will be wasting that water.
Flower pot
Another important aspect about watering the cactus is the type of pot you use. And is that not all will retain moisture equally. If this is plastic, or transparent, it will let the sun's rays pass through and that causes less humidity in the pot. And it would imply that it would be necessary to water more often.
If the pot is made of clay, then it does not let the sunlight through, and it will have higher humidity.
Climate
Finally we have the climate, which is the one that will affect the cacti the most. If you live in a warm or temperate zone, then the cactus will need watering more often, especially if there is little humidity. On the other hand, if the area is rather cool, and with humidity, you could water much less.
So how often to water?
After what you have seen you will have realized the many factors that influence the watering of cacti. Well, here you have a more general answer and a more specific one.
En general, watering the cacti should be done only when you see that the soil has dried. Now, for this you should not just observe. You also have to check that it is dry. That is, you should stick a finger into the soil to see if it really is dry more deeply since, otherwise, you can cause too much moisture and the roots to suffer.
Now, in particular, as long as we take into account a temperate or warm climate, it could be watered once a month in winter if the cactus is large, or every two months if it is small.
Watering the mini cacti
Instead of a normal-sized cactus, you may have a mini one. Well, for those cases, it is best to water it every 15 days in summer, and once a month in winter. But everything will depend on the keys that we have left you before.
Yes, check before the ground is dry. Instead of sticking a finger in, you can use a toothpick or stick here to see if it comes out dry. If you take it out with traces of earth, it will be damp.
And finally, you have to water very slowly so that the plant can feed on the water. If you water too fast, he won't have time to drink.
How to water cacti
You already know how often a cactus is watered. However, the next question is very possible that you will ask yourself at some point. And it is that, when it comes to watering, how is it better to do it in the case of these plants?
Well, you should know that the best is always do it with a watering can have a small tip or a flower as, that way, the water does not disperse too much. In addition, a common mistake is to water the entire plant, wetting it, but it is best to only wet the substrate, since what it is about is that the moisture seeps through the earth to the roots.
It is also important that the pot has drainage holes. That way you will get the excess water to be removed and not stagnate. If you have a plate under the pot, you can leave it for 10 minutes, but then you should remove it to remove the excess water.
Another way to water would be with immersion irrigation. In this case, this is only recommended when the plant is very dry and you should not submerge it for more than 10 minutes, then let it drain.
Keep in mind that you must water slowly, until you see that it begins to drip from the bottom.
And whenever you can, try to water first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon.
The best water to water them
Have you ever wondered if the water with which you water your plants is the most suitable for them? If it has too much lime or if it has the necessary "nutrients"? Sure you have asked yourself that question several times.
Well, you should know that everything it will depend on the type of cactus. There are some species that tolerate tap water very well. But there are others that do not, than hard or mineral-laden waters. So we can only recommend you to try.
If you see that the cactus begins to turn white, then the water is not the most suitable.
Another option may be to collect rainwater or use weakly mineralized water. And, as a last option, use tap water and let it rest for 24-48 hours before watering the cacti with it.
Do you have more doubts about how often a cactus is watered? Or how is it watered?