Crop Rotation Group
Miscellaneous
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Soil
Fertile, well-drained soil.
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Position
Full sun.
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Frost tolerant
Varies with species. Some are hardy perennials, tolerating winter cold to -30°F (-34°C), while many other species cannot survive hard freezes.
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Feeding
None needed.
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Companions
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Spacing
Single Plants: 7" (20cm) each way (minimum)
Rows: 7" (20cm) with 7" (20cm) row gap (minimum)
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Sow and Plant
It takes several years to grow a cactus from seed to mature blooming size so most gardeners start with purchased plants, which can be carefully moved to a slightly larger pot. Several cacti of different sizes and shapes can be grown in a 14-inch (35 cm) wide pot. To avoid overwatering, keep cacti in smallish containers. Indoors, keep potted cacti in a very sunny window. Outdoors, they benefit from partial afternoon shade. If pieces or branches break off a cactus, let the wound dry for one to two weeks and then set it to root in lightly dampened potting mix.
Our Garden Planning Tool can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
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Notes
Native to the Americas, cacti are well adapted to hot, dry conditions. Hardy types can be used as landscape plants, with small tropical species used as indoor-outdoor houseplants. Wear thick gloves when handling any cactus. When transplanting, it helps to wrap the plant in paper to reduce injury to both you and the cactus.
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Harvesting
Edible species like prickly pear cactus are harvested in summer. Potted cacti often produce showy blossoms in winter.
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Troubleshooting
Overwatering or lack of sun are the most common problems with cacti, which are usually trouble-free plants.
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