Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Repot a cactus
Cacti are hardy, slow-growing plants that thrive in arid conditions and can shake off owner neglect for weeks on end. But there comes a time when a well-growing cactus needs to be repotted, a challenging task than that many collectors put off as long as possible. Those needles and spines on cacti can deliver painful, splinter-like cuts when handled...
Cacti are hardy, slow-growing plants that thrive in arid conditions and can shake off owner neglect for weeks on end. But there comes a time when a well-growing cactus needs to be repotted, a challenging task than that many collectors put off as long as possible. Those needles and spines on cacti can deliver painful, splinter-like cuts when handled without proper preparation. When the cactus roots become tightly packed with little soil in them, its time to repot.
Things You'll Need
Pair of old leather gloves
Long-sleeve shirt or sweat-shirt
Towel, blanket or carpet remnant
Pot 1/4 larger than original pot
Shake pot upside down or horizontally until the plant slides out. This can be done carefully using leather gloves. If it is a large cactus, a long-sleeve sweatshirt can protect arms from sharp needles.
Pick out a new pot for your cactus. Choose something that will stand out and allow the cactus to be admired, even from afar. Fill the new pot, which should be about 2 inches wider in diameter than the old pot, 1/3 of the way up with soil.
Wrap the cactus in the towel or remnant. Position it in the new pot with one hand and use the other hand to fill in the rest of the soil.
Pack the soil around the base of the cactus so that it is secured and won't topple over.
Wait one day after repotting, then water your cactus.
Tips & Warnings
Use an old pair of leather gloves that you have dedicated to this purpose. By the time you get through doing several plants, the gloves may be full of spines and ready for the trash.
