Beginner cactus growers often encounter the same problem: their prickly plant grows upwards, thin and fragile.
As a result, it falls over or breaks. But in the pictures and videos, these beauties look strong, wide and stable, grow well in small pots and are pleasing to the eye. Is it possible to achieve such an effect with regular care, or do you need to know some special growing techniques?
How to Grow a Wide Cactus That Will Never Break
Before talking about the intricacies of care, it is worth paying attention to the fact that there is a huge number of species and varieties of this plant. All of them can be divided into two categories - those that grow in width, and those that grow upward. For example, the popular indoor floriculture echinopsis is a tall, one might even say, slender cactus. Some representatives of this species in natural conditions grow up to 20 meters in height. At a young age, they look like a compact ball, but they grow quickly and soon stretch out into a "column".
But there are species (for example, mammillaria, rebutia) that retain a spherical shape throughout their life if they are properly cared for. They grow more slowly, but they cause less trouble for the owner to care for.
How to care
Even tall echinocactuses can be grown strong, stable and thick. To do this, you need to create conditions as close to desert as possible. It is especially important that the plant receives a lot of light. It is from a lack of light that cacti stretch upwards, become thin, and then fall or break. If the lighting is weak, then even spherical forms become elongated and unsightly.
In summer, it is best to place the cactus on the eastern, or better yet, southern windowsill. However, at first, watch the plant, as sudden exposure to direct sunlight can cause burns. It is best to put the pot on the window at the end of February, so that it can get used to the sun in a natural way.
In summer, you can take the pot out into the fresh air, having first accustomed the plant to the sun. You need to start with 5 minutes a day, gradually increasing the time under the sun's rays.
The second important condition for a beautiful appearance is that the period of active growth should be followed by a period of rest. The cactus grows in spring and summer. It needs to be regularly watered, fed and kept in the light. From October, it enters a period of rest - watering and feeding are stopped, and the pot is placed in a light, cool room for the winter.
If the cactus starts growing in winter, its top will become thin due to lack of light. In this case, additional lighting helps, but the lamps should be high-quality and very bright (at least 40 W).
No matter how different the methods of growing these plants are, they all have a number of features: pronounced periodicity and slow (compared to herbaceous plants) growth.
