5 Cacti You Will Love
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When I started my first patio garden, I knew I wanted a cactus. I went to my local plant nursery and browsed the cactus section. There were several good options and I, of course, wanted them all!
But having every cactus was not realistic for my space nor my budget. So, I decided to narrow it down to 5. Here are the 5 cacti I love and know you will too.
5 Cacti You Will Love:
1. Golden Barrel Cactus
I named my golden barrel, Prickle. Cacti are slower growing but require minimal care making them a terrific addition to your house plant collection.
I love the shape of this cactus and its golden spikes. I, also, love how it has that “classic cactus look.”
2. Starfish Cactus
I named my starfish, Patrick Star. Sorry about the SpongeBob reference, but my son was little when it came out and so let us just say I am familiar with some episodes.
This cactus not only blooms, but it was blooming in December. Its blooms look like a starfish.
3. Baby Rita Cactus
This one I fell in love with. I love the rose-like blooms on the green cactus pads with a tingle of purple. The baby Rita I found at my local nursery was tiny and the way the pads stacked he looked like a caterpillar. I immediately thought of Absolem, the smoking caterpillar on Alice in Wonderland. So, my baby Rita is named Absolem.
4. Bunny Ears Cactus
This cactus is the fastest-growing cactus I have ever seen. I love the way the cactus pads stack up on it like bunny ears. This cactus is quite easy to care for and it will let you know when it needs a drink. The “ears” or cactus pads will start to droop letting you know it's time to water.
5. Lady Fingers Cactus
Lady is my ladyfingers cactus’ name. Not much thought went into it. I love the look of the cylindrical stems with yellow-brown spines over her cactus skin. This is also a fast-growing cactus, and she also blooms.
Cactus Care
Caring for cacti is easy. They tolerate direct sunlight, and, in the wintertime, you can place them in bright indirect light. They will survive in lower-light conditions, but having a grow light is better, especially if you live somewhere that does not get enough sunlight.
In the warmer months May-September, placing your cacti outside in full sunlight is ideal. You can water every 10 to 14 days (about 2 weeks) during this time.
In winter months, bring them inside they will go through a rest period where they are not doing much growing. October through April you will see little growth so cut back to watering every 4 to 6 weeks (about 1 and a half months).
Cacti do not like to sit in water and will not survive if they are kept wet. Think about where they are from naturally. They are from hot, dry climates in nature. They store their water in their foliage. Be sure to have well-draining, chunky soil and plant in pots with good drainage holes. I like to use terra cotta pots.
If you have your cacti outside in a place that gets a lot of rain you will want to shelter them from the rain some of the time. Some rainwater is good, but you do not want your cacti to stay too wet. Rainwater is one of the best things for plants, but you must be careful your cacti are not getting too much rainwater.
Summarizing cacti care:
That is all your cacti require. I hope you fall in love with these cacti too!
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