cultivation:soil
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| cultivation:soil [2026/06/27 04:07] – created vaugith | cultivation:soil [2026/08/02 19:49] (current) – vaugith | ||
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| - | ====== Pot Selection | + | ====== Pot selection |
| One of the most important parts of setting up your cacti for success is choosing their homes - pots and substrate. Choosing these go hand in hand with each other. | One of the most important parts of setting up your cacti for success is choosing their homes - pots and substrate. Choosing these go hand in hand with each other. | ||
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| Note: These are recommendations for seedlings through mature cacti. For germinating seeds, see the germination section of the wiki. | Note: These are recommendations for seedlings through mature cacti. For germinating seeds, see the germination section of the wiki. | ||
| - | ===== Pot Selection | + | Â |
| + | ===== Pot selection | ||
| All pots for cacti should have drainage holes and no attached saucer. If you must use a pot with no holes or an attached saucer you can drill your own new holes through it. Excessively large drainage holes can allow the substrate to wash out of the pot. To prevent this you can add window screen or mesh fiberglass drywall tape inside over the holes. Their root growth matches with pots that are roughly as deep as they are wide. Square pots, though a luxury, are an improvement over circular ones due to space efficiency and root circling prevention. I have found these cacti really do not do well in glazed ceramic pots. For mature size columns, 3 or 5 gallon containers work fine. Keeping the volume lower and letting them get root bound can lead to early flowering at the expense of growth rate. For mature columns and stands, the optimal pot type depends on your climate. Fabric pots will dry fairly quickly and do a bit of “air root pruning” but if moved they can destabilize the roots and lead to leaning or tippy plants. Plastic is much more stable and holds moisture a little longer which can be an improvement for very dry climates, but in direct sun they can lead to very high root zone temperatures. Unglazed terracotta pots dry more quickly than necessary for most climates and may require more frequent watering, but in the most wet and humid climates may be the best choice. On the downside, terracotta are the most expensive, the roots often cling to the pots walls as they may hold moisture longer than the substrate, and you may need to break the pot during future unpotting. | All pots for cacti should have drainage holes and no attached saucer. If you must use a pot with no holes or an attached saucer you can drill your own new holes through it. Excessively large drainage holes can allow the substrate to wash out of the pot. To prevent this you can add window screen or mesh fiberglass drywall tape inside over the holes. Their root growth matches with pots that are roughly as deep as they are wide. Square pots, though a luxury, are an improvement over circular ones due to space efficiency and root circling prevention. I have found these cacti really do not do well in glazed ceramic pots. For mature size columns, 3 or 5 gallon containers work fine. Keeping the volume lower and letting them get root bound can lead to early flowering at the expense of growth rate. For mature columns and stands, the optimal pot type depends on your climate. Fabric pots will dry fairly quickly and do a bit of “air root pruning” but if moved they can destabilize the roots and lead to leaning or tippy plants. Plastic is much more stable and holds moisture a little longer which can be an improvement for very dry climates, but in direct sun they can lead to very high root zone temperatures. Unglazed terracotta pots dry more quickly than necessary for most climates and may require more frequent watering, but in the most wet and humid climates may be the best choice. On the downside, terracotta are the most expensive, the roots often cling to the pots walls as they may hold moisture longer than the substrate, and you may need to break the pot during future unpotting. | ||
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| ==== Up potting through growth stages ==== | ==== Up potting through growth stages ==== | ||
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| ==== Advanced notes on creating your own soil recipe ==== | ==== Advanced notes on creating your own soil recipe ==== | ||
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| + | <WRAP right 400px> | ||
| + | {{cultivation: | ||
| + | //Example of a high quality soil mix for Trichos// | ||
| + | </ | ||
| Think of it in terms of organic and inorganic. The purpose of the organic portion is to hold moisture and nutrients for the roots to take up, the purpose of the inorganic is to provide air filled porosity, prevent excess compaction, aid drainage, and allow the substrate to dry more quickly. | Think of it in terms of organic and inorganic. The purpose of the organic portion is to hold moisture and nutrients for the roots to take up, the purpose of the inorganic is to provide air filled porosity, prevent excess compaction, aid drainage, and allow the substrate to dry more quickly. | ||
cultivation/soil.1782533231.txt.gz · Last modified: by vaugith