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| Golden Barrel cactus make great container plants. |
There are many cactus species that lend themselves to
container gardens, just make sure you pick the right species, and the correct
pot.
Many times you will see cactus gardens in the grocery store,
falsely leading you to believe these will live a long time indoors. The reality
is it is very hard to keep indoor cactus alive unless you are willing to move
them around your house so they can receive the proper amount of sunlight. That
can be pretty hard to determine if the plants come with no plant identification.
Not all cactus like full sun.
The other problem is many of those pre-made cactus gardens
do not have a drainage hole in the bottom of the container. That is a huge
problem, since all cactus love good drainage. It is very easy to over water
containers with no holes, leading to root rot.
If you are looking for outdoor cactus plantings, just make
sure you are giving the cactus the right amount of light for the species, and
make sure you give it plenty of water if the pot is in full sun. If that sounds
contradictory to what you think about cactus, just remember that cactus in the
ground need far less water than cactus in pots. Once in a container in full
sun, cactus will need weekly watering during the hot summer months.
The best containers should breathe well (no plastic) and
have sufficient depth and width for plants to spread their roots. You’ll want a
container at least 12” deep and the wider the better. Saucer shaped pots are
perfect. Just make sure you know the mature size of your plant, and adjust the
size accordingly. Trust me: transplanting them is not fun if you start out with
a container that is way too small. And how do you get those prickly things into
pots anyway? Easy! Wear leather gloves, and wrap the plant in thick layers of
newspaper so the spines can’t poke you in process.
