Transplanting Cactus

[docgreenthumb]

When and how should you transplant a cactus? What type of soil do you put it in, and how much bigger of a pot?

--docgreenthumb

hello docgreenthumb,

If the cactus is growing outdoors,
transplant now, before the weather turns cold.

If the cactus is growing indoors you can
transplant just about anytime.

Use a slightly larger pot than the one the
cactus is growing in now.
I make my own potting mix, 50% sand
and 50% mulch, it works for me and is
much cheaper than the commercial
cactus potting mixes.

[docgreenthumb]

What do you mean by mulch? Maybe compost or what type of mulch, i'm guessing not cyprus mulch or anything. How do you know when the cactus is ready to be repotted?

--docgreenthumb

[blondemommyof2]

how do you transplant a cactus without poking your hands??? lol and noone say very cafeully... really how do you?

[docgreenthumb]

Take two pieces of cardboard, and shove them to the spines on the cactus then you don't have to worry bout hurting yourself, or maybe get a pair of leather gloves, thats kind of my plan or just tough it out, lol!!!

--docgreenthumb

[SkpprJack]

It was asked how to handle Cacti while transplanting so as to avoid being injured by the little stickers on the cacti. For what its worth I use a pair of kitchen tongs I bought especially for that purpose. They are used to Hold the cacti while transplanting . They do not damage the Cacti and you avoid the "stickers". :D

What do you mean by mulch? Maybe compost or what type of mulch, i'm guessing not cyprus mulch or anything. How do you know when the cactus is ready to be repotted?

--docgreenthumb

Hi doc,
By mulch, I mean any well composted organic material.
Also called compost. I get mine from a local landscape
materials company by the truckload.

Cactus need to be repotted when they are too large
for the pot they are growing in, or if you see roots
trying to grow out of the drain holes in the bottom
of the pot.

[clueless]

I have a cactus that I recently replanted, it's not doing so well. I'm not the smartest when it comes to plants. After transplanting it, it is real loose in the pot. I was just wondering, what can I do before it dies. A cactus is very important to me. Every year I knew my grandmother on her birthday i would buy her a cactus and after she passed away i kept the tradition going except i bought the cactus myself and it seems like everytime i replanted it, they die on me. also how can i transplant the babies?? someone please help me, i'm so clueless....

[Newt]

Hi Clueless,

You don't say what size pot it came out of and what size you put it in, but the new pot should be 2" larger then the one it came out of. Also, was it rootbound and ready for a new pot? Cactus don't mind being rootbound and usually prefer it.* Hopefully you used a clay pot as they don't retain as much moisture as a plastic or ceramic pot.* If all of those conditions have been met, it sounds like you need to gently press on the soil to settle it in.* Watering should also help.*

Newt

[clueless]

[user=5]Newt[/user]
hello, i had replanted it in a ceramic one i believe. and the size was a normal size one, i'm not sure what the size was, and i took it out of the extra large pot i put it in and placed it into one just a few sizes bigger than the one it came in. it was in the one it came in for about a year maybe more, and well i don't know. because i think it's dead!