Fertilizing

[Lisa]

So I started my cactus collection about one year ago and only fertilized it once with a 10-10-10 solution, wich I now isn't ideal.

Someone here com the blog told me I should ferilize my cacti about 3 times a year, so I figured I would try doing it in the beginning of spring, summer and autumn and skip winter.

But now I bought a fertilizer specially for cacti with says I should applie it every 15 days dissolved in water. And now I'm confused and starting to think I bought the wrong product haha

So what should I do? Hope you guys can help me! Thanks anyways

Lisa

Ps. May be important to mention that I live in Brazil, we are in the middle of autumn and I though about letting my cacti hibernate between juli and august, it can't be much longer because here the temperatures don't drop much.

[DaveW]

Fertilization really depends on what they are growing in. If a soil based mixture, unless a poor soil, it should have enough nutrients more or less last a year before needing fertilizer. However if you are using the modern trend for mineral mixes you are virtually growing the plants hydroponically, therefore regular fertilisation is necessary to supply the elements the mix lacks. Usually the condition of the plant will tell you if it needs fertilization. If growing well without, it is probably OK.

However regular fertilisation, as per the fertilizers instructions, is not a problem if you allow the water from the pots drainage hole to run to waste and not be reabsorbed, therefore allowing salts to build up and also regularly give the plants a watering with clean unfertilised water to remove any salts that do build up.

See:-

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/garden ... ouseplants

[Lisa]

Hi,

thanks for your reply DaveW!

so most of my plants are still growing on the comercial mix they came in. the ones I repoted i usually mix a little of what they were sitting on already, fertilzed soil and thick alcaline sand. But only my rebutia flowered this year and only half of my other cacti seem to have grown. i haven't had them for that long, but they seem to be doing OK, although I would like them to flower more often.

[ElieEstephane]

I think fertilizing depends on the species. A relatively fast growing columnar cactus or some opuntias would benefit from some fertilizer. However, with slow growing species, fertilizing won't do much.
As for me i grow my cacti in a very rocky mixture with just a little top soil. In this case, i dissolve a tablespoon of balanced fertilizer in a gallon of water and water my plant with it. And every couple waterings, i water with tap water to dissolve the salts.

[greenknight]

Lisa, you'd be better off to remove all the original mix from the roots of your cacti and repot them in a consistent mix that's more suitable for home growing conditions. Nurseries have them on capillary mats which keep the mix at a constant moisture level - damp, but never saturated. The mix they use contains a lot of peat, which is not good for normal watering of cacti - it stays wet too long when it gets soaked, but it resists taking up moisture when it gets dried out. See - http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtop ... =25&t=9222

[Lisa]

Thanks guys!