New Cactus

[slothgirl]

Hi, I just bought my first cactus (I named him Horatio) and wanted to know its species and make sure that it's healthy. Also, if you have any basic tips about taking care of it that would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[greenknight]

It's a Mammillaria, maybe Mammillaria scrippsiana.

[HairyHarry]

You might want to get rid of the moss. That kind of moss is used to retain water, to keep something moist. You don't want that with a cactus. Also, in my humble opinion, it looks a bit unnatural.

[Rod Smith]

Horatio could be Mammillaria mystax, which has distinctive angular nipples - see photo below. I agree with the last post, definitely get rid of the moss. The last thing a cactus needs is water sitting round its base or roots. Make sure the compost contains plenty of grit to give good drainage; water it infrequently in the winter and every couple of weeks in warm weather in the summer. That is basic advice and other posters may elaborate.

Mammillaria mystax (1).jpg (64.72 KiB) Viewed 1196 times

[greenknight]

He's a little more wooly than M. mystax usually is, but it is a possibility. Agree about the moss, usual practice with cacti is to top the pots with gravel or small rocks, as in the photo above, to prevent crusting and hold the soil in place.

Read the "Growing Cacti" article linked at the top of the page, "Desert Cacti" section, for more detailed growing hints.

If you can keep him in a cool place during the Winter dormant season, that's ideal - it helps produce full dormancy, which is best for the plant and makes it much more likely to bloom. Many people grow cacti successfully who can't provide this, but if you can, it helps.

The exact length of the dormant season varies somewhat depending on your climate. Here, I start it the first day of Autumn - the rainy season starts in October, there's little sun after that, and I want the plants dry by then. In warmer, sunnier climates, the dormant period is shorter.

[darla]

Maybe you misread 18 feet as 18 inches? 18 feet might be a stretch for Cleistocactus strausii, but certainly 10 feet. They don't branch but they do they clump from the base. However, you have three (four?) separate plants of and they're a long way short of mature. They can start to flower at 2-3 feet tall in good conditions. They don't need a lot of heat but they do need a lot of sun to do well. They like regular summer water, but not sitting in soggy soil for long periods. Dry and cool in winter, frost hardy.

[Rod Smith]

Maybe you misread 18 feet as 18 inches? 18 feet might be a stretch for Cleistocactus strausii, but certainly 10 feet. They don't branch but they do they clump from the base. However, you have three (four?) separate plants of and they're a long way short of mature. They can start to flower at 2-3 feet tall in good conditions. They don't need a lot of heat but they do need a lot of sun to do well. They like regular summer water, but not sitting in soggy soil for long periods. Dry and cool in winter, frost hardy.

this post appears to be in the wrong thread. I'm not sure how...

[greenknight]

Had to have been copied and pasted. I recognized it immediately, it's from a thread a couple weeks old. This "darla" is some kind of spammer, I think.

I already reported it. The "Report this post" button is the exclamation point next to the "quote button.