Will watering/fertilizing less reduce etoliation?

[EdekaReweAldiLidl]

My globular cacti are slightly etoliated. They're becoming slightly columnar but they should be rounder, I think.

In my apartment, there is no possible way to increase sunlight because the apartment building is blocking direct sunlight for half of a year. Unless I invest in artificial lights, that is.

I'm thinking, if I water and fertilize my cacti less, it would make then grow slower. Would it grow rounder then?

[DaveW]

Probably the slower and harder they are grown the less they would etiolate, but it's not really a substitute for sufficient light. Make sure you have them on the windowsills and not further in the room since that would maximised light intensity.

Some use either glass or wooden shelves in front of the window and though it might help the cacti would probably make your room darker.

http://www.mendhammaker.co.uk/cacti-and ... w-shelves/

If you cannot succeed with terrestrial cacti then changing to epiphytic cacti that will tolerate lower light levels may be the answer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bidqMCpBu8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P153vV7S5O4

[EdekaReweAldiLidl]

I will try watering/fertilizing them less then. My cacti are on my balcony so they're already getting the best sunlight they could get. My problem is at this time of the year, the sun rises and sets behind my apartment so they only get indirect sun.

Is there a guide on what to look for in artificial lights? I might consider buying one.

[DaveW]

See:-

https://cactiguide.com/article/?article=article17.php

https://cactus-info.com/artificial_light

[greenknight]

It should be noted that the articles DaveW linked are a bit dated - LEDs have gotten better and cheaper since they were written, and have become a very viable choice for plant lights. The information about light intensity needed is still relevant - but if you're supplementing natural light, rather than relying solely on artificial light, you won't need as much.

[EdekaReweAldiLidl]

LED lights are the easiest grow lights I can obtain. I will try them. thanks!

[greenknight]

You don't actually need a special grow light. The red/blue LED grow lights were developed to give maximum energy efficiency for growing by producing just the wavelengths of light the plants absorb best. They're not so good for displaying your plants, though, you won't see their true colors. Plants will grow just fine under white LEDs, as seen in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HawgP5SXPko

[EdekaReweAldiLidl]

Thanks! I'm thinking of buying a Led light to supplement sunlight.