CARE OF CACTI AND SUCCULENTS
by Phyllis Flechsig
Encinitas, California
POT plants in a clean container with a drain hole. The pot should be about one inch larger in diameter than the plant.
POTTING MIX should be fast-draining. One-half to two-thirds by volume can be a commercial potting mix or your usual clean, pest-free mix: the other one-half or one-third should be drainage material well mixed in, such as pumice or perlite or coarse (not fine) sand.
TO PLANT in the ground: build a mound or use a slope, adding material for fast drainage. DO NOT plant small seedlings in the ground.
TEMPERATURE: Most succulents will not withstand
many hours of subfreezing temperatures. Protect them
from cold; being cold and wet at the same time can kill them.
DO NOT WATER plants if:
They are wet already;
Temperatures are low;
Weather is bad;
Plants are dormant.
SUN OR SHADE? Place new plants in light shade. Small plants will burn in hot sun.
Most cacti and succulents do well in strong indirect light.
FERTILIZE regularly with low-nitrogen fertilizer - about 8 - 12% nitrogen. Dilute liquid twice as much as it says to on the label.
PESTS: Inspect often so as to prevent them. Use alcohol on a brush to remove them, or insecticidal soap, or a systemic insecticide poured into the soil around the plant.
