Cactus help!
Here's some shots of my cactus. I know some of you have to be experts. I need some help.
The first shot... this plant. I don't know what it is. Is it even a cactus? It's sitting on the window sill, and you can tell that the leaves (or whatever they are) are growing well pointed away from the window. Even smaller branches are coming off of it. Meanwhile the part that's in the sun seems to be doing worse. This is a cacti right?
Next pic is of an aloe plant. I think window is an ok place right?
Pic after that. These two seem to be doing alright. I think.
Next one: I don't know if the plant on the right is ok. The "leaves" seem to be falling off little by little. some of the flowers at the top are dead and dried, but some are fine. It's been replanted, and it looks ok, but the "leaves" thing freaks me out. They fall off and dry out. The cactus on the right, I think is fine, but will I know if it's not?
next photo: I think they're fine. The plant on the left grows white cobwebs on them. Is that good? It's not a spider, right? It looks like cobweb. The middle one is my fave, it looks good and seems happy. The one on the right, I think is doing ok. Then that stringy thing just popped out and it looks like there's a leaf or someone on it. WTF is that?
Last photo: The plant on the left... that little thing, I have no idea if that's happy or not. Is it? The one in the white pot... it was green, but now the tips are red, perhaps from the sun. Is that ok?
Cactus are in the desert, so sun is alright, but these seem to be like domesticated or something. Their maintenance seems high for plants with low maintenance.
The big question. How often do I water them? I've heard once a month. Then I read the little tab that comes with the plant, and it says to water when the soil is dry to the touch. Does it rain every day in the desert? The soil dries up after a watering in a few hours. It's dry. What do I do? Water it again? I have no idea if I believe the expert who wrote that little tab? Which means "water every day" since the soil is dry every day, or do I not?
The first shot... this plant. I don't know what it is. Is it even a cactus? It's sitting on the window sill, and you can tell that the leaves (or whatever they are) are growing well pointed away from the window. Even smaller branches are coming off of it. Meanwhile the part that's in the sun seems to be doing worse. This is a cacti right?
Next pic is of an aloe plant. I think window is an ok place right?
Pic after that. These two seem to be doing alright. I think.
Next one: I don't know if the plant on the right is ok. The "leaves" seem to be falling off little by little. some of the flowers at the top are dead and dried, but some are fine. It's been replanted, and it looks ok, but the "leaves" thing freaks me out. They fall off and dry out. The cactus on the right, I think is fine, but will I know if it's not?
next photo: I think they're fine. The plant on the left grows white cobwebs on them. Is that good? It's not a spider, right? It looks like cobweb. The middle one is my fave, it looks good and seems happy. The one on the right, I think is doing ok. Then that stringy thing just popped out and it looks like there's a leaf or someone on it. WTF is that?
Last photo: The plant on the left... that little thing, I have no idea if that's happy or not. Is it? The one in the white pot... it was green, but now the tips are red, perhaps from the sun. Is that ok?
Cactus are in the desert, so sun is alright, but these seem to be like domesticated or something. Their maintenance seems high for plants with low maintenance.
The big question. How often do I water them? I've heard once a month. Then I read the little tab that comes with the plant, and it says to water when the soil is dry to the touch. Does it rain every day in the desert? The soil dries up after a watering in a few hours. It's dry. What do I do? Water it again? I have no idea if I believe the expert who wrote that little tab? Which means "water every day" since the soil is dry every day, or do I not?
posted by gr @ PERMLINK: 9:13 PM
5 Comments:
Eric, You're Cacti will do better with a once a week spritzing with a spray bottle.(spray the soil not the leaves) The really wilted one looks to be suffering from over watering. You also might want to add some pebbles on top of the soil as to keep the moisture in a little better. Hope that helps. Also cacti do better outside rather then in a window. =o)
Noella
Hi Noella, thanks much for writing!! (yes two !!), however, I think the "wilted" one grows down... and is that even a cacti? I water the wilted one as much as the others... but the spray bottle idea sounds good, rocks, sound good too. I like the idea of having them outside, but then, I guess I'd never get to appreciate them. I hope others write too. Thanks much.
Another thing is that you can put a dish with a little bit of water under them so they can self feed when needed. Being directly on the sill, for some of them with the drainage on the bottom is suffocating them. Nice point, N, on the stones and aeration.
If there is burn on a leaf, cut it off and remove the plant to a spot with more indirect light. The sun has grown strong lately and through glass, even more so. If the leaves fall off without burn, then they are supposed to. Don't know the name of your succulent (is it a cactus?) but it is a succulent.
Some plants are happier outside, some inside,
some with direct sun and some with indirect. You're doing a good job -- play around some more and watch -- they will grow used to you. In the book, The Secret Life of Plants, it is said your plant can sense when you are approaching home, from miles away.
Most of what you have are straight succulents.
You do have a few cactus in the mix. Here is some advice I found that might help.
The difference between cactus and succulent is complex; all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. Cacti always have spines and exposed ovaries on the flower. Succulents have tuberous roots, trunks or leaves for water storage.
Cacti and succulents generally need very bright light, but when choosing cacti and succulents to grow indoors, look for plants that need less intensity of light.
the first one's called "sting of bananas". i have it next to my kitchen window as well. : )
i started collecting many of Cacti and succulents lately. xo
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