Cacti & Succulent Care Guide

Below we have some simple but important tips to get you started with our plants if they are something you’re not familiar with growing. We say basics… but It’s difficult not to end up complicating things. Which is one of the many lessons we’ve learned! Find out what works. Keep it simple. Prevention > Cure.

Bear in mind, these are very general tips as it can be risky to be too specific as each Family or Genus can have large variances within them. We always recommend searching for information on how to care for your specific plant. A plant will also behave differently and have different requirements due to the specific environment that it lives in. Some plants might live inside or outside, be potted or in the ground, North Island or South Island etc. What we hope to give you here are some key reference points for you to explore further on, and a basic foundation to begin the journey into a new world of plants!

Cacti and Succulent Tips:

WATER: ALWAYS, allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Water is often the biggest killer! Unlike native and common garden plants in New Zealand most Cactus do not require similar amounts of water. It is safer to add more water progressively as overwatering can quickly cause issues with rot.

SOIL: Regular Potting Mix is not suitable for most Cacti. It is important that the soil dries out quickly to decrease the chance of rot in the roots and around the base of the plant. A commonly accepted guideline is to mix in a drainage material such as Pumice or Perlite at a ratio of 1:1. We have created our own blend which you can check out here LINK. Many succulents (ie Echeveria) are happy in the more typical Potting Mix at local stores. 

SUNLIGHT: Yes, Cacti and Succulents do love the sunshine! But there is a thing as too much. Although they generally require at least 6hrs of sunlight (not necessarily direct) a day, the afternoon sun on a hot summer's day can cause sunburn. Especially in a greenhouse or by a window.

FERTILISER: Many Cacti will thrive with some plant food. Nitrogen is one to be careful with though when comparing to more common requirements of other commonly grown plants. Excessive Nitrogen will weaken flesh inviting disease and pests. There are a few commonly recommended ratios of N-P-K but most importantly no more than 1 part Nitrogen to one part Phosphorus and Potassium is ideal. More Phosphorus than Nitrogen is recommended as it is beneficial. 

ENVIRONMENT: The 3 factors above are the basic principles that create a plants environment. We would add singing to this but don’t want to come across as too loopy…;) When a plant is happy then the information below will be required less. I won’t - say not at all though… Preventative practices are cheaper and friendlier on the environment. We find that the more diseases and pests that arrive the more chemicals are required to remedy the problem. Just look at humans!

PESTS: Some plants are more susceptible than others. Common pests are Mealy Bugs, Scale, Thrips and Spider Mites. We recommend regularly checking for these and doing your best to deter pests by creating a healthy environment for your plants. Even then the bugs will be bugs! If you see pests on a plant…ISOLATE it asap. Ensuring airflow will also help deter invasions. There are many spray options available from local suppliers.

DISEASE: Prevention is better than cure. Easy to say? Yes;) Watering. You will always have more problems with disease with over-watering than under-watering. If you are unsure on how much water, start with as little as possible. Many Cacti can survive months, even years without rain so always bear this in mind. As mentioned above it is important to allow the soil to dry out in between each watering. Plants need fresh air. Just like pests, spores like floating around in stale air increasing the chance of disease spreading. ISOLATE! If you see some disease or even if you’re unsure, isolate the plant and resolve the issue before returning it. 

GROWING SEASON: When does your plant want to grow? It’s a good idea to check what time of year your plant is growing the most and revolve your care program around that. Generally speaking, again, many will start growing in Spring, hit full speed in summer and carry on into Autumn but there are variances amongst different Genus and it will also depend on your climate, even micro-climate. Some also go dormant over summer as they would in their natural habitat to conserve water.