How to Care for Cacti Indoor
Now, before I start talking about that, I want to address the elephant in the room because I know a lot of people are going to come in this, that can you grow cacti at home? Or some of the interior rules say that you cannot grow cactus at home because it brings in bad luck, or people tend to fight.
All that I have to say is that I do have a good collection of cacti at home, and I believe that people fight, how can plants really make you fight? But I would leave that decision up to you. I will share how you can grow cacti at home and how they’re actually very easy plants to grow.
In fact, if you’re somebody who travels a lot, but you still want some greenery at home, cacti, I believe, are the perfect plants. So they do look tough on the outside, and sometimes they can also be prickly, but they’re really soft and forgiving. In fact, I think for beginners, they are a great choice.
Table of Contents
Understanding Sunlight
Cacti represent thousands of varieties. You can find them in different shapes, in different sizes. But they all can be taken care of in the same way.
So, you should not worry about the varieties. They’re native to arid and semi-arid areas. They do not require a lot of water, but they require a lot of sunlight. You can keep them outdoors or near a window so that they get about 8 to 10 hours of daily sun.
If 3 to 4 hours of direct sun comes to your window, that will also do the job.
Watering
Now, when do you decide to water these cacti? Cacti don’t require much water. Watering every 7-10 days is okay. Or if you cannot decide, if you don’t understand when is the right time to water them, I would say that watch your plant, let the soil completely dry out and then water.
Even if you forget to water your cacti, it’s completely okay. Some people also use a spray bottle to water their plants. I don’t highly recommend that because the plants absorb water from the soil and not from the leaves or the top part of it.
So I recommend using a watering can and watering your plants.
In case you forget to water your plant, it’s okay because they will store water in the upper part of their body, which is an adaptation of their leaves.
Tips: If you see your plant turning rusty, or it’s becoming brown or black, or some fluid is oozing out, the best way to save your plant is to propagate it.
I generally tell every gardener to have neem oil handy whenever you’re growing a bunch of plants. It can be very useful if you see any aphids or any insects.
If the sunlight is perfect, if your plants, your cacti, are getting about 8 to 10 hours of sunlight, they will also start blooming.
Moreover, cacti are very low-maintenance plants. They thrive on neglect. I have repeated this many times. If you manage to grow them for a long time, you will see flowering as well, as I mentioned. I hope this Article helps.
Thanks for your time. Happy Gardening!
Follow us on Social Media
 *(Include an image of droopy leaves)* Some plants, such as calatheas, prefer moist soil at all times; otherwise, they develop that signature brown tissue damage on the leaves. The annoying thing here is that the damage cannot be reversed and can only be cut away, leaving you with a damaged plant. If the soil of your plant is bone dry, you'll notice that it's pulling away from the sides of the pot. This is because the soil has shrunk due to a lack of moisture, so make sure you are not letting this happen by watering a little more frequently. #### Signs Your Plant is Overwatered (darkgreen) Overwatering plants is a really common way that people kill their plants. Beginner plant enthusiasts often have a common misconception that houseplants need lots of water, but the reality is that these plants are native to hot climates where they may get periods of drought followed by large rain which rehydrates them. **Yellowing leaves** (red) can indicate an overwatering problem as well as an underwatering problem. If you are watering your plant too often and the soil is always wet, this can lead to root rot, which will begin to affect the leaves of your plant. **Limp and mushy leaves** (red) also indicate that you are overwatering your plant. This is particularly true with succulents such as Echeverias. Echeverias store water in their thick leaves and have difficulty storing excess water if you are watering your plant too often. This leads to mushy plants that eventually fall off.  *(Include an image of yellowing leaves)* Philodendron and Pothos plants tend to get mushy leaves that fall off if the soil is consistently soggy. My Philodendron Birkin recently developed some new brown leaves that fell off because I was overwatering it. Whereas crispy brown edges on leaves indicate an underwatering problem, if the whole leaves are turning brown, this tends to mean that the plant tissue is rotting due to too much water. You may also notice some water droplets on the ends of the leaves of some of your plants. This is the plant perspiring excess water through its leaves and can indicate that you are giving the plant too much water. Now, this tends to happen on plants that prefer drier soil, and I notice it quite often on my Philodendron Birkin and my Tradescantia Nanook. **Increased presence of fungus gnats** (red) can also be a sign that your plant is too moist. Fungus gnats like a moist top two inches of soil to breed and lay their eggs, so if your soil is wet, it creates a breeding ground for gnats. If you see lots of flea-like flies jumping around the top of your soil, I would just dial back on the watering and let the top two inches of the soil dry out before watering again. #### Watering Tips (darkgreen) It is important to allow the soil of your houseplant to dry out between waterings. This prevents the possibility of over-watering, which is one of the most common reasons people kill their plants. **Check the soil moisture** (red) before watering your plant by sticking your finger two inches into the soil. If it feels wet, leave it a few days and then check again. An even better way to check the soil moisture is to invest in a moisture meter. This device needs no batteries and tells you exactly how much moisture is in the soil, giving you control over watering your plants.  *(Include an image of a moisture meter)* When you identify that your plant needs water, make sure you give it a thorough soaking. Take your plant to a sink area and soak the soil four or five times until water drains out of the bottom each time. This ensures that all the soil in the pot gets moistened and there are no dry patches. **Bottom watering** (teal) is a method that has changed the health of my plants since I implemented it a couple of years ago. Place your plant in a container of water and let it absorb moisture from the bottom up. This method prevents water from getting on the leaves, which can cause leaf tissue damage. I hope this article was helpful. Now you know when to water your plants and when not to. Apply this knowledge to your plants and see the growth. Happy gardening! --- Incorporating these visual and formatting enhancements will make your article more attractive and engaging for your readers.](https://growinggaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pexels-artempodrez-7242495-scaled.jpg)
