How To Repot A Cactus

By Nancy K. Crevier

Life is a series of tasks. Some are easier to perform than others. Some are downright tricky. Some tasks we have mastered, while others remain, for one reason or another, a mystery. In the upcoming weeks, The Newtown Bee will present a series of short articles of Little Lessons meant to light the way to a new or easier way to tackle those day to day duties, or even those less commonly encountered tasks, each one accompanied by a video at newtownbee.com. Welcome to the classroom.

It is the ease of care that draws many people to growing cacti as houseplants, said Cortney Troccolla, greenhouse manager at Lexington Gardens on Church Hill Road. “They are drought-resistant and will grow if you have a medium-bright light setting, so they are pretty easy,” she said. But when the size of a cactus starts to overpower the pot in which it is growing, a prickly situation arises: it is time to repot the plant.

Because Lexington Gardens carries a wide selection of both common and unusual cacti, said Ms Troccolla, she has had numerous opportunities to fine-tune her cacti repotting skills. “It’s not that hard, once you know a couple of tricks,” she said.

Select a new pot that is only one to two inches in diameter larger than the pot from which the cactus will be moved. A much larger pot means too much excess soil will surround the plant, and lead to overwatering, rotting the plant. Unlike many houseplants, cacti are happier when left on the dry side.

Using a blend of three parts all-purpose soil, one part perlite, and one part coarse sand, a soil mixture is created that is ideal for growing cacti. Premixed cactus soils can also be purchased at garden centers.

“Most people don’t want to handle the spiky cacti, with good reason,” said Ms Troccolla, “so I’ve learned a little trick that allows you to handle the actual plant far less, and can be done without even wearing gloves.”

First, place about one inch of soil mixture in the bottom of the new pot. Using either a pot that is identical to the one in which the cactus is growing, or first gently tipping that pot and sliding the cactus out, holding on only to the rooted mass, center the empty pot inside of the new pot.

Fill in the gaps around the centered pot with the soil mixture, packing it down. Leave about one inch of space at the rim of the pot.

“Water in this soil completely, so that the soil becomes claylike and molds around that pot,” said Ms Troccolla. “Push down the soil again to pack it in, and then slowly remove the center pot, leaving a form of the pot,” she said.

Pick up the cactus by the root ball — it should have retained the shape of the pot from which it was removed — and quickly drop it into the new pot. “This way, there is no need to pack down the soil around the cactus, either, which can be painful if you accidentally touch the spines, ” Ms Troccolla explained.

The final step is to add a layer of gravel or decorative stone on top of the soil all around the newly potted plant. This will not only stabilize the plant, but also provide drainage at the base of the plant.

“That’s it,” said Ms Troccolla, “you’ve repotted a cactus.”