Transplanting a cactus differs from a similar process with other plants in that it is a rather unsafe activity. An untrained person can receive many rather painful injections or, taking a cactus, drop it, thereby harming the plant.
How to transplant a cactus
Preparing for the correct transplant
Never water the cactus the day before transplanting. Dry soil crumbles better from the roots of the plant, making it easy to separate the cactus from the soil in the pot.
Nevertheless, this rule is not relevant for very dry soil, brought to, as experienced gardeners say, “reinforced concrete” state. In this case, the cactus soil must be watered very abundantly and soaked for better removal from the pot.
We take out the cactus from the pot
There are several ways invented and mastered by lovers of thorny plants: – to plant with the help of polystyrene; – with an ordinary newspaper; – transplant with a thick cord or wire.
To implement the first one, you will need a couple of pieces of foam, which you need to literally prick onto a cactus, then knock on the pot and get the plant out of it.
Newspaper, or better a couple, you just need to wind on the cactus, like a coil. Preferably in a very thick layer so that the thorns do not pierce it. Then, again, you need to knock on the pot and take out the flower.
The method with a cord or wire is implemented in this way: the cord is wrapped around the base, and its ends are brought up, then the plant is literally pulled outward.
Root inspection before planting
Immediately before planting the plant, it is necessary to inspect its root system, which must be strong and with visible hairs to absorb moisture.
Do not be alarmed if, when replanting a cactus after wintering, you find that there are no suction hairs on the roots. It’s quite normal. However, the root system should not be dry and crumble.
The roots of a healthy and well nourished plant should be yellowish to brownish in color and smooth in texture. If characteristic spots are found on them, the affected parts must be cut off and the cactus must be left to dry for several days, and then transplanted into new soil. If you are in doubt about whether the roots of the plant are healthy or not, you can check the photos and video tutorials on the Internet.
Planting a cactus in a new pot
Choosing a new “apartment” for a plant, you need to be consistent with the size of its root system, which should not be cramped in the pot. There should be 2-3 free centimeters of soil around the roots. This rule is also true for plants such as cardelin, prickly pear, berger, gardenia or sheffler.
If the roots are long, bending them at the bottom of the pot is permissible, but, again, there is no need to create excessive tightness in the new “house” of the plant. The situation is different if the rhizome has a turnip shape. Then it is right to buy a deep pot, between the bottom of which and the beginning of the root there will be at least 10 centimeters.
On specialized Internet forums, amateur growers argue about which pots are better – clay or plastic. Nevertheless, preference is still given to the first material that does not emit harmful substances when watering
At the bottom of the pot, you need to pour a few centimeters of drainage, which is covered with a thin layer of soil. Then the cactus itself is placed in it, around which the earth is poured and rammed. Experienced gardeners recommend watering for the first time 2-3 days after transplanting.