I've got a golden barrel cactus that came from Arizona about 25 years ago. I live in northern Maine in an area with poor sun exposure for a plant of this type. The cactus is still alive, but does not thrive. The top is about 16" tall and about 8" across at its widest point. It is time to repot again, as the cactus is very top heavy and leans to come out of the pot. The bottom of the plant that goes into the soil is about 1½" across and is not as strong as it needs to be to support the top. This part of the stem and the bottom of the plant are visible to about 1" below the level where the spines begin.
My question is, how deep should the plant be set into the new soil? Also, how do I stabilize the plant from wanting to roll and twist every time it gets moved, and do you have any pointers on how to best handle the dangerous top while positioning it into its new pot?
Repotting and Stabilizing
Those are some interesting dimentions. Sounds more like a columnar than a barrel cactus. I am guessing you got this from a nursery or the like?
Anyway, you can put it a bit lower in the soil when you repot. Just do it enough to stabilize it, then be very sparing on the water.
You can use a variety of things to handle it. Thick leather gloves (don't squeeze hard), rolled up newspaper, or Kitchen/BBQ tongs.
Daiv
Anyway, you can put it a bit lower in the soil when you repot. Just do it enough to stabilize it, then be very sparing on the water.
You can use a variety of things to handle it. Thick leather gloves (don't squeeze hard), rolled up newspaper, or Kitchen/BBQ tongs.
Daiv
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
Actually, the cactus used to be a lot more barrel-like... But in recent years, it's gotten taller with a spindly base. And I think it did come from a nursery. (That was actually my dad's question... When I told him how much you guys helped me with my vivarium question, he wanted me to ask my "cactus friends" advice on this. So yeah.) Thanks for the help!
As far as how to handle it during it's repotting: For large cacti like you describe, I usually take apart a cardboard box (remove staples and tear apart at the seam) and wrap it around the perimeter of the cactus, using the folded “flaps” that form the bottom of the box to enclose the top of the cactus. You can use box tape to hold the cardboard together once you have it around the plant. For me, this makes it easier to hold onto the cactus while you are turning the pot on its side to take the plant out and transplanting to the new pot/soil. I still use some thick gloves, because sometimes some of the spines do perforate the cardboard.
Hope this helps.
legolas29
Hope this helps.
legolas29
Last edited by legolas29 on Sat Sep 16, 2006 3:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I call this: (translated) My little desert. in the back you see a E grusonii that became a columnar. His previous owner had it for some 20 to 25 years on a (almost)northern windowsill. I have this one for two years now and after slowly bringing it in sunlight it started growing. But the stabilisation is still a problem. I lowered a bit and i put two leaningsticks with a rope around it to keep the plant upright. To repot I use the same method a Legolas. greets Harry
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Spikey1007
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did the roots do that?