Water new potted cacti?

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JCcares
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Water new potted cacti?

Post by JCcares »

Ok I trimmed the root waited 2 days then today put my 8 new cacti in soil in new pots.

My question is WHEN do I water them and how much water?

Some told me to tease them with just a little water at first and then increase the water amount over time.

So please teach me how much is a “little water”? 3 tablespoons? 1/4 cup of water? (How much is a little)?

When do I give them there first sip? 3 days from now??

And after I give them a little water when should a give them there second swig? How many days after that?

My weather is sunny and a hot 88 degrees Fahrenheit. (They all are in the shade).

When can I bottom water them? 30 days from now?

I do have lots of rain water stored up.

Thank you VERY much for your helps 🙏🏽
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My name is Joe I Live in Hickory NC USA four equal perfect seasons.
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Aeonium2003
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Re: Water new potted cacti?

Post by Aeonium2003 »

Personally I would wait 1 - 2 weeks (without water), then give them a good soaking. The roots should be healed properly by then.
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Steve Johnson
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Re: Water new potted cacti?

Post by Steve Johnson »

Aeonium2003 wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 6:53 pm Personally I would wait 1 - 2 weeks (without water), then give them a good soaking.
Not if the roots haven't grown in fully yet. Here's an example from my collection...

Mammillaria guelzowiana repotted on 3/12/16:

Mammillaria_guelzowiana03122016_01.jpg
Mammillaria_guelzowiana03122016_01.jpg (131.13 KiB) Viewed 687 times
Pot diameter is correct, and not too deep. The plant was ready for watering a few weeks later, but the roots were underdeveloped -- I knew that if I gave it a deep drench, there wouldn't be enough roots to take up all the water. Root rot would obviously be counterproductive, so I came up with a strategy, and it goes like this: I water most of my cacti every 2 weeks in spring and summer, the guelzowiana included. Frequency stayed the same, and the only difference was that I gave it sips instead of soaks. The idea is that it teases new roots into growing, and when the mix dries out they'll want more. I did that a few times, followed by half-watering a few more, then the guelzowiana got soaks starting in July. And it rewarded me by doing this (7/16/16):

Mammillaria_guelzowiana07162016_forum.jpg
Mammillaria_guelzowiana07162016_forum.jpg (145.86 KiB) Viewed 687 times
The guelzowiana again at the end of that summer (9/18):

Mammillaria_guelzowiana09182016_forum.jpg
Mammillaria_guelzowiana09182016_forum.jpg (156.68 KiB) Viewed 687 times
Same plant, same pot on 10/16/21:

Mammillaria_guelzowiana10162021_for_the_forum.JPG
Mammillaria_guelzowiana10162021_for_the_forum.JPG (109.64 KiB) Viewed 687 times
I can tell you for a fact that if I went straight for deep watering two weeks after I repotted it, I would've ended up with rotten roots and a dead guelzowiana. We'll contrast the situation with this Astrophytum myriostigma I repotted on 5/17/15:

Astrophytum_myriostigma0516-05172015.jpg
Astrophytum_myriostigma0516-05172015.jpg (181.21 KiB) Viewed 687 times
Robust, healthy, fully grown-in root system when I moved it from terracotta to a high-fired ceramic pot -- ready for deep watering 2 weeks later.
JCcares wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 5:50 pmSo please teach me how much is a “little water”? 3 tablespoons? 1/4 cup of water? (How much is a little)?
There are no hard-and-fast rules on that, it's something new growers have to develop a feel for. Since I grow the vast majority of my cacti in a soil-less mineral mix, I need to be careful whenever light watering is required because water drains through like a sieve. With soil in your mix, it'll be harder for you to accidentally drench it -- put some water into a measuring cup, and dribble small amounts around the base of the plants. Let the size of the pots guide you on what "small" means in terms of your smaller and bigger pots.
JCcares wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 5:50 pmWhen do I give them there first sip? 3 days from now??

And after I give them a little water when should a give them there second swig? How many days after that?
First watering 2 weeks after you repot, regardless of whether it's sips or soaks. (Other members suggest 1 week, but IMO it's better to err on the side of caution.) When you give your new cacti light watering, follow the same schedule you use for the plants that get soaks. The strategy I discussed above should give you an idea as to when your new cacti are ready to go from sips to soaks. Once again, this is something you'll have to develop a feel for.
JCcares wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 5:50 pmWhen can I bottom water them? 30 days from now?
Cacti get rained on in the desert, so why should we water them from the bottom? Some growers insist on doing that, and maybe there's a good reason, but I could never find one.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
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JCcares
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Re: Water new potted cacti?

Post by JCcares »

Steve Johnson wrote: Fri Jun 10, 2022 12:46 am
Aeonium2003 wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 6:53 pm Personally I would wait 1 - 2 weeks (without water), then give them a good soaking.
Not if the roots haven't grown in fully yet. Here's an example from my collection...

Mammillaria guelzowiana repotted on 3/12/16:


Mammillaria_guelzowiana03122016_01.jpg

Pot diameter is correct, and not too deep. The plant was ready for watering a few weeks later, but the roots were underdeveloped -- I knew that if I gave it a deep drench, there wouldn't be enough roots to take up all the water. Root rot would obviously be counterproductive, so I came up with a strategy, and it goes like this: I water most of my cacti every 2 weeks in spring and summer, the guelzowiana included. Frequency stayed the same, and the only difference was that I gave it sips instead of soaks. The idea is that it teases new roots into growing, and when the mix dries out they'll want more. I did that a few times, followed by half-watering a few more, then the guelzowiana got soaks starting in July. And it rewarded me by doing this (7/16/16):


Mammillaria_guelzowiana07162016_forum.jpg

The guelzowiana again at the end of that summer (9/18):


Mammillaria_guelzowiana09182016_forum.jpg

Same plant, same pot on 10/16/21:


Mammillaria_guelzowiana10162021_for_the_forum.JPG

I can tell you for a fact that if I went straight for deep watering two weeks after I repotted it, I would've ended up with rotten roots and a dead guelzowiana. We'll contrast the situation with this Astrophytum myriostigma I repotted on 5/17/15:


Astrophytum_myriostigma0516-05172015.jpg

Robust, healthy, fully grown-in root system when I moved it from terracotta to a high-fired ceramic pot -- ready for deep watering 2 weeks later.
JCcares wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 5:50 pmSo please teach me how much is a “little water”? 3 tablespoons? 1/4 cup of water? (How much is a little)?
There are no hard-and-fast rules on that, it's something new growers have to develop a feel for. Since I grow the vast majority of my cacti in a soil-less mineral mix, I need to be careful whenever light watering is required because water drains through like a sieve. With soil in your mix, it'll be harder for you to accidentally drench it -- put some water into a measuring cup, and dribble small amounts around the base of the plants. Let the size of the pots guide you on what "small" means in terms of your smaller and bigger pots.
JCcares wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 5:50 pmWhen do I give them there first sip? 3 days from now??

And after I give them a little water when should a give them there second swig? How many days after that?
First watering 2 weeks after you repot, regardless of whether it's sips or soaks. (Other members suggest 1 week, but IMO it's better to err on the side of caution.) When you give your new cacti light watering, follow the same schedule you use for the plants that get soaks. The strategy I discussed above should give you an idea as to when your new cacti are ready to go from sips to soaks. Once again, this is something you'll have to develop a feel for.
JCcares wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 5:50 pmWhen can I bottom water them? 30 days from now?
Cacti get rained on in the desert, so why should we water them from the bottom? Some growers insist on doing that, and maybe there's a good reason, but I could never find one.
THANK YOU Steve 🙏🏽
My name is Joe I Live in Hickory NC USA four equal perfect seasons.
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JCcares
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Re: Water new potted cacti?

Post by JCcares »

Steve Johnson wrote: Fri Jun 10, 2022 12:46 am
Aeonium2003 wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 6:53 pm Personally I would wait 1 - 2 weeks (without water), then give them a good soaking.
Not if the roots haven't grown in fully yet. Here's an example from my collection...

Mammillaria guelzowiana repotted on 3/12/16:


Mammillaria_guelzowiana03122016_01.jpg

Pot diameter is correct, and not too deep. The plant was ready for watering a few weeks later, but the roots were underdeveloped -- I knew that if I gave it a deep drench, there wouldn't be enough roots to take up all the water. Root rot would obviously be counterproductive, so I came up with a strategy, and it goes like this: I water most of my cacti every 2 weeks in spring and summer, the guelzowiana included. Frequency stayed the same, and the only difference was that I gave it sips instead of soaks. The idea is that it teases new roots into growing, and when the mix dries out they'll want more. I did that a few times, followed by half-watering a few more, then the guelzowiana got soaks starting in July. And it rewarded me by doing this (7/16/16):


Mammillaria_guelzowiana07162016_forum.jpg

The guelzowiana again at the end of that summer (9/18):


Mammillaria_guelzowiana09182016_forum.jpg

Same plant, same pot on 10/16/21:


Mammillaria_guelzowiana10162021_for_the_forum.JPG

I can tell you for a fact that if I went straight for deep watering two weeks after I repotted it, I would've ended up with rotten roots and a dead guelzowiana. We'll contrast the situation with this Astrophytum myriostigma I repotted on 5/17/15:


Astrophytum_myriostigma0516-05172015.jpg

Robust, healthy, fully grown-in root system when I moved it from terracotta to a high-fired ceramic pot -- ready for deep watering 2 weeks later.
JCcares wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 5:50 pmSo please teach me how much is a “little water”? 3 tablespoons? 1/4 cup of water? (How much is a little)?
There are no hard-and-fast rules on that, it's something new growers have to develop a feel for. Since I grow the vast majority of my cacti in a soil-less mineral mix, I need to be careful whenever light watering is required because water drains through like a sieve. With soil in your mix, it'll be harder for you to accidentally drench it -- put some water into a measuring cup, and dribble small amounts around the base of the plants. Let the size of the pots guide you on what "small" means in terms of your smaller and bigger pots.
JCcares wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 5:50 pmWhen do I give them there first sip? 3 days from now??

And after I give them a little water when should a give them there second swig? How many days after that?
First watering 2 weeks after you repot, regardless of whether it's sips or soaks. (Other members suggest 1 week, but IMO it's better to err on the side of caution.) When you give your new cacti light watering, follow the same schedule you use for the plants that get soaks. The strategy I discussed above should give you an idea as to when your new cacti are ready to go from sips to soaks. Once again, this is something you'll have to develop a feel for.
JCcares wrote: Thu Jun 09, 2022 5:50 pmWhen can I bottom water them? 30 days from now?
Cacti get rained on in the desert, so why should we water them from the bottom? Some growers insist on doing that, and maybe there's a good reason, but I could never find one.
Steve next week Tuesday we have a heat wave on the East Coast 95 degrees. That change anything about waiting 2 weeks to water as you prescribe?
My name is Joe I Live in Hickory NC USA four equal perfect seasons.
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Steve Johnson
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Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)

Re: Water new potted cacti?

Post by Steve Johnson »

JCcares wrote: Fri Jun 10, 2022 5:21 amSteve next week Tuesday we have a heat wave on the East Coast 95 degrees. That change anything about waiting 2 weeks to water as you prescribe?
Good question, and this brings up the issue of summer dormancy (yes, cacti do sometimes go to sleep during the summer under certain conditions)...

Those conditions aren't extreme heat during the day, but extreme heat at night. People in Arizona know something about that when their overnight lows are 90 in the summer as their cacti are fat, happy -- and asleep. My cutoff is 75:
  • Overnight lows below 75, okay to water.
  • Overnight lows above 75, IMO not worth taking a chance.
I've never seen summer dormancy conditions in my part of L.A. I'm not sure if you would either, but since I'm giving you the numbers here, you'll know what to watch out for.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
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