Planting Cactus??

[Tony the tank]

Well Len sent me a big box of cactus ... And now I can't figure out how to plant them.... Some are rooted some are not.... It's getting below freezing here and actually expecting snow this week...So I'm guessing outside is out of the question....

So how do I get the ones without roots to root??
How do I plant the ones that are rooted??
What temp should they be kept at??
How much sun do they need being indoors??
Do I use just potting soil or should I mix it with sand???
And there are quite a few cactuses do they need a lot of room??
Do they grow fast?
Can I plant more than one 8" pad in a flower pot??

I know it's a lot of questions but any help would be appreciated
Thank you

 

[dmarcus]

Stick both type half way into your soil and the ones without roots will start to root themselves and the ones with roots will re-establish themselves. Cactus soil is great but they will grow in any well drained soil.

Some cactus grow at a nice pace and some grow very slow and yes you can put more than one in a pot if the pot is big enough. can't help with the other questions..

No that you reminded me, I have to go plant to cactus that Len sent me...

 

[Tortoise]

I managed to get some feed pads this Summer and also a so called plantable pad. the only difference was thickness and size of plantable pad was greater.
I was told to put my huge pad in a 12 inch pot sandy soil and sink 1/3 of it in the soil and water and leave it be (watering occasionally)

This was in our Summer though and it stood on my deck-it is great now as it has about 12 new pads on it and I shave a few strips daily off the pads with a potato peeler for my baby Hermanns.

I also planted the feeding pads the same way and they grew too but not as vigourously. I now have 4 plants on the go indoors, so hopefully 6 mths of indoors won't be too hard on them.

 

[Mao Senpai]

If its freshly picked just let it sit for a week to let the cut area seal over and then just stick it in the dirt and wait a month or two. If the cactus is green still and not shriveled up then its growing roots. Heck.. I didn't even wait for mine, I just stuck them straight into the dirt and they took off.

 

[jackrat]

That's what I do,just stick it into some well drained soil. Outside I've had pads that were laid on the ground put down roots,right out of the side of the pad.

 

[Len B]

Well Len sent me a big box of cactus ... And now I can't figure out how to plant them.... Some are rooted some are not.... It's getting below freezing here and actually expecting snow this week...So I'm guessing outside is out of the question....

So how do I get the ones without roots to root??
How do I plant the ones that are rooted??
What temp should they be kept at??
How much sun do they need being indoors??
Do I use just potting soil or should I mix it with sand???
And there are quite a few cactuses do they need a lot of room??
Do they grow fast?
Can I plant more than one 8" pad in a flower pot??

I know it's a lot of questions but any help would be appreciated
Thank you

I didn't know this thread was here, I answered most of your questions in the PM reply. If you want the the pads without roots to root over winter it will have to be done inside, to get roots they can be close together then separate later.Outside they will not grow over winter where you are located.Len

 

[Tony the tank]

Len I'm located in Massachusetts....we get some serious snow here all the way march sometimes..

Well Len sent me a big box of cactus ... And now I can't figure out how to plant them.... Some are rooted some are not.... It's getting below freezing here and actually expecting snow this week...So I'm guessing outside is out of the question....

So how do I get the ones without roots to root??
How do I plant the ones that are rooted??
What temp should they be kept at??
How much sun do they need being indoors??
Do I use just potting soil or should I mix it with sand???
And there are quite a few cactuses do they need a lot of room??
Do they grow fast?
Can I plant more than one 8" pad in a flower pot??

I know it's a lot of questions but any help would be appreciated
Thank you

I didn't know this thread was here, I answered most of your questions in the PM reply. If you want the the pads without roots to root over winter it will have to be done inside, to get roots they can be close together then separate later.Outside they will not grow over winter where you are located.Len

 

[Redstrike]

I got a huge box from Len too, I just stuck them in some well drained soil like others have outlined. I mixed play sand with organic compost and garden soil.