The Only Plant I Can't Kill (Buying Cactus)

Every plant I've ever had has died. It's seems simple enough right? Water, soil, sunlight... it's not brainsurgery. Having burned through my second houseplant since the beginning of the semester, I was beginning to think horticulture was not in my future. I was in need of a change and a friend purposed the perfect solution... a cactus.

Granted, cactus are a familiar sight in the southwest but surprisingly few people have considered the possibility of growing cactus inside as an alternative to houseplants. For one, cacti are notoriously hardy, if it can survive a desert it can survive your living room.

Second, generations of selective cross-breeding with exotic specimens have yielded a incredible variety of small sized, unique looking cacti that are perfectly suited to growing inside.

But picking out a cactus involves much more than a midnight trip to the arboretum with a shovel and a wheelbarrow. You should note that while "stealing" cactus is obviously illegal, poaching cacti from the wild is just as bad, and most breeds are highly protected. According to the Fish and wildlife service, cactus poachers often face fines of thousands of dollars and even jail time.

With no options left but the legal ones, I decided to head for the garden section of my local Target. Generally it's important to buy your plants from nurseries to assure they are free of defects, plant killing parasites, and molds. However, an expertly raised plant will cost you expertly raised prices. After a few insulting conversations with nursery workers ("Thirty dollars for a Ariocarpus retusus... I can't even pronounce that, much less afford it!"), I decided to live dangerously and headed to Target. Luckily, the garden guy there was just as knowledgeable as anyone working in the nurseries.

First he informed me that, contrary to my initial beliefs, you can't just put a cactus in a pot of sand and expect it to grow. He recommended a specialized gravel potting soil that better simulates the cactus's native soil. He also recommended re- potting the plant right away which can help cut down on excess root growth and save you the trouble of trimming them down later.

Second, he reminded me that cactus do need to be watered occasionally. Outdoor cactus are generally hardy but because of the cooler conditions indoors, you have to be especially careful. The website cactusweb.us/ recommends an alternating cycle of dryer soil, followed by periods where the soil is kept saturated. This mimics the weather cycles of cooler climates and helps stimulate cacti growth. Now that I had the soil and a bit of knowledge all I needed was the plant.

According to CactiGuide.com there are more than a hundred different varieties of cacti and sub cacti called "succulents", each small enough to fit in a plant pot... and talk about weird looking! It's easy to get lost among the different varieties, from wicked looking Austrocactus with it's sickle shaped hooks, to the downright fuzzy looking flocossa. In addition, there are many breeds with no thorns whatsoever that are safe to the touch.

A half hour and ten dollars later, I was headed home with a pincushion cactus. Similar to a small barrel cactus, the pincushion not only looks cool, it occasionally produces the amazing purple flowers shown below.
Video courtesy of djacob7


It's been almost a week now and so far so good. I don't know what I'll do if it dies... maybe get a goldfish.

If your having problems with your cacti or just need general information, check out the cactiguide.com forum