subject: When is the time to re-pot the cactus??? [print this page] When is the time to re-pot the cactus??? When is the time to re-pot the cactus???
Normally, we should repot the cactus at least once a year but if you want the cactus to grow faster, you may change its pot every 5-7 months upon the size and age of the plant.
However, somebody who is very lazy (like me) may repot when it's really necessary. When is it??? You can notice the good time to change the cactus pot when
- Cactus size is too big for the pot
- Cactus is growing slowly
- The top soil is hard
- Cactus root's is on the surface of the pot because there is no more food/fertilizer at bottom of pot. (Sometimes, it's true but I've an experience: the root of one of my cacti grown on the surface. At that time, I changed its pot and its root was still on the surface again. I repotted again and its root was still on the top of the pot. I asked my cactus advisor about that and she said that's the habit of that cactus.)
However, you should know about the dormant period of each cactus & succulent. For example, my Pachypodium always leave its leaves and stop growing since October. It willhave new leaves and grow up again at the beginning of rain season (about May or June). So I repot it before that. Please note that the dormant plants are weak and can't really defend themselves against infection. Meanwhile, any damage done to the roots during repotting will be dangerous to the plants.
Right Season to do it
Normally, I'd recommend before or at the beginning of the rain season because it's not too dry or too wet. And the new pot can support the plant growth in the rainy but you should be careful about the infection and being rotten if you repot during the rain season. So please change the pot before the rain comes.
However, that's the general suggestion. You should understand your plants well. There are some species that can tolerate every thing you've done with them, but others could not truly tolerate any stress. So please pay attention and time to observe your cactus.
