How to Care for Cactus and Succulent

PROTECT THEM

We love pets; we adore them. They make our day with their cute and cuddly gestures. But you have to keep your plants away from them. Cats and dogs can run without prejudice and hit your plants. Sometimes they even chew plants when hungry. Pets, on the other hand, can also get hurt. Some cacti have thorns that can puncture them, and some cacti would do harm when swallowed. So it's better to put a small fence in your area or something that would protect the plants.

Butterflies are also beautiful flying creatures, but they can get deadly when they lay eggs. Eggs turn into caterpillars, and they are really voracious eaters. They love soft tissues as their meal and can wipe out a plant in just hours. This is also true with snails. So keep an eye on them, and if you already have one, use insecticides. And of course, always clean your surroundings.

DO NOT OVER-WATER THEM
Cacti are not ornamentals. They thrive in arid conditions and could bear drought for a long period.

So what happens when you water them too much and they can’t handle it? Well, they can crack. Cacti have genetically evolved to hold water longer than other plants do. So if they still have lots of water inside and you happen to water them, where do you think they would keep it?

It’s just like when your tummy is so full and you have to take some more to win an eating contest. Another problem from frequent watering is "wet feet." This happens when the roots get so soaked that they develop fungus.

Watering must always be appropriate for the situation. Because water evaporates quickly in hot weather, you can water more frequently. Reduce watering during rainy days and winter, when there is less sunlight. 

MAKE THE BEST SOIL MIX

Your plant had wet feet and died because of fungus. One thing that helps prevent this from happening is getting a soil mix that fits your plants. As a rule of thumb, it must be well draining, which means that when you water it, fluid can easily pass through the soil and drip. This is done by adding a huge percentage of inorganic materials to your soil mix to make it gritty. For starters, materials that are 60–70% inorganic (such as sand, pumice, and volcanic rocks) and 30–40% organic (such as loam soil, vermiculite, peat moss, and others) are suitable.

Pots can also be critical. Use pots in proportion to the size of the plant. If the plant is small, do not use huge pots because it takes more water. The larger the container is, the longer it will dry up. And when that happens, the plant will have wet feet. This is what we call "over-potting." One important thing to remember with pots is to choose pots with many holes. The more holes, the better, because it will help to maintain good drainage.

GET RID OF INSECTS

There are a lot of pests around us, but the most common ones that affect our cacti are scale insects. Meally bugs and "armored scale" insects are the two most common types, with the latter having an armor-like body shield. Both of them strike the skin of the cacti and suck the nutritious fluid that they need for reproduction and growth. But I find the "armored scale" insects more problematic because they leave a spot that’s infected with fungus. Brushing them off with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol will do (as well as spraying), but if the infestation is severe, you’ve got to use chemical insecticides to annihilate scale insects.

Aphids are another deadly insect that kills our plants. Spraying the infected body with chemicals can kill aphids, but when aphids are on the roots, they become lethal. They can consume all of the plant's roots, causing decay and fungal infection. You’ll notice this when the plant dehydrates too quickly, even on regular days. If you have root aphids, it’s best to uproot the plant, wash it with warm water or a mild alcohol-water mix, and let it air dry. Dispose of the soil, as it might infect other plants too.

PREVENT AND CURE FUNGUS

Fungus is absolutely the worst enemy your cacti could have. And it’s a serious problem because many fungal diseases can kill cacti quickly.
Fungus spores can come from many sources. It can be aerial; it could be from contaminated water; from your knives; or from your hands when they came into contact with another infected plant. It gets worse during rainy days or on days with high humidity.

Your soil mix also plays a vital role in fungus prevention. If it does not drain well enough, water will accumulate and fungus will grow in the roots. And when this happens, it becomes harder to recognize an infected plant. And by the time you notice it, it is too late, as the infection has damaged a huge part of the plant. 

Fungicides, like antibiotics, are used to combat fungal infections. And there are two types: systemic and contact. Each of them has different uses and effects. But if the infection has become so severe, then the best thing that you can do is to remove the infected part before it spreads. If it still doesn’t work, the best scenario is to dispose of them to ensure that other plants won't get infected too.

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