two pots of cacti

this pot of cacti represents more than 30 years of friendship. it is one of two that were given to me by a close friend when i visited him at potong pasir flat more than 30 years ago. i have kept the cacti in the two same pots all these years. he actually gave me two small clumps of cacti. left in the pots, the cacti grew till they covered every space in the pots.

cacti can take a lot of neglect. however, if you give it a little care, it can go a long way. given proper light, soil, temperature and watering, they will send out new growth.

clay pots are preferred for cacti for two reasons. first, they are porous and allow the soil to dry quickly. second, they are heavy and many cacti soak up water, becoming heavy. they can tip over if grown in light plastic pots. mature cacti need to be repotted every 3 to 5 years.

the soil for cacti should be quick draining. cacti do not like to sit in heavy, wet soil. their roots will rot.

if you grow cacti, there is nothing to worry about when you go on a holiday. they are quite able to look after themselves for 2 to 3 weeks until you are back.