UK gardening - Repotting 40 year old cactus

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Repotting 40 year old cactus

Ian Keeling

2005-12-02, 8:21 pm

When my grandfather died aged 99 my parents salvaged one of his cacti. I
didn't want to see it go, as I'd known it all my life.

Now, it's rather large (I estimate about 4' in height), though probably
not as large as it ought to be given its age, considering the size of
the pot it's in, which I rather suspect is the original one...

Presumably it would benefit from repotting, but I wouldn't want to risk
damaging it in the process (I hope I can avoid serious injury to
myself). Any tips on procedure? Or should I just leave it be? (Not sure
of the species - I think it may be Cephalocereus senilis). And would
this be a good activity on 26th December (right time of year probably?)

Rupert

2005-12-02, 9:21 pm

Derek E Banks

2005-12-02, 11:21 pm

"Rupert" <reply@newsgroups.com> wrote in message
news:4390e712@212.67.96.135...
>
> "Ian Keeling" <nospam@nospam.org> wrote in message
> news:4390e373$0$1486$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net...
>
> Until someone who knows comes along try this link and have a look at the
> repotting section and the compost section.
> http://www.succulent-plant.com/cultivation.html

I also inherited an unknown cacti but from my Mother in Law which despite
being neglected for many years on her bathroom window sill it survived. For
twelve years or so it was neglected, apart from the odd spray of water, on
our toilet window sill. A week ago I decided to divide and repot this
cacti. I found almost no root system and the soil and plant was bone dry.
Never the less I've potted up the devisions in cacti compost and given them
some water. Now I've an anxious few months to see if they flourish. If
they do I'll let you know. This plant has seemed virtually indestructable!

Derek Banks first post after lurking for a few months.

Rupert

2005-12-02, 11:21 pm

"Derek E Banks" <derek.banks11@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:5l7kf.13930$0o2.9299@newsfe3-gui.ntli.net...
>
> "Rupert" <reply@newsgroups.com> wrote in message
> news:4390e712@212.67.96.135...
>
> I also inherited an unknown cacti but from my Mother in Law which despite
> being neglected for many years on her bathroom window sill it survived.
> For twelve years or so it was neglected, apart from the odd spray of
> water, on our toilet window sill. A week ago I decided to divide and
> repot this cacti. I found almost no root system and the soil and plant
> was bone dry. Never the less I've potted up the devisions in cacti compost
> and given them some water. Now I've an anxious few months to see if they
> flourish. If they do I'll let you know. This plant has seemed virtually
> indestructable!
>
> Derek Banks first post after lurking for a few months.
>
Welcome .
Does your cactus look anything like this.
http://www.gardenerscorner.com/MotherInLawsTongue.html

Bob Hobden

2005-12-03, 8:21 am

"Ian Keeling" wrote
> When my grandfather died aged 99 my parents salvaged one of his cacti. I
> didn't want to see it go, as I'd known it all my life.
>
> Now, it's rather large (I estimate about 4' in height), though probably
> not as large as it ought to be given its age, considering the size of the
> pot it's in, which I rather suspect is the original one...
>
> Presumably it would benefit from repotting, but I wouldn't want to risk
> damaging it in the process (I hope I can avoid serious injury to myself).
> Any tips on procedure? Or should I just leave it be? (Not sure of the
> species - I think it may be Cephalocereus senilis). And would this be a
> good activity on 26th December (right time of year probably?)

Using Oven Gloves when repotting is a good idea as is wrapping sacking
carefully around the plant.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

michael adams

2005-12-03, 8:21 am

"Ian Keeling" <nospam@nospam.org> wrote in message
news:4390e373$0$1486$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net...
> When my grandfather died aged 99 my parents salvaged one of his cacti. I
> didn't want to see it go, as I'd known it all my life.
>
> Now, it's rather large (I estimate about 4' in height), though probably
> not as large as it ought to be given its age, considering the size of
> the pot it's in, which I rather suspect is the original one...
>
> Presumably it would benefit from repotting, but I wouldn't want to risk
> damaging it in the process

....

Because cacti like other succulents store water in the plant body,
repotting isn't as much a priority as it is with other plants. In
addition cacti can absorb water faster than can other plants. So
that quite large plants can survive in quite small pots providing
they're in a well drained compost and are given a good regular
watering (maybe soaking from underneath) during the watering season -
say late March late September in the UK.

Authorities seem to differ as to whether stressing cacti by keeping them
in small pots promotes flowering.

You should be able to tell if the small pot is hampering the plant by the
extent of any new growth it makes in the spring after its first watering
and feeding. If bright green new growth appears at top centre of the plant-
the growing point - then it's still o.k. Possibly under optimum conditions
an experienced grower could double the size of the plant within the next
five years. You need to decide if that's what you want, or whether you're
happy to poodle along at a slower pace. As the plant will adapt to
the prevailing conditions more or less.

....

(I hope I can avoid serious injury to
> myself). Any tips on procedure? Or should I just leave it be? (Not sure
> of the species - I think it may be Cephalocereus senilis).

...

Cephalocereus senilis "the old man" cactus is covered in whispy hairs
and is incapable of hurting anyone.

For cactus with serious spines, the normal recommendation is to wrap the
body up in newspaper prior to handling. However IMO this can damage the
odd spine, and far better is to cut out pairs of "tongs" out of old bath
sponges or similar plastic foam. Although care is necessary when disengaging
the foam from the spines afterwards.

If the compost is at all dry, it should be possible to lift the plant and
rootball out of the pot as it stands. Otherwise, just upend it over a sheet
of newspaper cradling the top of the plant in the palm of your (foamed)
hand and lifting off the pot. The only problem with this approach is that
dry compost, sand and grit may falls over the plant, and get lodged in the
spines requiring a good brushing afterwards - hardly the end of the world.

The cacti to look out for are opuntia - the ones with the flat pads.
While most of these don't have prominent spines, they have small
pads (glochids) which are made up of tiny spines which can stick
in the skin, which you don't notice until afterwards when they start
to itch. They may require an eyeglass and tweezers to remove.

As with most plants, unless you're experienced and know what you're
looking for in terms of root diseases etc, it probably not advisable to
fiddle around with the roots. Just shake off any lose stuff and make
sure to bed the roots in well into the new pot. As the compost should
be fairly free running this shouldn't be too much of a problem.

....

> And would
> this be a good activity on 26th December (right time of year probably?)

....

Definitely not IMO. The best time for repotting is spring just before the
start of the growing season. Say March. If you're going to repot, use the
next size pot up, choose a pot with good drainage holes, fill the bottom
third of the pot with washed pea shingle - that's small round stones the
shape of peas, not broken shingle the "size" of peas as some suppliers seem
to think.

The compost you use needs to be free draining. Some people spend
fortunes on made up cactus compost, some people make their own secret
recipes using loam, or leafmould in combination with sand and grit. I myself
use around one half spent peat compost from almost anywhere, one quarter
sharp sand, and one quarter grit. Another maybe controversial addition is
adding a bit of charcoal.

During the growing season the plants are well soaked from underneath once
a month in a dilute liquid feed - just a standard powdered feed Phostrogen
or similar - low nitrogen plus trace elements.

For top dressing some aquarium suppliers in markets sell miniature
pea shingle for around £1.50 a bag. Preferable IMO to turquoise
crystals or whatever.

If you were seeking to grow prize specimens you might be repotting
annually, and inspecting the roots of plants, which were all being grown
under glass. Otherwise, most cacti respond well to any kindness they
receive.
Good drainage, a regular dilute liquid feed between March and September
and the best available light usually a south facing window both summer
and winter. The closer to the window the better. And kept dry and frost
free in the Winter.

michael adams

michael adams

2005-12-03, 9:21 am

JennyC

2005-12-03, 1:21 pm

"Bob Hobden" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:3vdem0F15idonU1@individual.net...
>
> "Ian Keeling" wrote
>
> Using Oven Gloves when repotting is a good idea as is wrapping sacking
> carefully around the plant.
> Regards
> Bob

Several layers of newspaper work for me.
I think I'd wait till spring before repotting it if I were you.
Jenny

Kay Easton

2005-12-03, 2:21 pm

In message <4390e712@212.67.96.135>, Rupert <reply@newsgroups.com>
writes
>
>"Ian Keeling" <nospam@nospam.org> wrote in message
>news:4390e373$0$1486$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net...
>
>Until someone who knows comes along try this link and have a look at the
>repotting section and the compost section.
>http://www.succulent-plant.com/cultivation.html
>
I'd agree with other posters, that there's no urgency over repotting.
Definitely not to be done at this time of year - I do mine in June, when
the plants are in full growth, and have enough of the summer left to
overcome any root damage and the shock of replanting. The main problem
with cacti is a combination of cold and damp causing rotting, so they
need to be bone dry when the temperatures are low, and any repotting is
done through the growing season not during the dormant season.

Start by tapping the pot hard all around to loosen the soil, then lay it
gently down on its side, and tap the bottom, and see if you can winkle
the pot off. It's much easier to remove a plastic pot than a clay one -
if it's clay and doesn't come off easily, I'd be tempted just to smash
it off.

Use a new pot 1-2 inches in diameter greater than the old, certainly no
bigger than this. The roots should have been filling the old pot - if
they weren't, consider using a half pot. Use cactus compost, purchasable
in small bags from GCs, or use your chosen potting compost mixed with
and equal quantity of grit or sharp sand. Start by putting the required
depth in the bottom of the new pot.

With anything other than Opuntias I don't bother with protection -
lifting with several fingers spreads the load and lessens the
penetration, but the trouble with these 4ft monsters is the *weight* -
it helps drive in spines very effectively - so you may want to use a
page of newspaper twisted into a strip as a loop to tip the cactus back
upright. Then use the rootball to pick it up and put it in the new pot
(with a helper steadying the top of the plant using the newspaper
strip) before filling the sides with soil and tamping down.

If you haven't got a helper, you'll need to support it on your shoulder.

Don't water it in once repotted. Leave it a week or so before watering.

Only likely disease thing to be seen in the roots is root mealy bug -
you'll see this very clearly as white fluff around the outside of the
rootball and on the pot itself. If you have got this, then a good
soaking with insecticide should help. It doesn't kill plants quickly, so
again you can leave this a week or so.
>

--
Kay Easton

Ian Keeling

2005-12-20, 10:21 am

> Just to confirm - this specimen is approximately four feet tall ?
>
> ...
>
>
>
>
> ...
>
> It's simply that it's being foour feet tall might seem to conflict
> with an obsevation that the plant could still be in its original pot.
> As presumably its girth would have expanded at least to some
> extent in the interim. Unless it was grossly overpotted to start
> with for some inexplicable reason.
>
> Also, if it is indeed 4ft tall, then any approach to repotting might
> need to be modified accordingly. Clearly tongs cut from old bath
> sponges are out of the question for a start.

Thanks to all for the useful advice.

Yes, it's certainly at least 4 feet tall. The pot may not actually be
the original, but it is certainly way too small for a plant that size -
I'd estimate (from memory) that the pot is 5 inches in diameter
(possibly less). I'm pretty amazed that it has survived at all really
given the extent of the neglect that it has suffered.

Martin Brown

2005-12-20, 1:21 pm

Ian Keeling wrote:

>
> Thanks to all for the useful advice.
>
> Yes, it's certainly at least 4 feet tall. The pot may not actually be
> the original, but it is certainly way too small for a plant that size -
> I'd estimate (from memory) that the pot is 5 inches in diameter
> (possibly less). I'm pretty amazed that it has survived at all really
> given the extent of the neglect that it has suffered.

The only certain way to kill an established cactus is by over watering.
I have known big plants flower after a whole season with no roots at all!

Be aware that repotting will encourage it to put on a spurt of new
growth. There might be a case for keeping it slightly underpotted.

Regards,
Martin Brown

Anderson

2005-12-20, 1:21 pm

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