Features of a cactus pot. DIY store selection and DIY tips

Cacti are gaining our love more and more. These truly stoic plants attract with their unpretentiousness, but finally having bought a cactus, many face the following problems: the cactus does not grow or begins to rot, gets sick, the water stagnates.

And they begin to look for a problem everywhere, except for a pot. A pot is a very important factor for this plant. How to avoid such problems and find the pot of your dreams - we will consider in this article.

How to choose the right capacity?

How the cactus will grow, and whether it will be at all, directly depends on the qualities of the pot: its size, the presence of drainage holes, and the material of manufacture. And so that later you do not have to transplant the poor man for a long and painful time, it is better to immediately approach the choice of the pot with all seriousness.

Dimensions

The first factor is the size of the pot. The development of the root system of the plant, and, as a consequence, of himself, will depend on the size.

Select the dimensions of the pot in proportion to the cactus and its roots:

• If the roots of a cactus are rod or repetitive systems, you should purchase a deep pot. In a pot of insufficient depth, the root will hit the ground and begin to rot.
• For cacti of the fibrous root system, wide pots are suitable. The diameter should correspond to the size of the root.

A cactus is transplanted every 2-3 years, while increasing the size of the pot by 1-2 cm, it should always be more than the roots by this amount. However, it is worth noting that if the growth and flowering of the succulent does not stop, then you can take a while to “move” it. And what will happen if we neglect the size of the pot?

• Too big. If you plant a small cactus in a pot too large, then after a while it will lead to its death due to excessive moisture and acidification of the soil (what soil is suitable for cacti?).

  There is no way to get a smaller pot? You can increase the level of expanded clay at the bottom, thereby reducing the soil level, so that only the roots and the root neck of the cactus are in the ground.

• Too small. The cactus roots will eventually abut against the walls of the pot, which, without timely transplantation, will lead to decay of the roots and death of the plant.

Which material is better to choose?

The second factor will be the material. The two most common container materials are clay and plastic. Pottery is considered traditional for growing any plant. Manufacturing material is popular due to its useful properties, but it also has drawbacks.

The obvious advantages include:

1. Porosity.
2. Sustainability, which allows them to grow higher species.
3. The ability to better maintain shape than plastic counterparts.
4. The ability to quickly evaporate moisture.

But on the other hand:

1. A lot of weight.
2. Rapid evaporation leads to an accelerated formation of a salt layer (white coating) on ​​the inside of the tank, which ultimately causes alkalization of the soil.
3. The same evaporation forces you to water the plant more and more often (on how to properly water the cactus, read here).

Plastic, in stores called "plastic", the counterpart appeared not so long ago, but has already occupied its niche. There are disposable and reusable plastic pots, depending on the price, and possess the following properties.

Positive:

• Low price in comparison with clay.
• Low weight.
• Convenience in storage and transportation.

Disadvantages:

• Plastic walls do not allow moisture. Therefore, to avoid root decay, watering should be limited.

  Important! On a cactus in a plastic container, you should spend no more than a third of the water that is spent on irrigation in clay.

• From the first drawback, the second follows: the earth will dry unevenly, so the surface can be dry when there is still moisture at the depth.

So what to choose?

1. For small plants, plastic is much better than clay. Due to the small size of the pot, and, consequently, the land in it, evaporation will occur at a sufficient speed, and more rare watering will not harm the roots.
2. For larger succulents, clay will be a more suitable option. Due to its stability, the clay pot will support the weight of the earth and a large plant without turning over.

The form

The third factor is form. If the size will depend on the type of succulent chosen, the shape of the pot is only the esthetic preference of the gardener. It is worth noting that square pots will take up less spacebut this is the only thing that can influence the choice.

Is it possible to plant in a container without holes?

The fourth factor is the holes at the bottom of the pot. Their presence is no less important than its size, because the holes do not allow the fluid to stagnate, thereby saving the roots from decay. A cactus cannot exist in a pot without them or with a small number of them.

Photo

The photo below shows which pots are needed for growing cacti.

Prices in Moscow and St. Petersburg

Question price? Depends on the material, size, appearance and place of purchase:

How to do it yourself?

There is no desire to buy a finished pot, but is there an unnecessary plastic bottle at hand? From it you can easily make a pot for a small cactus.

You will need:

• Empty 2 liter bottle.
• Soldering iron.
• Spray can or any other item for the decor of our "vase".
• Scissors.

Course of action:

1. We cut the bottle into two parts, focusing on the size of the succulent. Use the bottom part.
2. We heat the soldering iron and use its tip to burn several small holes at the bottom of the bottle. These will be drainage holes.
3. We cover the surface with spray paint or decorate in any other way.

Is it acceptable to use after another plant?

Is it possible to use used pots? You can, but you need to follow the following rules:

• This should not be a plastic disposable pot.
• It must be well washed, all residues of the past plants must be removed.
• If a diseased plant grew in it, the pot should be filled with a bleach solution (10%) and left for 60 minutes.
• Dimensions should correspond to the planted succulent.

Cactus - demanding of his home, simply will not live in bad. But if you try to please him, and better to be able to do it, he will delight everyone with his flowering for many years.

Watch the video: How to Make a Terrarium. The Home Depot (October 2024).