Are you bored with your regular plants and want to add something new to change the vibe of your house? Do not worry, I am here to suggest some cute cactus that will add colors to your boring house.
You must be tried by working from home in the lockdown and excited to go to your office.
Are you thinking to add some greeneries to your office? Then, this article would be really helpful to you because not only for home but also, I will suggest some cute cactus for your office as well.
I am going to share some of the positive and negative aspects of growing cactus which will guide you to know about cactus even better. I am sure you will find it helpful. Let’s start to find out some cute cactus plants.
Why to buy cactus?
People prefer succulents over cacti for their houses and offices. Because they do not have that much knowledge about cacti. In this context, I want to mention that – all cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti. Cacti are distinct due to their areoles and spines.
I will give 7 reasons why you should buy cactus-
- First of all, the cactus looks really cute and small. It requires less space to grow. A cute cactus will add color to your boring house and can change the whole vibe of your house. You can place anywhere and everywhere.
- It is a low-maintenance succulent and easy to care for. You do not have to water it daily. 3 to 4 times watering in a week is absolutely fine.
- The soil for growing cactus plants should not be very enriched. A mixture of the succulent mix, perlite, and limestone will work fine. So, growing cute cactus is quite hassle-f
- Growing succulents and cacti in your home will keep the air fresh and toxins free from the environment.
- The texture and color of the cactus will calm your mind and will make you feel relaxed. It will also increase your productivity due to the improvement of your mood and concentration.
- The small, round, cushion-like areoles made cactus different from any other succulents out there. This will add uniqueness to your home and boring office.
- Cacti plant brings positive energy and vibe to your home and office. Taking care of a cute cactus will really make you happy.
Top 7 cute cacti for home
Cactus is a member of the Cactaceae family. 2500 species are found to belong to this family all over the world.
It will be very difficult for you if you started researching about all of them. That is why I will be suggesting some of the cute cactus which will be suitable for your home and your house garden.
- Bishop’s Cap
- Christmas Cactus
- Barrel Cactus
- African Milk Tree
- Rat Tail Cactus
- Angle Wings Cactus
- Old Lady Cactus
Top 5 cute cacti for office
I have already mentioned are benefits of placing the cactus plant in your office. But the cactus should occupy less space in order to keep the office area neat and clean. 5 best cute cactus plant for your office are enlisted below-
- Fairy Castle Cactus
- Star Cactus
- Old Lady Cactus
- Bunny Ear Cactus
- Moon Cactus
Where can I buy these cute cacti?
Now you must be wondering from where can you purchase these cute cactuses. There are plenty of websites from where you could purchase cactus.
Let me tell you some of the best websites from where you should buy these cacti. Some of the popular websites are enlisted below:
- Amazon
- Etsy
- Plantsguru.com
- Nurserylive
You will also get some amazing deals if you buy from these websites. These websites also offer free shipping all over the world. You can also find these cacti from your nearest local markets.
How to take care of these cacti?
Are you planning to grow some cute cactus but unaware of its caring process? I am going to explain what are the requirements that the cactus could grow better.
The process of caring for these cacti is pretty much the same. So, I will tell you a generalized caring process and it will be applicable for any cactus.
Let’s find out what are things you have to do in order to keep your succulent healthy and alive.
1. Temperature and Light Requirements
The above-mentioned cute cactus plants are generally growing better in warm temperatures and direct sunlight.
Most of them are from tropical or from Central America and Africa. Those enjoy temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit or higher than that.
Some of them enjoy direct sunlight and some enjoy indirect sunlight. My advice is to keep the pots in a place where they could get sufficient sunlight to grow.
In-office, keep the pot somewhere it could direct sunlight. If you want to place the plant in your garden then keep it in a half-shady place.
Remember winter is not suitable for growing cactus. Cactus could not survive in freezing conditions. If you are from a cold place go for other succulents, not cactus.
2. Water and soil requirements
Generally, these cute cactuses do not need that much watering. But in summer you have to water it frequently. Be careful while giving water and do not overwater it. If the water does not drain out well the roots will rot.
The soil should be enriched with gritty ingredients. A mixture of sand, perlite, and limestone can be a good option. Because it promotes drainage.
3. Humidity and Watering
Dry to average home humidity help to grow any cactus. I will suggest water the soil regularly to avoid dryness. Misting the leaves would be fine.
Water it 3-4 times a week. In winter, watering once a week would be fine. If the soil starts drying out, the plant will die eventually.
4. Fertilizer requirements
Generally, these cacti grow fast, and fertilizing them will accelerate their growth even faster. In summer, it grows fast. So, fertilizing it at this time will be beneficial to you. Use a water-soluble dilute fertilizer that does not burn your plant.
There is no point to use fertilizer in winter because the growth rate of the plant is really low. Using fertilizer is optional.
If you are a gardener out of passion you can totally rely on its natural growth. But if you are a professional gardener using fertilizer would be beneficial to you.
Propagation
Propagation is the process of growing a plant from an existing plant. Either you can buy seeds or saplings from the market or you can simply propagate a plant on your own. If you want to learn how to propagate a cute cactus then continue reading.
Step 1:
Clean your cutting tools like sharp knives and razors with soapy water. Also, use a disinfect to avoid introducing any kind of diseases and fungus. Follow this ritual every time before cutting.
Step 2:
All the cactus contains sharp spines. Wear gloves to protect your fingers and hands. You can also use pieces of cloth or tongs according to your convenience.
Step 3:
Choose a healthy stem for cutting. Avoid those stems which have diseases, discoloration. Cut the stem with sterile knives and cutting tools.
Step 4:
Leave the cutting dry in the air for few days to heal the wounds. Do not leave in direct sunlight.
Step 5:
You can dip cutting in the rooting hormone. This is step is totally optional.
Step 6:
Place the cutting into the potting mix which has good drainage. You can buy it for the market or you can prepare it at home by simply mixing sand, perlite or pumice and limestone.1/3 of the cutting should be in the soil if you plant it perpendicularly. Otherwise, you can lay the cutting in the soil.
Step 7:
Water it daily for few weeks. Mist the soil whenever it feels dry. Decrease watering after the establishment of roots.
Step 8:
Avoid harsh sunlight during this time. Place it somewhere it could get bright sunlight. Once the roots are established place them in your garden.
Read more on propagation here.
Potting & Repotting
Now, I am going to discuss the most difficult job in a simple way i.e., the potting and repotting process by using some household stuff. You can get a huge variety of fancy mixing pots in the market but before buying those check them carefully, are well-drained or not.
On the other hand, you can make your pots in your home according to your needs. You should re-pot the plant after 2 years because the soil loses all its nutrients over time. And sometimes the roots of the plant are tangled up inside the pot or even growing out of the holes.
- Remove the plant from the pot.
- Then remove soil from the roots very carefully.
- Place the biggest stem in the center or wherever you like to place it.
- Fill up the pot with the soil mix
Disease and Pest Control
Cactus do get diseases due to lack of caring. Now, I will highlight some of the common diseases it could get and will share how you can avoid or cure these diseases.
- Etiolation/sunburn/phototoxicity- Due to excessive exposure to direct sunlight.
- Desiccation- Due to lack of watering.
- Frost Damage- Due to freezing temperature.
- Pot Bound/Root Bound-Due to the absence of repotting
- Corking- Cactus turned brown due to the dryness and harsh sunlight.
- White/Black spot- Caused due to fungus infections.
Do not get stressed out. If you care about these cute cactus plant religiously, your cactus will be totally fine. These diseases can be easily avoided if you simply follow the previously mentioned methods.
Thrips, Aphids, Worms/Caterpillars, Nematodes, Red Spider Mite, Cochineal insects, Slugs, and snails are some of the pests that can affect your cute cactus. You can use natural insecticides like neem oil to prevent their coming.
Make a solution mixing 3 parts of rubbing alcohol with 1 part of water and dip cotton into a solution and rub it on the spots where the bugs made their colony. Instead of alcohol, you can also use vinegar or apple cider vinegar solution.
Toxicity
In the world of succulents and cacti, most of the cacti are non-toxic but some of them are toxic. But the cacti which I have suggested most them are non-toxic. But the latex of African milk tree is toxic. It can cause allergies to your skin. Wear gloves before touching that cactus.
Though most of the cute cactus plants are not poisonous they are not 100% safe. The sharp spines can be really dangerous to your children as well as your pets. My suggestion is to keep the pots in a safe place where pets could not come in contact with your cactus.
While at the office, place it somewhere in the corner where it could get enough sunlight. Do not touch it unnecessarily. On the other hand, your pets can also damage your cute cactus plant, so keep it in a safe place.
If any bugs are colonized in your plant, those could be dangerous for your children and pets too.
Find 10 toxic cactus and succulents that you shouldn’t keep at home.
Conclusion
I think by now you already know so much about the cactus plant. I have mentioned all the caring and growing processes step by step in a very simple way and also, I have suggested 12 cute cactus plants- 7 home cacti and 5 cacti as I have promised at the beginning of the article.
I tried to convey in a generic manner that this process will apply to any cactus. The caring process is very simple. You have to be a little patient to get a better result.
A cute cactus can totally change the vibe of your home and your workstation. It will be fun and relaxing when you will work in such a pleasant environment. Most of the suggested cactus will be found in the bestselling websites, which I have mentioned already.
I hope you found this article helpful. I guess I made this task easier for you. The suggested cute cactus plants are suitable for your home and office environment. Keep the precautions in your mind before buying those cacti. Follow the guidelines while buying it.