How to Transplant a Cactus

How to Transplant a Cactus

• 1

  Cacti have surprisingly short roots, because they store water internally. You don't need a very deep container for your cactus' new home, but it does have to be able to drain well. Terracotta, which might let other plants dry out too quickly, is perfect for your cactus. If you've got a container without drainage that you'd like to use (such as a painted ceramic bowl), find a shallow, terracotta dish that fits inside the other container, so the cactus' soil is able to drain and dry out completely between waterings.

• 2

  Use a trowel or spoon to gently loosen the dirt around the edges of the current cactus pot. Try to tip the cactus and its soil out onto a protected surface (such as a table covered with newspaper). If the soil is stuck like cement around the cactus base, don't disturb it! It's easier to transplant a cactus with its "root ball" and soil than one that is loosely rooted.

• 3

  Prepare the new pot by covering the drainage hole with a bottle cap and then filling with cactus potting soil. Leave enough space for the roots and whatever soil is still attached to the cactus. Ideally, all the old soil will come out with the cactus in one hardened piece, and you can drop the whole thing into the new, slightly larger pot and fill in with new soil. If possible, lift the cactus by the hardened root ball and drop it into place.

• 4

  If the cactus doesn't have soil attached to its roots, fill the new pot with cactus soil, as described above, and use a spoon handle to create a space for the roots. Don the leather or rubber gloves and use a folded piece of lightweight cardboard (from an old cereal box, for example) as a sort of mitt to grasp the cactus and set it into place. In this situation, it helps to have an assistant on hand to fill in soil and tamp it down around the plant while you hold it in position. Try to position it so the soil comes up to the same place on the cactus as in its last pot; don't try to plant it deeper. Pack soil very firmly around the base to hold it upright.

• 5

  Lightly sprinkle or mist the soil, but do not get it very wet because when it softens, it might let the cactus topple over. If necessary, use temporary props (like pencils or chopsticks) to support the cactus during the first two weeks while it develops a sturdier root system.