A cactus as a natural gift is ideal for people who do not want plants that need a lot of care. The main characteristic of cacti is their great resistance to lack of water and their thorns. However, it is important to water every 15 to 20 days.

In some cultures cacti are a symbol of protection and in others they convey peace and inner strength. If you are one of those people who does not know what to do with one of them, here we will tell you how to identify it and what care you must have.

Desert Cactus

These curious plants, native to America and Africa, are adapted to withstand extreme conditions of temperature, light and drought. Its thick round bodies are designed to reduce evaporation as much as possible, accumulate large amounts of water and perform photosynthesis. The leaves have become spines, which have various functions to diminish the evapotranspiration surface, to act as a screen against the solar rays, to capture the water of the dew by condensation and to protect the cactus of the herbivorous animals.

Cactus of the tropical forest

Better known as Christmas cactus for its beautiful flowers, they are epiphytic plants that grow on the trees of the forest and on the debris of the leaves that accumulate on the branches. They do not tolerate excess heat, so, unlike desert cacti, they need frequent watering.

Crushed or succulent

They have a great variety of shapes and sizes, the ones that look like cactus because of their globose shape and those that look like conventional plants, but with fleshy leaves. They do not have spines, but they are also capable of storing water for long periods of time and resist very high levels of illumination and extreme temperatures.

Care of cacti and suckers

Irrigation

At the beginning of spring, when the risk of frost disappears and the plant begins to sprout, it is time to water with a certain frequency (once every 10-12 days) and the frequency of the irrigations will increase Progressive until the hottest months, which will be watered every 4-8 days, depending on the zones.

In the autumn, the irrigation intensity will be reduced, being carried out every 8-10 days and spaced more and more in order to get the plants to rest, until practically to suppress them during December and January or, at most, Give a gentle watering every 20-40 days in the colder period.

At temperatures below 10ºc cactus should not be watered, because they rot.

It is better to give a good watering that wet the whole volume of the soil, than several surface irrigations, which do not reach the roots well.

Let the soil dry well between irrigation and irrigation.

Although all cacti need a lot of lighting, not all can stand the direct rays of the sun.

As a general rule, species provided with hairs, very strong thorns or many thorns, require full sun, whereas species with few thorns and short ones require a certain shade. Ventilation is also very important for these species.