Growing cacti requires patience, but there are a few tips that can increase growth.
Start with sunlight. Cacti love bright light, but direct sunlight should be avoided in summer. Use filtered light by keeping cacti near windows or grow lights for best results.
Feed it rich soil. To give cacti the extra nutrition, they need to thrive, use an all-purpose potting soil amended with coarse sand and compost or worm castings.
Water deep and rarely. For cacti, too much water is worse than not enough; limit watering to once every 1-2 weeks during their growing season from spring to mid-summer and less often the rest of the year.
Keep pruning in check. Pruning will help shape your cactus, but be careful when you do it because any stressed part may die if not properly attended to quickly afterward.
Groom regularly. Check your plant regularly for debris and pests such as mealybugs, webworms, and scale, which can suck out vital nutrients that slow down its growth rate drastically.
Finally, consider fertilizer as a last resort when other methods don’t work – only use diluted liquid fertilizer on specific species since most require limited nutrient uptake from the soil already provided. Follow these simple steps for happy, healthy cacti growth!