Hey all,

Wish I could post pics! About 3-4 years ago I got into collecting cactus and planted a couple thousand seeds. Those kids are all grown up and between 6 and 16 inches(T. Bridg)

I have seen people growing 3-4 foot cactus in like a 4 inch pot, everytime I see something like that, I always think, how sad, could take way better care. But then again it's huge and doesn't really look sick.

So now with a hundred or more cactus maturing, I'm going to running out of space.
Most of these guys are in 6 inch pots and are about 8", I expect a foot or more by the end of the season. I'm in Colorado and was thinking I would grow them out until late Oct. weather permitting.

Anyone mind commenting on my plan?

I'm thinking I can grow them out in the 6 inch pots until they are near 2 feet then cut them down and pup them out in the off season. I have a greenhouse connected to the house that gets plenty of heat and light and they shouldn't thin out to much and even if they did
wouldn't really matter bc they are not really building girth right? Then let them mature the following season and repeat the process.

Any thoughts on how cramped they might get doin this? Can I plant 2 smaller 8 inch guys in one larger pot without to much competion? Any thoughts on yeilds as far as best time to cut down?

Look forward to hearing from everyone.

Thanks,
D

put them in as big a pot as possible for max growth
harvest in winter after a dry period

Good advice, thanks mate.

I guess what I'm wondering is, what can I get away with, can you get 2 feet of growth in an 8 inch pot without to much cramping?

Then if you did do that...would it be ok the following season, would the roots just stop growing and it would get used to a smaller pot?

Just don't have the room for a hundred cactus in full size containers along with tomatoe and pepper plants!

Thanks again for the responses,
D

in my experience with potted cacti i think a smaller pot is better than a larger one. Just keep them snug but not overly root bound. larger pots lead to poor drainage and i find the tighter the roots are the faster things dry out. cacti drink water fast because in nature they are used to just getting short bursts of water here and there, therefore you shouldnt allow your soil to stay wet for long at all. ive seen 6 foot cacti in 6" pots before, thats a bit overkill but as you can see pot size really doesnt matter.

just my two cents.

That's so encouraging, thanks Dan.

really disagree. to see full potential they need to be put in the ground

small pots are a must for most cacti, but not trichs
which can be kept moist during active growth, just let them dry out before cold weather

I'm in northern colorado, we get a fair bit of snow most seasons. Otherwise, I'd be all about the ground

Was reading about a double pot idea that was pretty cool, where you bury one pot then just drop your potted trich in it during the growing season, pull it out during the off season, I bet the magnetics of the earth still help a bit even if it isn't rooted in the ground.

I think the smaller pots will be ok up to a point, about 2 feet of growth. I'm just wondering whats goin on with the roots. Will they keep growing and eventually get rootbound? Or stop growing because of the constant harvests...focusing on upward growth?

Feels good to get to know them so well.

Peace

you can grow very large plants in small pots, it just takes them much longer to get big.
they will keep growing slowly for years after they get rootbound
they do flower easier if rootbound

nice, good to know about the flowering...can't wait to see my first

Mine grew really skinny and weak when they were in small pots.. Got them in larger pots and they started putting on nice fat growth. I would recommend up potting them once the roots start to seem to fill the soil in the pot.

The ground is usually the best, but I've seen guys who plant in large rubbermaid storage containers and get some pretty big specimens that way. It's a good alternative if you live in a colder climate so they can still be handtrucked inside or into a hot greenhouse to overwinter, instead of just having to accept them losing limbs to freezing every year because they are in the ground. I myself have gotten pretty good growth with rooting them in 1 gallons, after they are rooted transplanting them to 2 or 3 gallons, and my bigger ones are currently in 5 gallons. I could get a bunch of rubbermaids and transplant them all and give their roots a year to grow and watch them shoot off, but I just don't have the space currently.

Just a quick update. I kept these guys in 8 inch pots, and got a little over a foot of growth this summer Gonna cut em next month and let them pup over the winter. Any thoughts on having more than one plant in a larger container? Better then lots of smaller containers with just one plant?

Thanks,
D