I've just potted up my first cacti specimens (ouch!) - all Gymnocalyciums but I think I'll only keep the purple/black striped G. mihanovichii for the long term it meets my criterion of alien looking & colorful. I order most plants off ebay and just about every cactus from every seller is sent bareroot for some reason. I was wondering if I SHOULD or SHOULD NOT "water in" cacti, lithops, succulents, etc. after potting? Various sources seem to say various things about watering & not watering.... Should I mist the cactus to supply it some water for reestablishing if not watering the soil direct?
I mixed their soil dry and planted them dry, "packing" the soil in around the roots with a sharpie marker and I have not yet watered. I'm curious about this as I am very new to cacti & succulents. I've tried to grow succulents before but must have kept them wet cos they soon dropped their leaves and "melted". So this time I'm trying not to overwater and have this idea that if I water every 3rd of the month after I take my dad out on his SS check day errands I won't be prone to over watering. Is watering once a month a good general rule for everything from lithops to trichocereus or is there no general rule that can be made for cacti/succulent watering and each is as finicky about water as they can possibly be? All my plants will be under a 125W horticultural Power compact from now until warm outdoor weather and then back under the lamps for next winter.
I mixed their soil dry and planted them dry, "packing" the soil in around the roots with a sharpie marker and I have not yet watered. I'm curious about this as I am very new to cacti & succulents. I've tried to grow succulents before but must have kept them wet cos they soon dropped their leaves and "melted". So this time I'm trying not to overwater and have this idea that if I water every 3rd of the month after I take my dad out on his SS check day errands I won't be prone to over watering. Is watering once a month a good general rule for everything from lithops to trichocereus or is there no general rule that can be made for cacti/succulent watering and each is as finicky about water as they can possibly be? All my plants will be under a 125W horticultural Power compact from now until warm outdoor weather and then back under the lamps for next winter.