I was putting pebbles in the bottom of my cactus plant to set up a drainage system and I noticed that a couple roots have grown out of the bottom holes and started to coil around the bottom of the pot. Is this normal? Or, is this a sign that it's time to move to a bigger pot?
Yes when roots are coiling around the bottom of the pot and sticking out the bottom it is definitely time for a new pot.
Thanks! What's the best way to transplant a cactus? Do I just use regular potting soil or is there a special type of soil cacti prefer? Also, do I break down the soil that is in the current pot to mix with the new soil, or just add the new soil around the edges to fill the new pot?
This is all so new to me...I feel like such a retard!
They sell special cactus potting mix so I'd probably look for some of that (around here I always see it at Home Depot and local nurseries). I would try to shake off as much of the old soil as you can (and throw it out, don't put it in the new pot--potting mix loses a lot of its good qualities after being used for a while, so it's better to have as much fresh stuff as possible in the new pot). And if the roots have wrapped themselves round and round, you'll need to try and loosen them up a bit so that they are able to spread into the soil in the new larger pot.
Thanks ECrane...You're the best!
