Everything to Keep Your (Surprisingly Finicky) Cactus Alive

“At Sprout Home, we use a mixture that blends pumice, coco fiber, peat, and perlite. In bulk, we use a recipe mixed up by a local grower, while pre-bagged, we preferBlack Gold potting soils, including their cactus soil. This mixture doesn’t compress like standard potting soil, so the roots of our plants can drink what they need and then dry out as soon as possible.” —Stephen Hill, general manager and creative director atSprout Home

“Generally, buy pots that are bigger by one or two inches from the plant that you buy … Cacti and other plants are generally sold in plastic grow pots, and a big mistake that people make is not immediately repotting the plants when they get home. Usually, plants are sold root-bound, and need that extra space. Any ceramic with drainage would work well, such as ourlocally made ceramic collection.” —Christopher Satch, plant specialist atThe Sill

“While there are many fertilizers on the market, you’ll want to use one that is either a liquid concentrate, likeFox Farm’s Grow Big fertilizer(they really will grow big!), or a granular, water-soluble fertilizer.JR Peters’s Jack’s Houseplant Specialworks very nicely. For your arid plant, incorporate a fertilize every other time you water from spring through autumn.” —Hill, Sprout Home

“We had so much trouble finding a good cactus and succulent fertilizer to use and sell at the Cactus Store that we ended up partnering with a manufacturer to create a product that we felt was missing from the consumer market: aprofessional-grade liquid fertilizer. This is the stuff serious collectors and growers use. I’m biased, but it really is the best.” —Max Martin, co-owner and co-founder of theCactus Store

“You canwater a cactuslike any other plant — by watering the soil, and letting the water soak in, with a proper can, and not just a coffee mug that’s lying around. If the soil is super dry, like a dry dish sponge, it actually repels water. So what you have to do is water a bit, let it soak, then water a bit more, and let it soak until you’re sure that it’s saturated.” —Satch, The Sill

“Make sure the soil has a chance to dry out between waterings, and water more in the spring and summer, and much less in the fall and winter. Amoisture metercan be very helpful with this, as it’s a quick way to tell if the soil has had a chance to dry out.” —Martin, The Cactus Store

“Definitely invest in gloves if you’re going to be moving the plant around.Leather glovesare the most spine-resistant.” —Satch, The Sill

“TheJapanese Hori Hori knifeis just a great multipurpose gardening tool that we end up reaching for all the time, basically a trowel on steroids. Can dig a hole in the hardest soils with ease.” —Martin, The Cactus Store