Today we will cover another topic on cactus care. In this post, we will share secrets and tips and talk about how to repot or transplant a small, tall or large cactus. We will also discuss when to repot your cactus, and how to repot a cactus without hurting yourself or getting pricked. And after that, we will talk about caring for cacti after repotting them.
Should I repot my cactus and how often should I do it?
Yes, you need to repot your young cacti every year, and every 2 years for mature plants. Repotting or transplanting your cactus is very important because it grows and eventually needs more space and the fresh growing medium.
A growing cactus will have its roots growing inside the soil mix, and will need more space. You can check that by looking at the rootball from the bottom of the pot (which should have drainage holes). If any roots are sticking out, you need to repot your cactus as soon as possible.
The same goes if you take the cactus out of the pot and you can see its roots around the root ball. What is more, repotting generally ‘wakes up’ your cactus and stimulates healthy growth.
What is the best time to repot a cactus?
The best time to repot a cactus is at the end of the dormancy period. This will minimize any stress on your cactus. Dormancy period will be different for many plants. But for most cacti that grow in places with cold winters, they are forced into dormancy from November to end of February.
General important tips for repotting cacti:
- Don’t water your cacti before or after you transplant them. Let the soil dry so that roots stay intact. Also, wait for a week to 10 days after repotting before you water your cactus again. This is very important, because you might damage its roots while handling, and any contact with water can cause plant’s death.
- Some cacti have very sharp spines, so you will need an extra protection for repotting. This can be newspaper, an extra glove or cloth.
- You will need to protect your hands for repotting cacti. Some cacti will have longer and sharper spines, so double up your protection! The best supplies for protecting your hands from prickly cacti are nitrile coated gloves like these that will work much better than leather gloves because they are thicker. If you have a cactus with sharp spines, wear two pairs of gloves or get gloves with double coating.
How to repot your cactus – step by step overview
- Before you start repotting your cactus, prepare the supplies and the space. Also have prepared soil
mix, a plastic container for working with a root ball, brush, nitrile gloves, wooden stick, some folded newspaper and shears with micro-tips or scissors. - Choose a pot for your cactus. A pot should be bigger than the last one as well as washed and disinfected. Don’t choose a pot that is too large – cacti like snug fit. When choosing a pot, add around 1-2 inches extra in width (to your cactus) and make sure it’s not too deep. But cacti’s roots should be sitting comfortably in the pot, with some extra depth space. If your cactus has very weak roots and has not been growing consistently, choose the same sized pot and repot to stimulate growth. Add some time-release fertilizer in the soil or add bone-meal or egg shells. Read about container choosing here.
- Fill the pot that you will use with some rocks or gravel + some charcoal. This will help with drainage and will prevent any soil from coming out of drainage holes. On top add some fresh soil mix before you introduce your cactus.
- Remove your cactus from the pot (will discuss how to do it in a second) and remove any old soil from the roots. Soak if old soil doesn’t fall off easily.
- Place your cactus in the pot and gradually fill it with the soil mix.
How to remove your small to medium sized cactus from an old pot for repotting
There are few ways to repot your cactus without pricking and hurting yourself. To handle small to medium sized cacti, wearing nitrile coated gloves (can be two pairs or double coated) and using folded newspaper might be enough.
Another way to handle small cacti is to use silicone tongs (not metal ones). Don’t squeeze your cactus and be very gentle. You can also use foam sponges or similar.
There will be roots curled around the main root ball, and you must be careful not to damage them. Turn the pot vertically and try to slide a cactus out of its pot. It should be easy to do if you have not watered your cactus for 3-5 days before repotting.
If your cactus is not sliding out on its own, then use this method. Take a thin wooden stick or something similar and remove the top soil layer. Then, hold your cactus (wear gloves and use folded newspaper for extra prickly cacti) and try to slide it out of the pot by gently knocking the pot against the table. Don’t pull your cactus – this way you will damage very thin and fragile roots!
How to handle and repot a large or tall cactus with sharp spines
If your cactus is outdoors, or is very tall & large, you will need to be extra careful. Wear your nitrile coated gloves and use folded newspaper for moving your cactus. What is more, you can use a big towel and wrap your cactus with it.
If you have a problem with sliding your cactus out of the pot, try to push its rootball from the drainage holes with a wooden stick.
If nothing works to take out a large or tall cactus, you can break the pot or cut it. If after cutting the pot your cactus is still not coming out, you can use a hose and spray its roots with water. This will make a rootball softer. But be always gentle, you don’t want to damage your plant. Don’t forget that if you have sprayed the roots, you will need to let them dry before potting into a new container.
Make sure to hang your cactus so that the roots dry. If the cactus is very large, place something underneath it for support (for example some bars under the cactus so it is hanging). It is also better to hang it outside the pot so that the roots can dry faster.
If you have sprayed the roots with a hose, you will need to dry them before planting the cactus
After you have removed your cactus from an old pot
After removing the cactus from an old container, you will need to clean the rootball and remove old soil. This should be easy to do with dry soil. But if the soil has dried and you can’t clean it, place the rootball in a plastic container for soaking in warm water (around 122 degrees F or 50 Celsius) for 20-40 minutes.
After the rootball has softened, wash it with water to remove any remaining soil. Dry your cacti’s rootballs for 12-30 hours so that they dry completely.
A good tip would be to hang your cactus so that roots are in vertical position. This will help the cacti to acclimate to a new pot sooner and will save roots’ natural healthy shapes. Washing and soaking your cacti’s rootballs in warm water will stimulate plants’ growth.
Take a look at cacti’s roots
Once you have removed your cactus and shaken off (or washed off) old soil, examine the roots. To examine the roots, you will need to check them for parasites and rotting. If you can see any rotten roots, you will need to cut them with shears that have micro-tips.
You can also use small scissors. But before cutting any rotten roots, make sure to sterilize the blades with alcohol, flame or boiling water with antibacterial soap.
With this cactus, you will need to soak the rootball in warm water to loosen it
If you can see any damage or cuts in roots, wash off the soil and apply some alcohol on cuts. Let the roots dry before placing the cactus in the pot.
Place the cactus in its new pot
After you have examined the roots, place your cactus in the pot. It should be already filled with some gravel/rocks and charcoal + some soil on the top. Slide your cactus in and start gradually adding the soil from the sides.
Don’t use any tools and pat on the soil gently while adding the soil and when you are done. Make sure to leave 1-2 inches free of soil on top layer. Overfilling the pot with soil can make your cacti prone to root rotting.
After 5-7 days, you can water your cactus. If the soil has gone down a lot, add some more on top. A healthy cactus should become stable and sit comfortably in the soil 2-3 weeks after repotting. If your cactus is shaky and needs additional support, then its roots are not healthy.
What to do after you have repotted your cacti
After repotting your cacti, you must provide it with a rest period of 7-10 days. Don’t water your cacti during 
this rest period. What is more, you need to prevent any water evaporation from cacti’s stem during these 7-10 days. This is very important, or otherwise the stem will dry out.
To make sure your cactus is not evaporating water from the stem, take it to a cool dark spot and cover it with a white transparent plastic vegetable bag. If it gets too hot in the room, spray your cactus after 4-5 days with some warm water and cover it again. After 7-10 days, take the cacti out and place them in their permanent spot. Also, water them for the first time after repotting.
If repotting was successful, you will notice extra growth and even flowering during the first month or two.
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