Good news for all you low-maintenance plant parents out there: you don’t need to repot your Easter cactus very often! Generally, giving it a fresh home every two to three years is plenty. When the time does come, though, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got the right pot size and the perfect soil mix to keep it happy.
The Quick Essentials:
- Don’t go overboard on pot size—keep it cozy.
- Always choose a pot with a drainage hole.
- Use a specialized cactus mix.
- Alternatively, mix regular potting soil with sand (2:1 ratio).
- Add a drainage layer at the bottom.
- Be gentle! Those segments snap off easily.
- If a piece does break off, don’t toss it—you can use it as a cutting!
When is the best time to repot?
Your Easter cactus will usually need fresh soil every two or three years. Of course, if you notice it’s clearly outgrown its pot before then, feel free to move it sooner. One golden rule: never repot while it’s blooming or just about to flower. These plants are a bit sensitive to change during their flowering phase and might drop all their buds if they get stressed.
Tips for a smooth transition
Since the Easter cactus doesn’t have those prickly spines, you can skip the heavy-duty gardening gloves. However, the segments are quite delicate and can snap off if you’re too rough, so handle your plant with care. If you want your cactus to keep getting bigger, move up one pot size. If you’re happy with its current size, just swap out the old soil for fresh stuff and put it back in the same pot.
Choosing the right soil
A high-quality cactus soil is your best bet. If you don’t have any on hand, you can DIY a mix by combining two parts regular potting soil with one part sand. To prevent root rot, create a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot using some broken terracotta shards or coarse gravel before adding your soil.
What to do with broken segments?
Accidents happen! If a piece snaps off during the move, you can actually grow a whole new plant from it. Ideally, you want a cutting that is about four inches long and has at least two segments. Just tuck it into some seed-starting mix, keep it steady, and wait for those new shoots to appear.
