When it comes to watering your prickly desert friends, you can pretty much throw the rulebook for regular houseplants out the window. Because cacti have evolved in some of the driest places on Earth, they’ve mastered the art of “succulence”—basically, they’re experts at storing water in their stems, spines, and shoots to survive long droughts. To keep them happy without accidentally drowning them, you’ll need to adjust your routine. Here’s the lowdown on how to water your succulents the right way.
Adjusting Your Watering by Season
Once your cacti have moved out of their winter dormancy spots in early spring, it’s finally time to break out the watering can. After a dry winter rest, you’ll want to keep up a steady watering schedule from spring through September to support them during their active growth and flowering phases.
Here’s a good rhythm to follow:
- In the first week of March, give your cactus a gentle “shower” with soft water to wake it up.
- One week later, give the soil a thorough, deep soaking.
- For smaller cactus varieties, watering about every 8 days is usually the sweet spot.
- Larger cacti have more storage capacity, so once every four weeks is often plenty.
- Always empty out any drainage saucers! Standing water is a one-way ticket to root rot.
- Starting in September, gradually cut back on watering to prepare the plant for winter.
Stick to Soft Water
While a schedule is a great starting point, you also have to play it by ear based on your cactus’s specific location. Things like humidity, room temperature, and how much sun the plant gets will change how fast the water evaporates. Before you pour, always do a quick finger test to make sure the soil is actually dry.
Quality matters, too! Cacti are sensitive to “hard” water. High lime content can lead to serious damage and zap the vitality right out of your plants. Your best bet is to use soft, filtered tap water or, even better, collected rainwater.
Pro tip: If your tap water has a hardness level below 14° dH, you’re good to go. If your water is on the harder side, you can naturally soften it using peat. Just fill a small cotton bag with about a quart of peat and let it soak in your watering can for three days. It works like a charm!
