One of the strongest organisms in the Plantae kingdom is the cactus, which is in the succulent family. It’s extremely tough and manages itself well even in harsh conditions.
In the desert, cacti make do with only the littlest of the resources. Given that, it’s only natural to wonder if cacti and succulents need fertilizer to sustain their growth.
And if they do, how often do they need the extra nourishment? Do you need to fertilize cactus and succulents?
These are some of the questions we’ll answer with this 5-minute read.
By the end of this article, you will have clarity on how to go about the activity and its potential repercussions.
Table of Contents
Fertilizer isn’t Absolutely Necessary
Cacti and succulents are generally very self-sufficient plants and only require minimal external assistance. They have evolved to survive in scorching conditions with scarce resources in the deserts. Homegrown cacti also tend to exhibit such qualities.
Knowing this, it is safe to say that cacti and succulents do not require fertilizers to survive. With little watering, well-draining soil, and a lot of bright sunlight, they thrive and become the green, exotic plants we love them for.
In general, it won’t be the end of the world if you don’t fertilize your cactus or succulent. Just the proper care is enough.
Little Nourishment Encourages Growth
However, this does not mean that fertilizer is terrible for your cactus. A little dosage of its favorite nutrients can do a world of good for your cactus.
It can help the plant truly thrive in terms of health and aesthetics. In addition, it will help the cactus bloom and produce delicate blossoms that will go amazingly with your home or garden decor if given at the right time.
Now that we have established that a bit of fertilizer can do good things for your cactus, it’s also essential to understand the ‘when’s, what’s, and ‘how’s’ of fertilizing a cactus.
Fertilizer Requirement
First of all, the quantity of fertilization your cactus needs depends upon the kind of cactus you are growing. It also depends on other factors, like the cactus’ state, climate, and growth stage.
Young cacti typically require less or even no fertilizer to grow. However, once the cactus matures, its nutritional requirement may also increase.
How Often Should One Fertilize?
There’s a real debate over the ideal frequency for fertilizing a cactus. But, as a general rule, fertilizing once a year is what most cactus and succulent growers recommend.
Since cactus are hardy, self-sufficient plants, they store food and water in their succulent leaves to survive the lack of resources. Knowing this, once a year is actually quite a fair frequency to provide fertilizer.
Some hobbyists also believe that anything more than once a year is over-fertilizing a cactus (more about that later!). However, Over-fertilizing can have complications, which may also lead to direct harm to the plant.
However, you can fertilize a cactus multiple times a year without causing any potential harm to its health. All that the cactus will need is a little acclimatization.
Just like some cactus need to be exposed to sunlight slowly, a well-planned and scheduled approach to fertilizing your cactus can help slowly get it accustomed to more regular nutrition.
What Do the Cacti and Succulents Need?
There is no optimal product to use when going ahead with the fertilization process. However, any fertilizer with a good balance of the proper minerals, in this case, NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), will provide ample nourishment to the cactus.
There is no conclusive research on the correct ratio of these three elements. But, in most cases, observations have found that a fertilizer rich in phosphorus and potassium with a lesser quantity of nitrogen is the best fertilizer for cacti.
For your convenience, we took a gander at some of the best fertilizer products for your cactus available online.
- The GrowCo – Succulent and Cactus Plant Food
- Schultz Cactus Plus
- Cute Farms Monthly Use Cactus Fertilizer
The Correct Amount of Fertilizer
It’s widely known in the world of cactus growing that cacti prefer multiple small feedings instead of a load of nutrition at once.
Thus, depending on the frequency you plan to go with, the amount of fertilizer you should use will also vary. Some cactus and succulent fertilizer products also come with guidelines regarding the frequency.
If you plan to feed the plant once every year, you would want to use a moderate amount of fertilizer. Although there are products tailor-made for cacti, any general fertilizer with a good proportion of NPK will do.
Dilute And Adjust to Your Needs
However, you must adjust the fertilizer according to the cactus’ needs. For example, if it’s concentrated, you will have to dilute it to use it as food for the cactus or succulent effectively.
In general, if fertilizing once a year, you can use around 3-4 tablespoons of fertilizer in 12-15 liters of water to get the proportions right.
In case your fertilizing routine is more frequent, for instance, once every 2 to 3 months, you can lower the amount of fertilizer to one tablespoon in the same volume of water.
You can also easily store the diluted fertilizer for around a decade or so, provided you keep it in the right conditions.
The Best Time to Fertilize Your Cactus or Succulent
Cacti and succulents have an active growing season and go dormant when sunlight is unavailable during the winters. So, you may wonder when you should fertilize your cactus.
The most optimal time to give your cactus and succulent the extra nourishment is right before the growing season.
These plants’ growing season starts from mid-spring and lasts through the summer. Therefore, fertilizing the plant during early spring can help it carry out its physiological activities, boost its growth, encourage blossoms, and even reproduce.
Good nourishment will naturally ensure that the cactus has enough fuel to carry out the given processes and maintain its health.
However, some cacti grow during the winters, like those of the Opuntia family. In such a case, make sure that you fertilize them before the start of winter.
What About Indoor Cacti?
Shade-loving cacti or indoor cacti also grow in restricted environments where the soil is cut off from other organic resources. Unfortunately, this means that the soil can also run out of nutrients. Thus, it becomes imperative for you to provide them with extra nutrition.
But, since their appetite for nutrients is low, always use as little fertilizer as possible at a time.
Reviving a Dying Cactus With Fertilizer
As mentioned earlier, the cactus state is an important consideration when fertilizing the plant. If your cactus is dying due to a disease or perhaps lack of nutrition, you may consider reviving it by repotting and starting fresh with its care.
In this situation, a cactus will need slightly more nourishment than a robust, healthy cactus in terms of both quantity and frequency.
Once you have repotted the cactus, you can establish a regular feeding routine with minimal doses of fertilizer used each time.
This will allow the cactus to have sufficient nutrition to help it repair itself and sustain growth.
Overfeeding a Cactus or Succulent
Overfeeding your cactus or succulent can spell as much trouble as a lack of nutrition can. We all know that these plants’ needs are very specific. Not following these requirements can lead your cactus down a path of complications.
Excess nutrition can have various negative impacts such as inhibition of growth, irregular blossoming, abnormal growth, and other effects such as softening, mushiness, discoloration, and even decay.
Thwarts Growth
Over-fertilizing a cactus or succulent can also cause salts to build up in the soil around it. A salt build-up in the soil has serious adverse effects. First of all, it can poison the plant through the roots, causing problems such as wilting and shrinking.
Secondly, over-fertilizing affects the water absorption rate by the plant’s roots, which can end up drying out your plant in the growing season.
Overfeeding can also allow for a host of other diseases since it can potentially weaken your cactus or succulent.
Bottom Line
Cacti and succulents continue to be some of the toughest plants we know. However, their ability to keep growing in demanding situations means they have evolved to survive without external nourishment.
But, a little fertilizer can boost their growth and help them attain their best state. It can also help you restore a diseased cactus or succulent to its former glory. Remember, the right quantity and frequency are the key.
Good nutrition right before the growing season can remarkably impact the health and the growth of the plant in general.
Fertilizing cacti and succulents also comes with the potential risk of overfeeding, which can harm the plant’s well-being. However, since cacti and succulents do not absolutely require fertilizers, under-feeding them is more viable than overfeeding them.
By now, we hope that you have a better grasp on how much fertilizer cacti and succulents need and how often they need it. Growing these plants can sometimes be tricky, but with consistent care, regular nutrition, and the proper practices, you can get the most out of your plant friends.