Expert: Joan - 4/14/2009

Question
I recently bought 3 tiny cacti from ikea, I know weird place but they were cute and the instructions just said
care instructions
Others
Attention: prickly!

Placement
Bright and sunny place.

Water
Water sparingly, allow soil to dry out in-between.

Fertilizer
Fertilize once a year (spring).

There was a variety of cacti and I'm not sure if that's all I need to know to get my tiny desert to grow. I recently learn from other questions they might be  succulents but just made me more confused... but ikea web site at http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/36804586 said that they were CACTACEAE and Plant: Cultivated potted plant
so... I'm not convinced. They all look differently then the ikea picture but they are similar. they are 3-4 inch tall tops including the pot. My family said they would grow bigger if I repotted them in a larger pot, but that brought up the problem of I don't know what kind of soil to use. I also don't know how much to water them. They cover almost all of the tiny pot so it hard to judge how wet the soil is. I currently have them on my window sill but I'm not sure if that's too much light now because I read somewhere that they burn like people! But that's about the only place I can put them to get any sun light. I live in a small Minnesota town and I'm not sure if they will freeze in winter. But I won't ever have them outside. but really close to the window. So basically I need to know the care about light, soil, water, growth, pots, and any other little hints you might find useful. this is my first cacti and I will feel really bad if they die. Thanks and I will be waiting for your reply!

Answer
Hello Becky,
The instructions seem to correct, but incomplete. You asked about watering. Water to moist the soil enough after the soil has become completely dry. If you aren't sure when the soil completely dries, water it 3 days after the surface dries. Additional care that wasn't mentioned is repoting. You can repot the cactus to any pot size, as long as it isn't too small. However, even crowded conditions are tolerated by a cactus. Use any cactus soil that is sold at garden centers.