Expert: Greg Simpson - 10/28/2006

Question
I have just bought 2 cacti and i dont know much about them. One is a Pachycereus Pringlei, i dont know what the other one is but it is small and round and it is in flower.How long do the flowers last and when do you feed a cactus.

Answer
Dear Frances,

I would only feed a cactus 1/2 as often as a regular plant. Water only when the soil is dry. Flowers on most cacti last only a day in the wild, some a little longer in cultivation. The Pachycereus won't flower until it's about 10 feet tall. Depending on the size of it now, that could be 20 or 30 years from now. If you live somewhere other than southern Arizona or California, it may never flower.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Greg