How do you take care of a monkey tail cactus?
3 min read
Asked by: Aquilina Bruns
How to Grow and Care for Monkey Tail Cactus
- Light: Monkey tail cacti thrive in areas that receive plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. …
- Water: Water your cacti weekly in the spring and summer growing season. …
- Soil: A well-draining organic soil mix or specially formulated cactus soil mix is ideal.
How often should you water monkey tail cactus?
Watering Requirements
Water your plant about once every one to two weeks, enough to soak the soil thoroughly. Be sure to remove any excess water that stays in the pot after an hour or two. As with all cacti, it is best to let the soil dry out between waterings and never allow the plant to sit in water.
How do monkey tail cactus grow?
Monkey’s Tail Cactus grows from seed or by cutting off a small branch and rooting it in gravelly soil. The plant may also produce offsets from time to time. These may also be rooted. Remember to allow cuttings and offsets to dry in the open air for a couple of days before placing them in a substrate.
How much sun does a monkey tail cactus need?
The Rat’s Tail Cactus is one of the few species of the cactus plant that can survive temperatures lower than the freezing point. This happens to be its dormant stage. It becomes active and grows faster to produce flowers in the spring and summer. It does well in both a shady or a direct sunlight environment.
How fast do monkey tails grow?
The Monkey Tail is a relatively fast-growing cactus. In spring and summer, the stems or ‘tails’ can grow up to 10 cm per month. When mature, the stems can reach 7.5 centimeters in diameter, and grow as long as 2.5 meters long.
Does monkey tail cactus grow pups?
Monkey Tail Cactus Plant Propagation
Then you leave it to dry and plant it in dry soil. It can take up to a month before its roots and grows a new plant. You will notice on the end of the tail it grows pups looking like fingers. You can twist these pups off and plant them in the same way as the cutting.
Why is my monkey tail cactus dying?
Your monkey tail cactus will store water in its stems for fall and winter when it enters its dormancy period. Lightly water it during the off-season when the soil is completely dry, but be careful to avoid overwatering your plant as overwatering can lead to root rot.
How many types of monkey tail cactus are there?
If you are looking to add a monkey tail cactus to your succulent collection, you need to know that there are over 30 different types of this cactus.
How fast do monkey tail cactus grow from seed?
It flowers freely indoors too if conditions suit it. Surface sowing is the best; seeds germinate in 14-28 days at 20° C, remembering that seedlings dislike strong light and dry conditions.
How do you care for a trailing succulent?
Like other succulent plants, they need a well draining soil. Established plants need less water than younger plants. Water only when the soil is dry, but do not let the soil dry out completely. They need bright but indirect sunlight and need to be protected from intense afternoon sun.
