Cereus care guide

Pets and children

How often to water Cereus

Spring–Summer (Mar–Sep)

Every 7 days

A vigorous summer grower that takes heat well: water well two or three days after the soil dries through, as a guide, in the evening in midsummer.

Autumn (Oct–Nov)

Every 14 days

Growth slows as it cools, so water about one to two weeks after the soil dries.

Winter (Dec–Feb)

Every month

Dormant: nearly dry, with a light watering about once a month on a warm morning, as a guide; kept dry it is fairly cold-tolerant.

Light and placement for Cereus

A sunny, airy spot as a guide: direct sun outdoors from spring to fall, since low light makes the top thin and crooked, and indoors it wants the brightest window, with gradual acclimation before moving it outside in summer.

Overwintering Cereus

Overwintering guide: 3°C (37°F) or above

Kept dry it generally takes about 3°C, and large plants sometimes winter under the eaves on the Kanto and Kansai plains, but as a guide keep pots out of frost and rain at a bright window indoors and rest them dry.

Fertilizing and repotting Cereus

Fertilizer

It grows fast: diluted liquid fertilizer about once a month from April to September, none in fall or winter, since overfeeding makes it soft and top-heavy.

When to repot

Spring–Summer (Mar–Sep)

Common problems with Cereus

• Short of light indoors, only the tip grows, thin and bent, until it topples.
• Watered in winter, the roots rot and the base turns brown and soft.
• It grows tall and a light pot blows over in the wind.

Tips for growing Cereus

• If it gets too tall, cut it in spring, dry the cut for a week or two, and it roots as a cutting.
• Use a heavy pot or stones in the bottom so it does not tip over.
• Monstrose forms are grown the same way, on the dry side.

More cactus care guides

• Chin cactusGymnocalycium
• Christmas cactusSchlumbergera
• Crown cactusRebutia
• Easter lily cactusEchinopsis
• Golden barrel cactusKroenleinia grusonii
• Hedgehog cactusEchinocereus