Silver torch cactus care guide

Pets and children

How often to water Silver torch cactus

Spring–Summer (Mar–Sep)

Every 10 days

A summer grower: as a guide, water the soil (not the spines) two or three days after it has dried through.

Autumn (Oct–Nov)

Every 14 days

As temperatures fall, water about a week after the soil dries, as a guide.

Winter (Dec–Feb)

Every 30 days

Dormant and nearly dry: a light moistening about once a month on a warm morning.

Light and placement for Silver torch cactus

Generally full sun and good airflow year round, under the eaves out of the rain; strong light grows the dense white spines, while in weak light the new growth comes out thin, green, and dull.

Overwintering Silver torch cactus

Overwintering guide: 0°C (32°F) or above

Kept dry it tolerates around 0°C: as a guide, overwinter it under the eaves out of frost and snow or at a sunny indoor window, dry and on the cool side so it stays dormant.

Fertilizing and repotting Silver torch cactus

Fertilizer

Diluted liquid feed about once a month from April to September, or a little slow-release fertilizer at repotting; overfeeding makes the columns soft and bloated, and none in winter.

When to repot

Spring–Summer (Mar–Sep)

Common problems with Silver torch cactus

• Set away from the window, it etiolates and the tip grows thin and green.
• Watered in winter, the base rots and the column falls over.
• Rain and dust yellow the white spines, and the grime does not come off.

Tips for growing Silver torch cactus

• It grows tall, so plant it in a heavy pot that will not tip.
• Offsets from the base can be cut, dried a few days, and rooted.
• The red tubular flowers come from the sides of columns that have reached about 40 to 50 cm.

More cactus care guides

• Star cactusAstrophytum
• Ball cactusParodia
• Barrel cactusFerocactus
• Blue candle cactusMyrtillocactus geometrizans
• Cacti (general)
• CereusCereus