GARDENING WITH THE EXPERTS
It’s at this time of year we see small signals that cacti are starting their growing season
The world's finest share their tips for success
Nothing is more exciting than seeing the early signs of growth and flowering. Plants such as rebutia, aylostera and some of the mammillaria will have been displaying buds from earlier in the year and are waiting for their first watering before the buds will open.
But don’t be in too much of a rush to give these plants a drink. I wait for a stable fine period before I dish out the first watering, usually during the last weeks of March or early April. Don’t forget there’s still a good chance of frost and we don’t want our plants to have soggy bottoms in an unheated cold greenhouse!
Lithops probably won’t have finished splitting yet and they need to remain dry so the final moisture from the old leaves can be absorbed. This renewal process can’t be rushed but is usually completed by the middle or end of May, when the plants can be watered again. When you come to water your plants, I find that after the first or second watering they really benefit from a little feed to kickstart their growing year.
While there’s a lot to look at and enjoy, there is also an increasing workload. This is a great time to undertake a spring clean, and one of the first jobs should be to ensure there is no debris or plant
