Returned to Barrel Cactus after a difficult first attempt

My first attempt at Barrel Cactus failed — scarring from cold water splash on the skin got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again.

The second attempt, with proper attention to using pure mineral grit for drainage in the soil mix, has been completely different. It's now thriving in a greenhouse or conservatory staging and architectural sculptural form that needs no flowers to impress is on full display. rapid growth during the warm summer months this year was a genuine reward for starting again. If you failed first time, the plant isn't the problem — the conditions probably were.