Six months with Barrel Cactus — what I actually learned

I brought Barrel Cactus home six months ago with high hopes and almost no knowledge. The first challenge was understanding providing the sunniest window or outdoor position available — something I hadn't expected to matter so much. Once I got that right, the whole thing settled down.

I grow it in an outdoor container brought in for winter and the position has been ideal. spectacular but brief blooms that can appear overnight is what keeps drawing me back to it. offsetting and pup production in spring was the moment that made me glad I persisted through the learning curve. One honest warning: scarring from cold water splash on the skin caught me off guard in month two. Stay on top of it from the start.