Barrel Cactus

I've been growing plants seriously for over fifteen years and Barrel Cactus remains a reliable favourite. For anyone starting out: the most critical thing is protecting from frost below -5°C even for hardy varieties. Everything else follows from that. spider mites in warm dry indoor conditions is t…

Barrel Cactus is a genuinely satisfying plant to grow, but I want to be upfront about one thing: scarring from cold water splash on the skin. I've dealt with it twice now and it takes consistent attention to manage. Beyond that, remarkable drought tolerance once established makes it one of my favou…

I'd had Barrel Cactus for about eight months with acceptable but unremarkable results. Then I started really paying attention to protecting from frost below -5°C even for hardy varieties and the difference over the next two months was dramatic. architectural sculptural form that needs no flowers to…

I don't have a garden so an outdoor container brought in for winter is my only option for Barrel Cactus. It absolutely works — with the right attention to using pure mineral grit for drainage in the soil mix you can get excellent results in containers. extremely long-lived with minimal intervention…

I want to be honest: I'm not getting great results with Barrel Cactus and I'm not entirely sure why. scarring from cold water splash on the skin has been a recurring problem despite my attempts to address it. I've been focusing on providing the sunniest window or outdoor position available based on …

After growing Barrel Cactus for over a year here is what I'd tell a beginner. First: using pure mineral grit for drainage in the soil mix is not optional — it's the foundation everything else depends on. Second: root rot from any waterlogging in winter will happen and you should know how to handle …

I planted Barrel Cactus without expecting much and it's become one of the most satisfying things in my garden. remarkable drought tolerance once established is something I couldn't have predicted from looking at it in a nursery. You only understand it once the plant is established and performing. I…

I planted Barrel Cactus primarily for ornamental reasons. What I didn't anticipate was the wildlife it would attract. spectacular but brief blooms that can appear overnight seems to be particularly appealing to bees and butterflies during the main growing period. I grow it in a dry garden rockery o…

Here are my notes from twelve months of growing Barrel Cactus: Spring: offsetting and pup production in spring. This was the moment that confirmed the whole venture. I focused on using pure mineral grit for drainage in the soil mix during this period which set up the rest of the year. extremely lo…