Overwatered cactus
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Do cactus need water in the desert!
As a houseplant expert, I'm often asked how to water a cactus.
How to water cactus indoors
After all, it's one of those plants that looks happy, until suddenly it's shrivelled, has yellowing fluffy patches, has become lopsided overnight, or (worst case) the top part has flopped over and no longer seems to be attached to the roots.
I've been caught out myself a few times recently, losing cacti that I assumed were pretty indestructible; I'd even repotted a cactus and thought I'd got the watering regime right, yet lost the plant shortly afterwards.
It turns out that a plant that is supposedly low maintenance can throw some real curve balls.
And at the back of your mind you know the decline of your cactus is probably linked to how you've been watering it, topping up too often when you water the rest of your indoor plants. Sound familiar?
Overwatering is so easy to do, and is one of the quickest ways to kill a cactus plant.
So, below, I list cactus-watering best practice, and the most common watering mistakes to avoid if you want to keep your cacti thriving.