Blog: Improvise to keep your hands from those spines!
Avoid spiny accidents and learn how to repot prickly cacti safely – or any other plants with a sting in their tail. Ordinary gardening gloves won’t cut the mustard. Go for strong leather and a band of cardboard (or in my case, a seed packet) to control plants.
In my case, I was potting on Opuntia (prickly pear or bunny’s ears cactus) pads. My almost 50-year-old original plant has taken to shedding large chunks of itself over the conservatory floor. It’s a simple matter of letting each pad dry out for a week and potting them on in gritty compost. Beware – if the compost is too wet, the pads rot, so keep them on the dry side. Here’s more advice on rooting cuttings.
If you have a mature plant, repot it when the roots show through the drainage holes. Repotting is best carried out in the spring when cacti are growing actively. However, it’s fine to do this throughout summer. Avoid autumn and winter, when plants need to be dry and will either struggle to establish or rot.
How to repot prickly cacti
Water plants two days before repotting, so the roots are moist. With pad cuttings like mine, or any cacti or succulent cutting, let them dry out, or caulk for a week beforehand.
- Wear leather gloves and with a band of cardboard (or similar) around the spines, remove gently from the pot. The cardboard protects you and the plant’s spiny appearance.
- Remove topdressing, old compost and cut away any dead or diseased roots.
- In a pot one size larger than the original, place gravel or crocks in the bottom.
- Use well-draining, slightly acidic compost or specialised cactus compost and repot the cactus to its original depth. Gently firm in. For pad cuttings like mine, plant only deep enough to stop them from falling over.
- Top dress with grit or gravel and water carefully.
- Water regularly in spring and summer, allowing plants to almost completely dry out before watering again.
- Water in the morning or evening – plants may scorch if they’re covered in water droplets during the heat of the day.
- You can also place pots in a pan of water. Remove them and allow to drain when the surface of the compost appears moist.
Here’s more on caring for cacti and succulents. One of my favourite suppliers is ottershawcacti.com – well worth a look, or seek them out at shows.
How to repot prickly cacti updated 2025
