Repot a CACTUS (Without Getting Pricked) - Ep. 196

[@laurafarias5226]

i once read a comment that said that summer is the bob ross of the plant community and i think they´re absolutely right

[@summerrayneoakes]

I just rewatched an old Bob Ross. Damn he was legend. I am humbled with that comment.

[@fernandafarias9883]

Lol

[@bozenaroman8141]

You probably get millions of messages, but I really hope you get this one especially. My 8 year-old son and I watched this episode on repotting cacti. Later that same day, we went to our local Home Depot for paint and of course had to browse the plants before getting our paint. Anyway, we found a good size silver barrel cactus that my son fell in love with. He has a small collection of cacti but he was especially inspired by this cactus after he saw your golden barrel cactus. Thank you for your show! You have a young possible future botanist watching!

[@boboloon]

that's cute. did the cacti last?

[@wizard2755]

@@boboloon yes but the kid died

[@Kousmisure]

An inch wide flat paint brush can be used for removing soil out of tender roots (cacti, peperomias, ferns, begonias etc.)

[@summerrayneoakes]

great tip! Thanks for writing in.

[@terriejohnston8801]

Exactly....even a toothbrush along w that paint brush.... for other textures of cactus. Grooming Cactus?!? Its fun when ur INTO it. Grow lights are a special treat.

[@TranceATB]

The plants are great and all. And I love this channel. But we need to talk about how awesome that necklace is

[@judithlenzin7444]

I know, as a jewelry maker, I had my eye on it too!

[@WanderingNoldo]

Watched this w/o headphones on my laptop in the living room. My wife walks in (at some distance) and sees this elegant woman on screen and hears her talk about "using a thong". "What are you watching" she exclaims, and me not getting it at first explains it is a video about repotting cacti, leaving her of course utterly confused. It really was quite funny.

[@summerrayneoakes]

hahahah. tongs vs thongs. Perfect timing!

[@tamekahill2826]

Men LMAO

[@madamplant]

Lol!

[@Thankful_.]

“A prickly subject” what a fun intro! Your videos are always so fun and informative, Summer! 😊🌱💚☀️

[@cyberkingkong]

When you are surrounded with 200 plants, it’s a real paradise. That’s my house now.

[@vespirs]

@@ceesan5605 not necessarily. I’m a broke 21 yr old w 200+ plants in a studio apartment 🤷‍♂️

[@cloudberries]

vespirs seconding this. between propagating cuttings/succulents and buying from garden centers you can build an impressive collection, even if you only buy the smallest/cheapest plants possible

[@TheAdhdGardener]

She def inspired me years ago.. the number of plants keep climbing😁🌱

[@ryandepauw]

So envious of all your gorgeous pottery with drainage. oh!

[@reresimone4300]

the necklace???

[@judithlenzin7444]

What a fantastic lesson!!! Now I’m encouraged to repot those tiny cacti in minuscule nursery pots I got as a gift.

[@summerrayneoakes]

@David Needler Great tip!

[@summerrayneoakes]

@David Needler Great tip!

[@judithlenzin7444]

Thanks so much... now to find some cool planters. Even plain terra-cotta ones that give the plants decent space would be better than what they have now... why is it that they are sold in such unhealthy conditions anyway?

[@plantslut]

so many great tips! i find acceptance that you are going to get pricked also helps 😂

[@heathera2200]

You make it look so easy! I just changed mine out of the nursery pots while wearing two layers of gloves because I’m so nervous. I still got poked a little bit but wasn’t terrible lol. Thank you for the video as always.

[@cefcat5733]

Good tips. My Aloe is also a gift from a dear friend and is still outside in the cold. It grew bigger during the summer like always. It has to be put in a new pot suited for its personality. It grabs me each time I walk by or water another plant in the area. It is monster-like and always demands more room. I don't know if Styrofoam will stick to it. I will test it or maybe use other air-cushion packing material to handle it. It can get you through the garden gloves which I used succesfully for everything else. Aloe always wins that contest. That cactus of yours is so cute! I guess that they teach us to be cautious and to stand our ground.

[@rosamg8758]

I am completely in love with all of your pots, they are gorgeous

[@mateusvahl5072]

This mixture looks yummy 😋

[@csn583]

Mmm, literal trail mix.

[@barbll000]

That flared pot is gorgeous. So funny poking the peanuts on the spikes, though it makes sense to do that. I think the peanuts are made from potatoes.

[@csn583]

I always heard corn. Probably whatever starchy they have a surplus of.

[@alexiapons2883]

Soo nice to see you again. I really needed a burst green of energy to start revisiting my plants plans again. Thanks Summer.

[@plantnation3136]

you are the first person who hasn't said cactuses thaaaaaaaaaaaaaankyouuuuuuuuuu

[@ameliagraham92]

I would have dumped it all back in the bowl on that first one. Then I would have dropped the plant lower in the pot, but that's just me. I loved the Styrofoam on the cactus. We are moving soon with a 5-6 ft Blue Torch cactus. I had planned to use some Styrofoam we have from another project to make a surround for it. Love your choice in pottery. All in all good job Summer. Happy Growing!

[@summerrayneoakes]

Great minds think alike! Good luck with the move. Let us know how it goes!

[@manpos722]

I have a giant Barrel Cactus. when i need o repot it i will use Crocs as gloves haha. Put the sole on the palm side of the hand and you are ready to go! Its really handy for bigger and heavy cacti.

[@monsieurpetlavedette9721]

I love so much that you are always so delicate and gentle with your plants ♡ That pot fits the bubble head cactus so well the colours are the same ! I'm like that too, I enjoy that mindset 🤗

[@hpeteacher9445]

Love the packing peanut tip! Will be using that one the next time I repot one of my cactus. 😎

[@csn583]

And with the rest you can build a little army of corn-nut animals. Lick & stick!

[@leonarddobrzyn725]

Great clip. I seem to be the elected plant person in our family. When my daughter was 4 yrs old we moved from AZ and she was sad so my mom bought her some cactus as a comfort gift to reminder her of AZ. Later she lost interest in it and I couldn't throw it away. She's 39 yrs old now and I had it all this time and it's grown to where I need to transpant and had no idea how to keep from getting stuck. Great idea with the peanuts! Also -- I am glad my wife finally retired too because she always seems to get 'plants' as gifts at work. And she has a brown thumb so guess who has to take care of them. I'm a softie and I can't just throw them out and no one wants them so I guess I've become the plant person... thanks for the help..

[@danavargova7232]

I have already repotted my Grussoni cactus and all the others... A Nice video.... 🤗

[@minicat3640]

How did you know I'm repotting my cacti?! Perfect timing. The most dangerous one for me is the opuntia microdasys. I repot that one with tongs.

[@summerrayneoakes]

Yes, those glochids are terrible!

[@megmoo96]

I just got one of those and have been trying to figure out how to grab it to repot it lol. Do the tongs work alright?

[@minicat3640]

@@megmoo96 Yes, you just have to be gentle so as not to squish your plant!

[@monsieurpetlavedette9721]

Also your necklace is amazing 🐝

[@JoannaLouise200]

Love your attention to detail Summer. Your beautiful planters compliment the cacti perfectly. I find the blunt end of a pencil helps get the new substrate right down the sides between the planter and the cactus root ball

[@katearcher8881]

Always use gloves with extra protection! I repotted bunny ears cactus wearing thick fabric gloves, I thought these soft spines won't get through, I was so wrong! And then I was suffering for the next 2 days from these tiny needles that covered my fingers, also, my gloves became the source of spines as well, even washing them didn't help. And the extra tip for those who owns bunny ears cactus: if you get needles in your skin, use tweezers, you can remove most of the needles with these.

[@summerrayneoakes]

Those glochids on the Opuntia are definitely THE WORST! Richard the Cacti Guy has no problem petting Opuntia. It amazes me. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpKzmKVphc19Y5o

[@tamekahill2826]

And duck tape too.Just press it lightly on the spines then pull it off fast.No need to worry about it hurting coming off you already in pain.Lol

[@rachelo0423]

Glue works too!

[@mlvalero2037]

I love your posts.. And I love matching pots too with the plants.. Lol

[@summerrayneoakes]

thank you!

[@chvrchives]

noting this for when i have a cactus i love! have not gotten one yet. i love the necklace!!

[@meadowmorph3291]

Just a suggestion...wooden kabob skewers! I bonsai. (hey I just made a new verb!) When I'm potting my smaller trees, I use the wooden skewers instead of a chopstick. We of the bonsai ilk, carefully move the point of the chopsticks in and out of the soil to find the deadly air pockets. This pushes substrate into the air pockets. I find using the skewers for these smaller trees (cacti, in this case) is a far more gentle approach. Those super-fine roots will thank you for it. I was gifted a barrel cactus about twice the size of yours. I was amazed to see how fine and brittle these roots really are. I'm rather new to cactus. Now I "cacti" as well as "bonsai" =D. It's a new journey. I have always tended to under-water, which is what I did last summer. Over-watering is more dangerous. I believe they just went dormant. It was so terribly hot and dry last summer. .Anyway, I love my cacti. I also received one of those Bunny Ear sweeties. It's exploding growth-wise, and I'm going to have to figure out what to do with it. It's out-grown its pot. The bottom segments are rather sunburned, while the new growth looks lush. I think I might just remove the new growth from the old, and root the new growth. Does that sound like a good plan? I really don't know!

[@lorirober2536]

Another excellent Summer video! Thank you so much!

[@judithlenzin7444]

Well, that was fun. Almost makes me want to go out and buy a bunch of pot-bound mini cacti to do more. My three tiny plants were completely stuck in their abominable store dirt. Now they look realllly pretty and almost like they could take off and grow finally. I even had some beige gravel to cover the top of the substrate. And if they don’t have quite the class as Summer’s with those gorgeous planters, the terra-cotta is pretty nice after all. Again, thanks, Summer, for the video!

[@robertcochran7103]

Thank you so much for this video. I learned a lot from it. I need to re-pot a cactus that does not seem the spiny sort, and I think you taught me what I need to know. Thank you!

[@estelalopez7857]

Beautiful pots.

[@ryebra]

Make sure the soil is dry before repotting the cactus. It will be easier to take put of the pot and the chance of root rot will be less. Love your videos. :)

[@terrariumlenhart5860]

Great job, that's a beauty.

[@Yoliplanting]

I am here laughing because I just repotted one I forget it’s name which is is native to Cuba and boy did I get spines😂😂 Love to see you potting up plants. I know this is an old episode would love to see you tackle your collection at home in the newer one💚

[@laverite1050]

Your honeycomb necklace is so cool. Thanks for the video I need to replant my cacti and have gotten hurt in the past.

[@jimini1976]

I'm a bare hander. My day job has made my hands alot tougher than a few pricks.🌵

[@cherylyeo25]

Love this video, so useful! some of us stay away from succulents or cacti cos we dunno what/how to move them ard ... and they r easier to care for, have, maintain than some house plants :) :) :P Thanks and app u giving a shout out to Singapore! We miss u too! Greetings from hot & humid ;)

[@hankscactus3973]

I am a big fan of BBQ tongs and using cardboard for supporting cactus during repotting. I am always happy to save the perfect scrap of cardboard for the next project. Great video, Love your channel ^^ I also use chopsticks and rocks to hold the little cactus pups in place if the do not have a big root ball. ^^ Hope your day is really good!

[@Alisha8596]

I absolutely love that necklace your wearing!

[@theonghantan862]

Nice way of repotting Thanks

[@sherluthien]

Great video! Thank you for the tips! I found a chop stick handy for getting the old soil off the roots and to get the air pockets out of the new soil. :)

[@gardeninghouseplants1112]

Thank you for sharing! Brilliant tips👌😃😊☕️☕️

[@PK-rr2tx]

i love your planters

[@summerrayneoakes]

Thank you!

[@suburbanhomestead]

So I have a cactus that I think may be slowly dying because part of the bottom is getting brown, and it has gotten skinnier and taller over the years. But it has been like that for years. Do they just die out very very slowly?

[@summerrayneoakes]

Hey Siloe! It depends on what the brown is. Brown and mushy can be rot. Brown and woody can be cactus virus. Brown and woody could also be natural aging. Skinnier up top can mean it's stretching for light. Sometimes that's new growth though and will fill out over time.

[@kimsd2184]

Give it more light

[@superfund42]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who sticks those packing peanuts in their mouth to check if they're the starch-based ones.

[@csn583]

I don't know why I've never thought to compost them! I just make little animals by licking the ends and sticking them together.

[@fancypanda1993]

I use chopsticks and they can be surprisingly gentle

[@ShyDog827]

I just repotted two cactus with longer spines than yours , using just my rubber palmed garden gloves ( exactly like yours) and it turned out just fine. I also used a similar gritty mix of my own using coir ; I hope our cactus do well👍🏻

[@madamplant]

Love those!!

[@wesleylooper7726]

If you damage the roots while repotting, use a little sulfer to promote a quicker callous. Then wait 5-10 days before offering water.

[@alijaved9654]

You have learned all scientific names it's very impressive

[@kyowell4798]

I use that top dressing as well, I just love the combination of stones and crystals ☺️🧡

[@spoildrotten2]

My Golden barrel cactus is triple the size of yours and, now that hibernation season is over, it needs to be repotted 🥴 I constantly poke myself on it so these tips are awesome! I’ll probably use tons of newspaper to wrap it in cause it’s spines make it into a bloodthirsty beast

[@ellambyrne]

I wish I watched this before I changed the soil in my only Cactus 😂 I use gloves and newspaper and still managed to damage some of the spines 😭 The packing nuts is such a good idea! Also want to get some of those long tongs!

[@Robert_A_Keyboards4948]

Love your video! Some commercial brand big name brand cactus mix typically hold too much water. I have found you have to add to the mix or buy a commercial mix that actually looks more like your mixture. You can actually use tongs on the barrel cactus I have. You just have to shake it from the pot first, and then carefully pick it up very gently and drop into the new pot.

[@Riley-ze2wv]

Tissue paper works well to wrap it in too!

[@estelalopez7857]

Definitely that cactus looks like it has rollers on. 😂

[@Thankful_.]

😂 👏🏽 It does! lol

[@catherine3684]

This video and many others have taught me so much about houseplants and all thats required to maintain them, and I thank you! On a side note, music is not necessary in your posts!! Just a pet peeve. lol

[@terriejohnston8801]

TRY wrapping paper over the barrel cactus. THEN use a tong. It was fine...they are extremely tough cacti. Instead of a chunky spoon, use a chop stick or a skinny tool to push the dirt down @ around the cactus. Its faster @ works great. NOT trying to criticize my Dear, but THAT'S TOO MUCH. prep when you have alot of barrel cactus..OR EVEN 1 for my liking. Thnx for sharing Ur ideas. Like i mentiond once b4, a rubber Bulb Syringe REALLY is great for watering smaller cactus. 🌵 💦 . Peace from pa.

[@RaphCocson]

Thanks for the demo, Summer! I've been putting it off but I guess its finally time to repot my cactus. Do cactus regrow spines that broke off?

[@summerrayneoakes]

That's a great question. When a spine is hardened off, it doesn't regrow. It regrows from the primordia around the areole, which is where the flowers and spines come out. So it'll have to grow from that growing region. If you accidentally break off a half a spine, it won't grow back. And it's energy intensive for the plant to replace broken spines from the areole

[@scp5577]

I saw that you and Laura from Garden Answer promote it- and figured Espoma is an established and reliable company - so I bought a bunch of bags of Espoma Cactus and Succulent Mix this summer - and now I so regret it. It is thick like sludge and retains moisture like mad - and one of the bags had fungus gnats built in - etc. Ugh! So now, I have to repot cacti like my rainbow hedgehog, which are very prone to root rot, all over again in some other mixture - even though tis really not the season to be repotting cacti. Your two here turned out beautiful btw - [just the right amount (hardly any) of Espoma Cactus mix!!!] -

[@minicat3640]

I agree, espoma is terrible as are all commercial cactus mixes. You've really got to mix your own.

[@summerrayneoakes]

If there are succulents that are really sensitive or that sit on the potting medium, I try to use more aggregates in the potting medium, like I did here. That or adding more perlite to the peat. The peat really can dry out in my opinion. Since I'm not always watering succulents and cacti, it can dry out and it's hard to rewet and gets crusty, like you saw in the golden barrel cactus. That being said, I never had fungus gnats in potting medium. Typically all potting mediums you get on the market are sterile mixes.

[@scp5577]

@@summerrayneoakes Yup - just my bad luck I guess - and made me hate the Espoma more. One bag of Espoma Cactus mix had gnats - and another bag of Better Go Orchid Mix, which had generally been good in my experience before this, had them. I've been battling those little buggers in my house, for a couple of months now, and finally it's getting a bit better. I've heard other you tubers and commenters complain of the same. I guess whenever your dealing with stuff like plants and potting medium, it's a possibility. Those critters are sneaky and once in so difficult to get out of your life!

[@supergabee]

Great video, as always. I don't even have cacti but I loved it. If I can give just one suggestion would be not to have the music playing while you are speaking. The video is SO MUCH BETTER without the background music! The music was unnecessary, you are entertaining enough 😉

[@MJSGamingSanctuary]

A tip if you are afraid of handling or hurting the cacti got a decent paper towel? Great, now make a semi thick ribbon out of it and wrap it gently around the cacti and then you can gently lift the whole cacti and all and not get pricked at all NOTE you may need to SCALE UP this method depending on the cacti's thorns. Preferably best with smaller cacti this method is.

[@tamekahill2826]

Packing peanuts is brilliant. I love your soil I'm going to start using it for my cactus. I think it really good mix especially when I put them outside during the growing season with all the rain.

[@iamjograd]

The cardboard wrap is a great idea! Now i can repot one of my cactus that have hook-shaped spines

[@7burnitdown]

thats quite the necklace Summer

[@jdarling89]

This may come off as shallow but we have the same gloves! Hihi! That got me excited. ^_^

[@summerrayneoakes]

Great gloves! I like how closely they fit to the hands. They hug my fingers!

[@GardeningkiDuniyaYT]

Easy and safe method to transplant cactus especially golden barrel cactus

[@foogoomogoogoo1890]

It's just like a cooking show.

[@triciaroy]

I was just thinking the peanuts looked like rollers when Saunder said it! Lol

[@waynebyerly9681]

I've watched a lot of your video's on C&S, and for the most part, I think you provide a lot of accurate, well thought out information, doing your watchers a BIG favor with that accuracy in the info you provide ... but @ 4:33 you say "its what you want" ... which, I have to object to ... especially for C&S ... because I feel like we REALLY NEED to duplicate their natural environment to the greatest extent possible. These plants have adapted themselves over the millenia to the environments that we find them in, and they do best under these conditions that they have adapted themselves to. For the most part, C&S grow in gritty, predominantly inorganic substrates. And THAT is what we need to provide them with. Heaping organic constituents into their growing medium, that retain much more water than they are used to CANNOT provide them with optimal conditions. Thanks for the everso practical subject matter. With respect, love and friendship, I submit this opinion.

[@dianahernandez7529]

❤️ Beautiful very Beautiful ❤️

[@HeatherRose2023]

Place a small piece of screen or cheese cloth like material over the drainage hole to keep the soil from leaking out of the pot.

[@BleuLotusGardens]

Summer Rayne To The Rescue

[@valerieellison2483]

I have repotted my scarlet ball cactus twice and both times had spines come off the cactus. I use leather gloves to protect my hands. There is a bare patch on the poor thing and it makes me feel so bad. It still produces orange blooms though!

[@vborja3877]

Beautiful! Thank you 😊 I will look for those gloves. What brand are they?

[@majordelilah]

I think I'll repot my cacti when I find cute pots for them. maybe then I'll consider repotting them

[@calatheasaresopretty800]

Make sure it has drainage holes (you probably already know!)

[@majordelilah]

@@calatheasaresopretty800 of course! I think I might actually design the pots myself

[@calatheasaresopretty800]

@@majordelilah nice

[@windowpane]

i wrapped a thread around the cactus and lift it up in place while i scoop the cactus mix into the pot :D maybe not the heavy ones

[@startwilight9102]

When repotting cactus 🌵 do you water then that same day or keep dry??

[@cadoo5591]

Can you re-pot during the dormant time? Also, I watched a video where the roots were trimmed all the way up to the bottom of the cactus. I questioned that process and she said it was absolutely safe to do that. What do you think? I have two little cactus that are completely root-bound so I'm wondering what to do. Thanks!

[@johnb9561]

Hi Summer great video. Could you tell me how often do you need to feed cacti?

[@poochbales]

Summer please what kind of grow light should i get for my Jade plant, thank you

[@LeafyConversations]

Yay Cactuses! I’m surprised you put the pet soil into your good grit / soil and reusing it. I have a lot of cactuses and they are not easy to repot for sure. Thanks for your videos I really enjoy them.

[@mitomanhernandez4532]

Saludos desdé Guatemala

[@summerrayneoakes]

Hola!

[@nathansurrett2088]

The Lara Croft of Botany!

[@judithlenzin7444]

I know... sigh... it’s the reason for lots of things... when in doubt, the answer is always m-o-n-e-y.

[@gwendolynsinclair]

Hi Summer. I have a ridiculously tall cactus that needs to be potted up. Is there a cutoff time in the season for this? I know cacti have a winter dormancy period. Just wondering how quickly I need to get on this.

[@herpiggy4857]

Do you recommend top or bottom watering for cacti?

[@terriejohnston8801]

Greetings World...i love Cactus, as well. Homemade Cactus tools come in handy. Chopsticks..any sticks.... Plastic untensils work well. Especially for centering a Cactus or holding up 1 side, while you're trying to fill in the pot. Thnx 4 posting. My secret tool for watering small cactus or baby cactus pups.. A Rubber Bulb Syringe ftom like any pharmacy. A oerfect Tool for squirting JUST enuff water w/o over waterng. Hope you will try my ideas. Oh yeah..i have 3 of those Big Barrel Cactus. Fun to admire. ☺

[@Michellandau]

About three weeks ago, I received a Mammillaria Marksiana as a gift. Does it need to be put in another pot as soon as possible, or can it stay in the pot that it came in for a while? All my other plants are tropical. I don't know that much about cacti. Your videos are always interesting, and informative. Thanks.

[@benbaranes7541]

How do u water those without mixing the soil and the rocks?

[@chaandann]

🌵

[@traceyg2703]

I have a ton of cacti, and need to know where I can get a pair of those small tongs! I've been using my old eyelash tweezers, but on the larger plants with longer spines, I sometimes still get stabbed, :)

[@muilay8187]

Check out Amazon. They have large tweezers

[@neelyspice]

Will you water them after repotting or wait? Sorry if you said so and I missed it.

[@Riley-ze2wv]

How do you know if the roots are ok, or not ok? What do you look for? I’m a new cacti mom and am a bit lost

[@hombretropical3028]

How do you know if your cactus has sensitive roots?

[@alfredmeneses5496]

I love the cacti, but that statement necklace though.

[@summerrayneoakes]

It was made by Ada Zanditon ... a honeycomb necklace!

[@darabazelet622]

Does somebody know if it's harder to absorb sunlight and water if there are stones surrounding the cactus? Or do these little coloured stones specifically enhance absorbation because of the material they consist of?

[@summerrayneoakes]

The stones are larger aggregates (and they are lightweight and porous), so the water seeps through pretty fast.

[@darabazelet622]

@@summerrayneoakes Ah okay, thank you!