Pencil cactus fertilizer requirement is very low. Usually, they tend to grow in nutrient poor soil, and they can adapt to any kind of growing conditions as well. Although they do not depend on a lot of fertilizers, you could consider feeding them. It would be beneficial to upgrade their nutritional level.
You could use a diluted houseplant fertilizer once a year during the spring season to feed them. Having said that, please be mindful that you do not overfeed them as it could badly affect the cactus’ wellbeing and on their health as well.
You could grow the pencil cactus well if you provide them with bright light, sandy soil and enough water. Feeding them is not that significant in terms of growing these cacti.
What fertilizer to use for pencil cactus
You may use a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer to feed them.Consider that you have a mature and a well grown plant, then you could use a 20-20-20 houseplant food at quarter strength.
You may further use a controlled release fertilizer to feed them. If not, instead of that you may use a fertilizer which has a low nitrogen level.
Pencil cactus fertilizer requirements
Pencil cactus do not rely a lot on fertilizers. Having said that you could consider feeding as it will be a nutrient stimulation for the plant. Simply, you could consider using a balanced liquid houseplant food for them.
How often should i fertilize my pencil cactus?
You could fertilize the pencil cactus once a year. In terms of feeding them, it is not an urgent thing to do.
However, when you feed them, you could apply fertilizer for them once a year and preferably during spring season.
That will boost them to grow well as that is their growing season.
Do not feed them during the winter season in particular since it could badly affect the plant.
How to add fertilizer to pencil cactus
Make sure that when you add fertilizers for pencil cactus, you add them on their soil.
Avoid spilling fertilizers on their leaves. If you are using liquid fertilizer, you may use a watering can. For the rest, ensure that you keep them sealed in a container. Avoid the kids reaching them.
Pencil cactus fertilizer ratio
The most appropriate fertilizer ratio to use for pencil cactus would be 10-10-10 or 20-20-20. You could use a balanced fertilizer blend of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium of the aforesaid ratio and that will really help for the pencil cactus to grow better.
Indoor pencil cactus fertilizer
Fertilizer types
You could use a controlled release fertilizer especially during the start of the growing season which is spring season. Moreover, you could apply a weak liquid solution once a week too.
How to add fertilizer
When you add the fertilizer ensure that you dilute it with water and then apply on these cacti.
Make sure you feed them as appropriate and avoid any over feeding of the cactus. You may apply the fertilizers once a year and best is to do it in the spring season.
Apply fertilizers on their soil. Avoid feeding the leaves of the cactus.
Outdoor pencil cactus fertilizer
Fertilizer types
If you have larger and matured plants outdoors, you may use a balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer at a strength of one quarter. You may apply the fertilizers once a year and best is to do it in the spring season.
How to add fertilizer
You need to make sure that you dilute the fertilizer with water and then apply on these cacti. Make sure you feed them as appropriate and avoid any over feeding of the cactus.
You may apply the fertilizers once a year and best is to do it in the spring season.Apply fertilizers on their soil. Avoid feeding the leaves of the cactus.
Read More: 11 Interesting Pencil Cactus Watering Techniques
Liquid fertilizer for pencil cactus
You could use Miracle-Gro succulent plant food as a liquid fertilizer for the pencil cactus and it would boost the growth of the pencil cactus and it would further be beneficial for the health and for the well being of the cactus as well.
Pencil cactus would love to have liquid fertilizers as they would seep deep into the soil rapidly and they have a potential to provide nutrition for the cactus to a great extent as well.
When you feed a weak pencil cactus, it could give the weaker plants an instant stimulation to grow faster and would help them to restore to their healthy system. Before using the fertilizer, make sure you go through the instructions on the label first.
Homemade fertilizer for pencil cactus
You could consider creating a homemade fertilizer for pencil cactus if you are an organic lover. For this you may use a tea manure.
To start this off, you could simply steep your manure tea into some water so that you could tap into the nutrients. After that you will end up having some dark brown water.
You could apply this on your cactus when the soil is dry in condition. What is more interesting about this is that you could use this for twice. Having said that when you are using them again, make sure that you steep a little longer than the initial steep.
You could use horse and cow manure as the best option for manure tea. If not, you could use goat and sheep manure as well. Do not use pigs and chicken manure as they have a high density of nitrogen level.
Natural fertilizer for pencil cactus
Compost manure is the best natural fertilizer for the pencil cactus. You could obtain compost manure from grazing animals such as goats, sheep horses and even from cows.
They suit the best for the fertilization of these cacti. They are slow releases and could stay for a longer period in the soil which will consequently keep the plant healthy, and which could make them live longer.
You could consider applying these particularly on the outdoor cactus as they would carry an unpleasant smell. You could add them for indoor grown plants as well.
They would be beneficial in releasing carbon content and further it would be beneficial to better the aeration of the soil as well.
Moreover, you may use organic worms for this purpose as well. They would also tend to release some nutrient rich waste as castings.
Those castings would be useful for the cactus. You could simply let those worms breed in small containers and feed on vegetable waste and then use them.
Should I water after adding fertilizer?
You may water them after adding fertilizers for the pencil cactus. However, do not over water them and make sure you do it moderately only.
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