Can I Grow Cactus On My Aerogarden?

The aerogarden indoor farming equipment can be used effectively to grow a wide range of plants almost as much as you can grow in a traditional soil garden. Almost any type of plant you are growing in the equipment, you will be provided with all the nutrients the plant will need as well as the instructions on what to do to have a pleasurable farming experience. Most hydroponic farmers preferably grow crops such as fruits, herbs, and veggies, but can you go on to grow cactus, too, if you want? Cactus plants being what they are, and also considering their peculiar nature, can they really be grown in an aerogarden?

The thing is, you can actually grow cactus in your aerogarden regardless of whether it is from the seed or when transplanted from one aerogarden to another, or even from the soil garden to the aerogarden. The major difference is that, if you are growing your aerogarden cactus from the seed, you should get yourself a Grow Anything Kit. In reality, you can actually grow a mixture of different types of plants in your aerogarden together, provided you prune them as is necessary to facilitate their growth. Nevertheless, always remember that the different plants you may have in the aerogarden do not necessarily have to grow either as tall or as stout as one another, but you should be certain that all the plants receive as much nutrient, water and sunlight as they need for proper growth and development by pruning those plants that may obstruct others on the grow deck.

In the rest of this post, we will be discussing growing cactus in your aerogarden, what you need to know and answers to other questions you may have about the adventure.

Can cactus be grown on an aerogarden?

Yes, cactus can be properly grown on an aerogarden with very impressive results as long as you enable it to receive all the necessary ingredients, water and light needed for it to thrive.

First, find very viable cacti seeds, and plant them just as you would plant any other aerogarden plant. You need to keep in mind its peculiar requirements if you are raising them from their seeds or if you are growing them on the aerogarden by transplanting them. Be sure to get a good aerogarden unit that can successfully take the cactus plant.

How can one grow cactus in an aerogarden?

To grow cactus in an aerogarden, you have two options available. One, you can grow the plant starting from its seeds, and two, you can transplant it from another place into your aerogarden. However, you should know that cacti are very slow-growing crops, but they thrive and develop perfectly once they sprout, which needs a lot of patience. Notably too, cactus need a lot of water and nutrients absorbed through their roots.

Here is a quick guide to growing cactus in your aerogarden:

• Have a good aerogarden unit that can successfully grow a cactus plant.
• Get good cacti seeds that has high germination success rate.
• Toss 2 or more seeds in an aerogaarden pod. The number of seeds to put would depend on how successful the seeds can grow.
• Provide the required ventilation, water, light and nutrients. You can always measure the nutrient level using a  waterproof pH meter to be sure you are getting it right.
• Watch it sprout and continue the normal plant-growing cycle on aerogardens.
• Check and trim the roots when necessary, keep the area and aerogarden clean and try to prevent any disease from coming to take over.
• Grow your cactus to any size you want, just as long as it doesn’t grow way heavier than your aerogarden itself.

Simple cactus growing tips to keep in mind

Usually, these plants grow mainly in dry soils, although they can thrive well under hydroponic conditions as well, for this to be effective, you must first soak the roots in water and nutrients. Expectedly, growing cactus in hydroponics requires much less effort and stress than all other known methods. Since you can either grow cactus from the seeds or through transplanting. Hence, you will require the seeds to germinate, just like in any other hydroponic plant.

The moment you get a few stems ready for transplanting, make sure that only the cut ends are partially immersed in the water because, if any of its parts are in the water, they will simply rot away. Therefore, allow only the roots to get wet.

Growing cactus is a sort of low maintenance activity, which is an advantage for gardeners. You should simply make sure that the plant receives enough water and sunlight by putting it near a window or anywhere else it will receive the appropriate amount of light for normal development.

Fortunately too, cactus plants do not need to be pruned like most other plants, especially since they do not grow as fruits or vegetables do. However, you can prune the roots so that they can be as healthy as is necessary, especially if you notice that some of the plants are dying or even slacking. Check its roots often to avoid plant diseases. This is particularly important because indoor plants, due to their needs for water, nutrients, light, air, bacteria, and nutrients can easily be afflicted with one plant disease or the other.

Can I plant other seeds alongside the cactus on the same unit?

Yes, you can grow other plants alongside the cactus plant on the same aerogarden unit. However, you should know that cactus cannot tolerate too much water, because it can cause them to rot away.

However, whenever you submerge them in water, they may begin to develop fresh roots that can withstand excess water, in what can rightly be described as the plant’s best response in adapting to environmental changes.

Some plants that you can grow alongside cactus on the aerogarden are sage, thyme, oregano, curry, lavender, chives, and many others that can do well with the same things the cactus can get.

Can cactus choke other plants in the aerogarden?

Cactus hardly choke other plants in the aerogarden, the reverse can even be the case, particularly if someone considers that they are very slow growers. As a result of the fact that they are slow growers and do not develop leaves like most conventional plants, cactus risk being obstructed from getting enough light by leafy vegetables.

Consequently, you must always make sure that other neighbouring plants are pruned regularly to prevent your cactus from being denied enough light. Therefore, it is not common for cactus plants to choke other plants in the aerogarden since, on the contrary, they do well with most other plants too.

What to keep in mind when growing cactus in aerogarden?

Most importantly, you should know that cactus, quite unlike other plants, are very slow growers. In addition, except maybe their roots, if they are provided with too much water, they can rot. Therefore, you should submerge mainly its roots in water, but not the other parts.

Secondly, you should not forget that since cactus grow slower than most other plants and it does not have plenty of leaves, there is the risk of cactus being denied access to enough light by other larger, fast-growing plants in the unit. If this happens, it might necessitate pruning them every once in a while in order to give your cactus plants a chance to thrive just fine.

Finally, when you are growing a cactus, you should regularly check its roots for any sign of rot or diseases, because that is its most vulnerable part when growing in a hydroponic system.

Which is the best aerogarden model to grow cactus plants?

Primarily, since there are two ways you can grow cactus, you need any of two models for growing cactus, one for each type of method. For instance, if you are growing your cactus from its seeds, you will need this Stainless Steel Harvest Elite. On the other hand, if you are transplanting from another garden unit, you will need this AeroGarden Farm 24Basic and its Grow Anything Kit.

Conclusion 

Cactus plants, just like other plants, can be grown very well in an aerogarden. However, since they are susceptible to rot if they are submerged in water, always make sure that only their roots are immersed in water, or else, the plants may rot away. You can grow cactus either starting from its seeds which you will sow in the aerogarden, or through transplanting viable portions from other garden units.

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