How to Take Care of a Saguaro Cactus at Home

A saguaro cactus, native to the desert around Tucson, Arizona, can add beauty to your home while helping you hone your horticultural skills. This is a plant that can start out indoors, yet will flourish outside as well if properly maintained. Caring for a saguaro cactus takes time, patience and an understanding of the plant's instinctive needs.

Saguaro cactus seeds
Container
Potting soil
Sand
Coarse gravel or pumice
Pencil
Watering can
Spray bottle
Water

Instructions

- 1
  Keep the saguaro cactus in a large container. Make sure it is planted in a soil mixture that is one part potting soil, one part sand and one part pumice or gravel. The hearty roots of the saguaro cactus thrive best in coarse soil.
- 2
  Poke drainage holes in the container holding the saguaro cactus plant. Saguaro cacti thrive in dry conditions, making proper drainage essential. For a twelve-inch container, poke at least six holes, each one-eighth of an inch in diameter, throughout the base of the container.
- 3
  Place the saguaro cactus in direct sunlight. Pay attention to nighttime temperatures, and move the cactus indoors when temperatures are at or near freezing.
- 4
  Water the saguaro cactus every day during hot, summer months by saturating the soil until you notice water coming out of the drainage holes. Reduce watering to once per week during colder, winter months.

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