I have a couple cacti and its getting time to water them. I re-potted them after I got them and the soil is completely dry. How should I go about watering them, should I water a little or a lot at a time. The pots are probably a little bigger than they should be and I don't want to rot the roots so I am afraid to drench them. The good news is I think the soil should drain well. I would appreciate any input I can get. The way I tested the relative moister of the soil was with a wooden pencil. I stuck the pencil to the very bottom of the soil and it came out with no dirt stuck to it.
Just let the soil dry out between waterings. You could use a stick to test for moisture, but really... if you are in doubt, don't water.
Any time I wonder if maybe I should water my cacti--or a particular one--I think of the conditions I have seen in the deserts of Sonora and Baja California. The incredible heat and dryness that exists for most of the year makes the dryness in my house seem absolutely tropical! Dryness is unlikely to harm most cacti (except for many tropical epiphytes) whereas wetness so easily can be deadly. globalist is right--If you are in doubt the best advice is "wait". :o) Bill
Soak it. Lots of water pouring out of the bottom of the pot. Because cacti soil dries out so completely, it can take a while to wet it again. Just make sure all the soil gets wet, then leave it be until it dries out again.
