Alright, thanks :)

Should I knock off/rinse the old soil off the roots? How careful should I be with the roots, super careful like "one touch and it dies" or just careful as in "as long as you don't pull on the roots or squeeze them on purpose you're fine"?

I would get as much soil as you can before repotting. Handle with care and the roots will be fine, if some break off it's ok just don't water after repotting. I usually wait a wk after repotting a cactus.

I very gently use a skewer or a fork to tease away (dry) soil from the roots. To help with re-potting, I take a piece of newspaper, roll it up then flatten it, and wrap it round the cactus, holding it like a collar, so that I can use the other hand freely to pot on and re-fill around the roots... Don't make the new pot too much bigger... next size up is fine....Hope that helps.

I had same situation with roots. Simple paintbrush was very helpful. Its not that sharp ;)

yup, good choice... any similar instrument will do the trick, even a pencil... :o)

Update:

So I repotted the cactus back in August. I rinsed off all the old soil, then potted it in a terra cotta pot in a mix of 50/50 MG cactus soil and perlite.

Here it is today-

I missed this thread and should aviced not to repot.

never repot a cactus that fits it pot. It was only a year there and with a little water it could be there for two or three years. I think it is now in a pot that is way to big.

harry

Harry, what if the roots are bound like those in the picture ? Do you just cut them and put back in the pot? Or is it okay as is? When do you know when to repot? Is this the same for most succulents?

sorry to bombard with questions. This is new information for me....

As I can see it from here there is enough soil left for the plant to grow further. I should have removed a (very) little of the soil on the bottom and reniw only that. After that I put the plant back in the same pot. Maybe - but it depends of how it looks- a little extra food after say three or four months. some water now and than should be enough.

to my opinion most people spoil their plants to much. They loose their compactness and grow way to fast and to big.

The pot I see now only triggers the plant to make more and more roots to grow.

greets

harry

"They loose their compactness and grow way to fast and to big.

The pot I see now only triggers the plant to make more and more roots to grow."

What if someone doesn't mind that their plant grows bigger and faster? I know that I certainly would love for my cactus to grow bigger and have more roots.

I recall Dave (I think) telling me that succulents don't require the same type of extensive root systems as houseplants in general and that I needn't worry too much about pruning roots back and the like....

thank you, Harry.

Harry

You grow succulents what some call 'hard' (I think) - IMO, it is much closer to their natural conditions. That is the way I try to grow mine.

Many ppl like to have them grow much faster and much bigger, so they 'spoil' them. They keep them much warmer year-round, fertilize too much with every watering and so on. Sometimes, the plants look totally different than they do in their natural habitat.

I am not criticizing anybody's growing style here, hope nobody takes offense - JMO. (Some look really beautiful!)

Oh, so that's what you mean by 'spoiling' the plant. Thanks Rina.

I don't really have a preference when it comes to how I grow my plants-I don't necessarily want to mimic every single condition that they would experience in the wild. I just want to provide them with the most optimal conditions that each plant enjoys and let them grow how they wish.

goldstar

Most optimal would likely be what they are 'programmed' to - as they grow in wild.

I jumped and answered for Harry (I shouldn't have, maybe he means something different...)

I give them good drainage, good light, check occasionally for sign of bugs/disease (treat if any happens) and try not to fuss too much :)

Rina said it much better than I did :)

English is my third language; I don't know sometimes the meaning and impact of every word.