Cacti should be repotted as soon as the roots begin to show through the drainage holes at the bottom of its pot. If they outgrow their pot, they should be repotted as well. As a general rule, fast-growing cacti should be repotted every two to three years and slow-growing cacti every three to four years. Water them two days before repotting, so the roots are moist but not saturated.
When repotting your cactus, use some of the old soil so the plant doesn’t have a hard time adapting to its new environment. Scrape off the dressing from the topmost part of your old plant and reuse it later.
When repotting the cactus, squeeze the sides of the original pot to loosen up the soil. Take out any drip that you may have missed when transferring the plant to the new pot. Try to free up the roots as much as possible without damaging anything.
After making sure the roots are free from drip, place the plant onto the new pot and fill it with new soil. If there are budding cacti around the area of the parent plant, ensure that you won’t accidentally cover it up with the new soil. Add fertilizer of your choice after. Make sure the plant is centered as you add more soil. Lastly, spread drip on top of the freshly added soil.
Note: Applying top dressings is the quickest way to enhance the look of potted succulents. Covering the soil not only makes for an attractive arrangement, but it can protect succulent leaves from standing water and rot.
