How to buy a cactus or any other succulent?

When we go to a nursery, we inevitably stop at the succulent corner. Cacti, succulents, and even some caudiciform plants catch our attention, so much so that it wouldn't be the first time we've picked up a specimen. Or two, or three, or... Yes, that's how it is: it's a very bad habit  .

But getting serious we have to know how to buy a cactus or actually any type of succulent. The sad reality is that there are many nurserymen who do whatever it takes to sell more, and when I say "everything" I mean that: everything. Paint them, stick a flower on them, plant them in a pot too big to sell them more expensive ... So you don't have problems, I'm going to give you a few buying tips.

Check the health of the plant

This is the first and foremost thing you have to do. If you take a diseased plant home with you, you could endanger the lives of the ones you already have. For this reason, you should leave the one that presents this aspect in the nursery:

• Have any pest / disease or remnants of it: mealybugs are common, but note that it does not have cobwebs either (which would indicate that it has Red spider, yellowish spots, holes, or anything else that makes you suspicious.
• Is soft: especially if it is a caudiciform plant, if it feels soft, it has probably been watered excessively. If so, it will be very difficult to recover it.
• Has abnormal growth: it is easy to distinguish a columnar cactus from a globular one, since they develop in this way from their earliest childhood. The problem arises when you have a globular one in a small pot for too long: in the end it ends up "falling out" of the pot. You have to avoid buying these copies as they are very weakened.

Avoid buying cacti and other succulents in winter

This type of plant is native to hot climates. In the nurseries they are more or less protected from low temperatures; therefore, when we take them home or to our patio or garden, it is very likely that they will have a bit of a bad time. For this same reason, and although this is not the subject of the article, I do not recommend sending cuttings or bare root seedlings during this season.

It is better to wait for spring to arrive, which will be when they can resume their growth. Of course, as soon as you get home, change them pot. They will be grateful to you.

Don't fall for the trap: don't buy painted succulents or artificial flowers

Succulents are pretty in their own right. However, there are those who try to make us believe that they are more beautiful if they are painted or if they put a paper flower on them. These practices hurt them a lot: on the one hand, the paint clogs their pores, preventing them from breathing; on the other, they cause serious burns when they hit the flowers, because they use silicone guns which is very, very hot.

If you have not been able to avoid it and you have already bought one like that, you should know that the painted parts will end up dying. As for the flowers, you can remove them with great care using a serrated knife previously disinfected with pharmacy alcohol; then cover the wound with healing paste and allow time to pass for the plant itself to somehow hide it.

I hope that with these tips you can build up an interesting collection. If you have any questions, don't leave them unanswered  .