To understand our watering needs, you must first understand our origin. We are not typical desert cacti; we are epiphytes. In our native habitat, we grow in the dappled light of the tree canopy in the coastal mountains of Brazil. Our roots are not buried in heavy, water-logged soil but instead anchor us to tree branches and absorb moisture and nutrients from the humid air and decaying organic matter around us. This means our root systems are adapted to cycles of moisture followed by periods of aeration and are highly susceptible to sitting in constantly wet, dense soil. Root rot is our greatest enemy, and it is caused not by the water itself, but by the lack of oxygen that comes from perpetual sogginess.
You cannot water us on a rigid, calendar-based schedule. The frequency depends entirely on the environmental conditions we are in: temperature, humidity, light levels, and pot size. The most reliable method is the touch test. Before you even think about watering, insert your finger about one inch into the potting mix. If the soil feels even slightly moist or cool to the touch, do not water. You must wait. Only when the top inch of the soil feels completely dry should you provide a thorough drink. In some environments, this might be every week; in others, it may be every two or three weeks. We will tell you what we need if you listen with your fingers.
When the soil is sufficiently dry, the method of watering is just as important as the frequency. You must water us thoroughly. This means slowly pouring room-temperature water onto the soil until you see a significant amount draining freely out of the bottom of the pot. This ensures the entire root ball is evenly moistened. However, the critical next step is to let all that excess water drain away completely. Never, ever let our pot sit in a saucer full of water. This creates a swampy environment at our roots that suffocates us and invites the fungal pathogens that cause root rot. After watering, empty the saucer or cache pot immediately.
Our growth and dormancy cycles change with the seasons, and your care must adapt accordingly. During our active growing season in spring and summer, we are putting on new foliage and will require more frequent watering as we use water and nutrients more quickly. As the days shorten and temperatures cool in the fall, we begin our preparation for blooming. This is a crucial time. To encourage bud set, you should let us dry out a bit more between waterings, but never to the point of wilting. Once our flower buds have formed and we are in bloom, you can return to a more consistent watering routine to support the flowers. After blooming, we enter a brief rest period where our water needs diminish again before the next growth cycle begins.
Learn to read our signs. The symptoms of overwatering (the path to root rot) and underwatering can be confusingly similar because both often result in wilting. The key difference is the condition of the soil and the stems. If our stems are shriveled, wrinkled, and limp, and the soil is bone dry, we are desperately thirsty. A good drink will plump us back up. However, if our stems are mushy, soft, and drooping, and the soil is damp, you have overwatered us. The roots are likely rotting and can no longer absorb water, effectively leaving us parched despite the wet conditions. At this stage, you may need to take us out of the pot, trim away any black, slimy roots, and repot us into fresh, well-draining mix.
