The Brightside: With Cactus Talk

August 23, 2023

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Written by

August 23, 2023

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Written by

THE BRIGHTSIDE: CACTUS TALK

Meet Callum from Cactus Talk. It's wonderful to meet this enthusiast of cacti, euphorbia, and succulents. These plants are truly fascinating and diverse, ranging from the spiky and intricate forms of cacti to the captivating shapes and colours of succulents. Callum shares with us his top five tips when caring for this unique desert flora, as well as a bit about himself and his business.

5 handy tips to know when caring for cactus!

1. Drainage

Ensure you have them potted in a good, well-drained soil mixture. This helps the water drain away quickly and doesn't retain any moisture.

2. Sunshine

Give your cacti an ample amount of direct sunlight. Your cacti will be happy if they are getting around 2-4 hours of light per day.

3. Outdoors

If you want to see your cacti thriving and living their best life, I'd recommend having them positioned outside! They are easier to look after and become that low-maintenance plant when in a sunny spot outdoors.

4. Watering

It's best to give them a good drenching once the soil has almost fully dried out. In summer, it's roughly once every 1-2 weeks and in winter once every 4-6 weeks! Rainwater is always ideal, as there are amazing elements and minerals that your cacti will love!

5. Feeding

Cacti love to be fertilised in the growing months, which helps them to become stronger and helps produce stunning blooms. Cacti and succulents can be picked up from most garden centres and are ideal for good strong, happy growth.

Meet Callum from Cactus Talk:

Hey Callum, tell us about yourself.

I've been living in Wollongong my whole life and reside in Fairy Meadow where I share a house with my dog Betty and thousands of cacti, euphorbia and succulents!

What inspired you to delve into the world of cactci?

The inspiration behind falling in love with these plants over ten years ago definitely stemmed from my older brother Saxon who had been collecting cacti for a few years before I got into it. He shared some cuttings and plants with me and through that, I developed a green thumb and was fully hooked.

Do you have any interesting facts you can share with us?

Some interesting facts I love to share with people is that no cacti are native to Australia and have all been introduced from the Americas! Also the spines you see on cacti are actually modified leaves. They have evolved over many years from leaves to spines to protect them from herbivores, radiate heat from the stem during the day and of a night can collect condensed water vapour in the air!

Where do you source your cacti from?

I travel all around Australia sourcing new plants from other collectors and growers and also do a lot of propagating in spring/summer from my extensive personal collection to bring my clientele a wide range. I especially love growing plants to a mature size to offer up older and more established cactus for landscape or pot feature plants.

Any valuable tips you can share for first-time cactus owners?

Valuable tips to share for first-time cactus owners would be to give your plant a nice sunny spot (preferably outdoors) and to get in tune with the watering cycle. In Winter when they go into a dormancy, it's best water sparingly (roughly once every 4-6 weeks) and in Spring and Summer when they are in their growth period, water roughly once every week or two.

Where can people find you?

You can find me on Instagram @cactus_talk or come visit the shop in person at the Timbermill Studios in Bulli - 2 Molloy Street Bulli, where you'll find me every week from Friday to Sunday, 9am till 3pm!