Hello,
I had a question and i am hopeless aha.
I have recently purchased 3 small cacti (I believe that's the plural?)
I have always loved them and i have always wanted one so me and my partner went to get one. I did some research and found out about watering during winter.
I was hoping someone would take the time to help me with pointers on taking care of them. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I also noticed this brown mark on the stem of the cactus.
I was wondering what this was also.
P.S. i have personally never owned one before so please don't judge
i am unsure how to share pictures??

Not much we can do without images. Down at the bottom of this "reply box" there is a tab to 'upload image'. You click on that, go to your photo library on your phone and select an image by clicking on it. A little blue check mark appears on mine AND I click on 'done' in the upper right. Click on that and it immediately brings you back to the posting message. The photo part blinks for a few seconds and then info pops up with crazy coded stuff but hit "Preview", and your image should be visible.
Finish your post and then click "Finish" Presto it's done.

Here. I have a picture of all 3 breeds for you. Also the brown marks

Well they look pretty good to me. How much sun are they getting? That might be the only issue. They need, 3, 4 or more hours of direct sun. Not bright light but sun!
They will love it!
As far as water goes, indoors they dry out quickly due to the drying nature of household heat drying thing out but I water mine once every ten days to two weeks.
As spring comes and they get more sun I might water every 7-10 days. But I never water a lot!

Yes, they look fine and healthy. I see that some of the brown is caused by mechanical abrasion, but most is just a normal process for some cacti in some situations. The one with the succulent green "needles" grows those needles when it has ample water to do so. If it goes through a drier spell in the future, it might drop those needles to conserve water. As long as the rest of the plant looks good, it will still be healthy.

3-4 hours of direct sun is the minimum for a cactus. Mine stay in the south window where they get more.

Thank you both! I appreciate the advice! I leave them on the windowsill all day, I live in England so this time of year sun is scarce so I try my best to give them as much sun as possible. The other day they got about 7-8 hours of sun and yesterday there was none
Today is the same but they are still on the window. The only time I remove them from the windowsill is of a night time when it is freezing.
I put them next to my Xbox where they can stay warm. I love cacti and I want more but I will stick with these three and see how I do with them. I water them with a spray bottle not an actual watering can as I was skeptical about over watering them. My sister watered them once every week and it started to rot
But again, thank you! Will deffo be using this forum for more questions

Some standard growing tips for most cacti:

*A fast draining, porous medium for planting.
*A container with a drain hole.
*Light. Lots of sun and bright light. I doubt anywhere in the UK would have to much sun once a plant is acclimated.
*Be wary of too much water. Let the medium get fully dry before watering again. Go by the planting medium, not a schedule.

I don't think it would be necessary to move them off the sill as long the temperature on the sill is not reaching really cold temperatures. Personally, I think it might be better to leave them there, just don't let them touch the glass. They can rest rather than actively grow during the winter months which is good insofar as that winter rest also corresponds to lower light levels. That will help prevent them from etoliation. They will grow in the warmer months with corresponding stronger sunlight. Keeping them cooler and more dry when the available light is less slows active growth. I'm in a sunny semi-dry area of Texas so my conditions are different but it does get cold and for cold protection my plants have to spend time in low light conditions. Some get almost no water at all during the months where they are deprived of light and warmth.

So the colder they are the less they need watering? Am I right?
I move them off as my window doesn't close fully (due to be fixed soon) so cold air creeps in. Would I still leave it there or on the otherside away from the broken window??

I'm not the best with plants but they have always fascinated me so I am sorry for the questions. I found this website yesterday and was hoping I could gain more knowledge to help the cacti last as long as possible. After all they are living things and need care

Colder, lower light levels = less water. They can take more water when it's warm with lots of light. That's when they can use more water and when the growth is balanced between the light and warmth. They tend to object strongly to the combination of cold and wet. Warmth in itself may trigger active growth without sufficient light which results in an etoliated plant. Growth like that can't be reversed.

As for the temperature on the sill, as long it's not falling below 4.4C and the containers are relatively dry, they should be fine. If it's falling below that, a lot of cacti would still be fine as long as they are kept dry and it's not for extended periods of time, but not all of them.

Questions are the purpose of this forum, so they are welcome. Experience and knowledge will make you successful and satisfied with growing plants. After a time you can pass it along to someone else who has questions .

Thank you!
I do really appreciate it!
I'm so glad I found this forum aha.
Okay, I get ya.
What about ordinary daylight? Except from direct sunlight? Does that affect the plant at all?
What does etoliated mean??

When I talk about light, it is ordinary daylight. Daylight that comes through a window is filtered compared to direct sun. It's doubtful you can give too much of that to most cacti. I doubt that you could give too much direct unfiltered sunlight to most cacti in the U.K. As long as the transition from filtered to direct sunlight is relatively gradual, most cacti would thrive with the direct sun. Some places which have scorching direct sun are a bit of exception - like some areas of Arizona or other hot, dry desert climates. Even in my location in Texas, most cacti manage the sun. A few benefit from dappled sun in the hot days of July and August, but not many.

An etoliated plant is one grown without sufficient light. They stretch toward the light, so the growth is weaker and abnormal. Some columnar forms get thin and tall or develop skinny new growth at the growing point which no longer is the same as the previous growth. Providing the light the plant needs will restore normal growth, but the abnormal growth that has occurred will always be there. If you search Google Images using 'etoliated cacti', there are examples of that kind of growth. It is solely the result of a lack of sufficient light when the plant is growing. Other factors can be perfect, but without sufficient light they will become etoliated. It can be one of the most difficult needs to provide a plant during the short days in areas of cold winters. Or not receiving direct sun in locales with lots of cloudy conditions by depending on light coming through a window.

Many people add light via grow lights for plants inside and sometimes even in a greenhouse. I don't do that, so the winter months here are a hassle and I like the plants to not have a lot of active growth. Even tropical plants that love lots of water don't require as much during the winter. I grow my container plants outdoors, so my objective is to not have a lot of delicate winter growth, but have the active growth occur when they are outdoors. Every grower develops their own preferences on how they approach and adapt to their available conditions.

dannyboy1574 said: After all they are living things and need care

If I were a cactus, I'd be very afraid if I read this quote. Death by drowning would be my major fear!

Cacti used as houseplants often grow in desert environments where there are cold nights, but the ground does not get that cold. They probably would survive 4.4C, if they were dry enough, but if you want to be safe, I would try not to go lower than 10°C. Other cacti are much more cold tolerant, even laughing at snow, but these don't do well as houseplants.

Thank you both! I appreciate the advice! I leave them on the windowsill all day, I live in England so this time of year sun is scarce so I try my best to give them as much sun as possible. The other day they got about 7-8 hours of sun and yesterday there was none
Today is the same but they are still on the window. The only time I remove them from the windowsill is of a night time when it is freezing.
I put them next to my Xbox where they can stay warm. I love cacti and I want more but I will stick with these three and see how I do with them. I water them with a spray bottle not an actual watering can as I was skeptical about over watering them. My sister watered them once every week and it started to rot
But again, thank you! Will deffo be using this forum for more questions

Skip the spray bottle. Those are more appropriate for epiphytic plants. Just let the potting soil get dry all the way to the bottom of the container. Then water thoroughly and let the excess water drain out. The timing of giving water will vary depending on how long it takes the soil to get dry. There is a variance due to heat, humidity, sun, drafts/wind etc, and also how fast the medium drains and how much its properties retain water. After a while, you'll probably just be able to lift up the container and know whether it's time to water based on the weight.

Thanks guys,
Sorry for the late response.
Been a little busy.
The cactus with the brown marks feels loose in the soil??
Is this something to also be worried about

You will have greater success if you first identify your plants. #1 is an euphorbia, which is a succulent , not a cactus #2 Looks like opuntia subulata and #3 is a cactus of which type I am unsure. There are different requirements specific to these different plants that will be the key to your success. It is much easier to determine how to care for something when you know what it is.

Been growing exotic succulents and cacti in the Midwestern US, for over 50 years. Some of my succulent bonsai are almost 40 years old. Care of indoor cacti and succulents has a lot to do with the climate you live in. In a cool, & damp climate they require a lot less water than a warm dry one. Also in summer growing season vs, winter dormancy. My climate is extreme, the last few nights have been sub zero F, but it could be 50 F daytime in a week, then back again. Highest recorded summer temp is 113 F. My way of caring for succulents would be much different than someone in CA or FL. Yours should be similar. Most of my plants spend summers in the sun or on a covered veranda where water can be controlled. Few receive much if any water when indoors from mid Oct to May. Some tolerate a great deal of water when growing, while others turn to "mush" if over watered once. In general keep them on the dry side in winter. They thrive on "benign neglect" (THE GOLDEN RULE). Also, the smaller the pot the better. Root bound is best. I have several large old Adeniums in concrete urns that are nothing but fat baobab-like stems and a pot of roots in winter. The last thing they really need is new soil or repotting. Succulents can grow amazingly fast, when they want to, even in a small pot. You learn by trial and error what works best for each individual specie. If one hasn't grown much bigger over a season or two, then I consider repotting it, or increasing the watering. Have 3 rooms full of plants in winter. Here's a photo of my front hall, from a few days ago. The only plants getting any water in here right now are a few of the largest specimens, a hoya vine & climbing onion that are actively growing, and kalanchoe that's blooming. Those above the door including a large aloe, have had one very light spot watering since Oct..