How my cactus grew (A Tiny Tale for Little Readers)

Marty Metzger
mmetzger@northfortynews.com

The prickly cactus was tiny, about the size of my littlest finger, when I bought it seven or eight years ago. Cactus plants grow very slowly and don’t require much water. They can grow in good or bad soil, too; very low maintenance. So I just sat its container on the kitchen counter, where it passively remained as time passed. My cactus did get larger, but very gradually.

About two years ago, I noticed a tiny green bump on its side that began growing…and growing. A baby cactus! Then another appeared, and another, and another. They grew quickly, eventually beginning to pull the ‘mama’ cactus over! I was worried for her.

I carefully detached the little ones and planted them in their own pots. Ahh, Mama was no longer carrying that heavy load. I was relieved.

But wait. A few months ago, there she went again—more babies, lots of them, which grew so fast that Mama Cactus laid almost flat. I thought her roots might pull loose, causing her to topple right out of the planter and maybe onto the floor. Worse, I am out of pots to put the newest babies in. But Mama Cactus doesn’t seem worried. She and her babies are faring well.

Soon I will find more containers somewhere to give each youngster its own little plant house to live in. Meanwhile, I took a couple of “family portraits” of my Mama Cactus and her little ones. Aren’t they a charming family!