Plant Care Carnegiea Gigantea

Carnegiea Gigantea

4.6 out of 5 (30 experiences)

Carnegiea Gigantea has a Survivor plant personality Survivor
Carnegiea Gigantea has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower

Also known as

Saguaro, Saguaro and Giant Cactus

Taxonomy

Carnegiea gigantea
Carnegiea
Cactaceae
Caryophyllales

How to care for Carnegiea Gigantea

💦 Water

How often to water your Carnegiea Gigantea

Water needs for Carnegiea Gigantea
0.5 cups
every 12

Carnegiea Gigantea needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Calculate water needs of Carnegiea Gigantea

Water 0.5 cups every
12

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

Select the pot size

5"
☀️ Light

Finding light for Saguaro in your home

Light needs and placement for plant Carnegiea Gigantea: 1ft from a window
1ft or less from
a window

Carnegiea Gigantea love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.

Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Carnegiea Gigantea does not tolerate low-light 🚫.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Carnegiea Gigantea in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Carnegiea Gigantea

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Carnegiea Gigantea: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Carnegiea Gigantea after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

💡 FAQs
⭐ Difficulty Level

Carnegiea Gigantea is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!

Benefits of Growing Saguaro →

Common Saguaro Problems →


💦 Water Needs

Carnegiea Gigantea thrives in dry soil and should be watered sparingly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Saguaro Water Frequency →

Saguaro Root Rot →


☀️ Sunlight Needs

Carnegiea Gigantea requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

Saguaro Light Requirements →

Saguaro Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →


🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Carnegiea Gigantea is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.

Saguaro Toxicity to Cats →


💨 Humidity

Carnegiea Gigantea prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.

Saguaro Humidity Needs →


🪴 Soil

Carnegiea Gigantea is very sensitive to wet soil, so choose a potting soil that drains very well and doesn’t retain too much moisture. A good soil will have lots of perlite or vermiculite for drainage and some organic matter for nutrition. A few handfuls of perlite added to regular store-bought cactus soil will do the trick!

When and How to Successfully Repot Saguaro →


💩 Fertilizer

Carnegiea Gigantea grows very slowly and doesn’t require added fertilizer. Replacing your plant’s potting soil once a year should provide them with more than enough nutrition. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

How Much and When to Fertilize Saguaro →


🌎 Native Region

Carnegiea Gigantea is native to North America.


🌸 Flowers

Carnegiea Gigantea produces flowers in the wild, but does not flower when kept as houseplants.


⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Carnegiea Gigantea grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.

How and When to Prune Saguaro →


🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
Carnegiea Gigantea can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 8-11b. Find your local hardiness zone here.

Saguaro Temperature Tolerance →


🌱 Propagation

Carnegiea Gigantea can be propagated by the stem method. To propagate:

  • Make a cut just above the node. The node is the break in the stem where the leaf emerges.
  • To get the cutting to root, you can either:
    • Place the cutting in water until roots emerge and are ~2” long and then transplant into well-draining soil, or
    • Place the cutting directly into well-draining soil and water when dry.

How to Propagate Saguaro →


🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.


😖 Common Issues

Overwatering is a likely cause of issues with Carnegiea Gigantea. These plants are very sensitive to wet soil so if you notice your plant becoming squishy or translucent, overwatering is the likely culprit.

Cut your plant just past where the rot ends and allow it to callus over for a few days before replanting it in fresh, dry soil. Download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!


Care Summary for Carnegiea Gigantea

Carnegiea Gigantea

Carnegiea Gigantea


Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 12 days

Placement

< 1ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Carnegiea Gigantea has a Survivor plant personality Survivor 23
Carnegiea Gigantea has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower 8
Carnegiea Gigantea has a Easy to propagate plant personality Easy to propagate 3
Carnegiea Gigantea has a Blooms easily plant personality Blooms easily 1
Deborah avatar
@Deborah
leaf-1 8 Plants
xp 1,043 XP
10/11/2021

This is a sturdy healthy looking cactus. The care is easy. I did use soil specifically for succulents.

@chw avatar
@@chw
leaf-1 14 Plants
xp 1,081 XP
globe San Francisco, CA
09/01/2021

The spines are very sharp.

Survivor Survivor
Ian avatar
@Ian
leaf-1 8 Plants
xp 219 XP
globe Bozeman, MT
08/13/2021

Must have consistent water habits

Survivor Survivor
Fast grower Fast grower
@mhodgdon avatar
@@mhodgdon
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 101 XP
08/06/2021

easy to care for, needs little water, quite hardy

Survivor Survivor
Chloe avatar
@Chloe
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 170 XP
globe Luton, England
07/16/2021

Sometimes goes wonky. Not sure why. 🤦🏼‍♀️😂

Survivor Survivor
@McCall avatar
@@McCall
leaf-1 34 Plants
xp 1,981 XP
globe Salt Lake City, UT
07/15/2021

I love this little guy. Low maintenance. Just wants some sun and sandy soil. And a couple friends in a succulent planter never hurt.

Fast grower Fast grower
Survivor Survivor
@lucyisfit avatar
@@lucyisfit
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 502 XP
globe Norwich, England
06/22/2021

lives for ages

Survivor Survivor
@dagoodnoodle avatar
@@dagoodnoodle
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 193 XP
globe Maywood, NJ
06/04/2021

I’ve had this little guys for almost 4 years as my
very first plant! He took a while to get to the size he is now but he’s a trooper. He’s the best 🥺💕🌵

Survivor Survivor
Bebe avatar
@Bebe
leaf-1 4 Plants
xp 479 XP
globe Saint-Denis, Île-de-France
05/24/2021

Her little red flowers are the cutest and the strongest !

Survivor Survivor
Kelsey avatar
@Kelsey
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 182 XP
globe Alpharetta, GA
05/24/2021

Whenever you think you should water it, wait a week and then go to water it but before you do, wait another week and then water it

Survivor Survivor
Fast grower Fast grower
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Blooms easily Blooms easily
@Yellowfellow avatar
@@Yellowfellow
leaf-1 9 Plants
xp 237 XP
05/17/2021

This dude is so easy to care for,
I water him once a week and his thriving also I keep him next to the window because he really likes to sun bathe ❤️

@Lil.Lemon avatar
@@Lil.Lemon
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 108 XP
05/15/2021

Very easy to look after and look really pretty, just be careful when handling them as it’s easy to get barbed

Survivor Survivor
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
@ClariKatie avatar
@@ClariKatie
leaf-1 30 Plants
xp 601 XP
globe Silver Spring, MD
03/03/2021

Super slow growing but hardy cactus. Unfortunately they grow so slowly that if your husband accidentally knocks it to the floor and decapitates it, it will take time to recover but it won’t kick the bucket quickly so that’s good! Easy to deal with and interesting looking and a great conversation piece!

Survivor Survivor

Trending in your area

Similar to Carnegiea Gigantea

Discover rare plants