Bunny Ears Cactus Care

The best spot for a Bunny Ears Cactus is somewhere that gets bright, direct sunlight for several hours each day. South-facing windows are the best and they may struggle in a north-facing spot. During the hottest summer days you may want to bring your cactus away from the window a little to stop it burning but otherwise, you shouldn’t have too many issues placing it in direct sunlight. 

As with most cacti, your Bunny Ears Cactus doesn’t need much water at all. The roots are adapted to catch even the slightest bit of water meaning too much water can quickly lead to root rot. Use a saucer or planter to capture excess water and remove any water after about 10 minutes. This will allow the plant to soak up the right amount of water but will help to prevent the roots from sitting in puddles of water. During the growth period of spring and summer, your Bunny Ears Cactus does like to have some moisture in the soil so water a little once a week. During autumn and winter, however, we recommend only watering your Bunny Ears Cactus once a month as this is the dormant period.

Although having a home that is slightly cooler doesn’t mean you could never have a Bunny Ears Cactus, remember that they do grow better, and produce flowers in warmer temperatures. This is especially important during spring and summer to encourage new healthy growth. During the autumn and winter months they appreciate slightly cooler temperatures so keep them away from radiators or heating vents as this can dry out the cactus and cause several issues. 

Due to the danger of root rot, you want to ensure that the soil and the pot have good drainage. Use a well-draining potting mix that is especially designed for cacti. A pre-packaged cactus soil will usually work well but you can also create your own sand-based potting mix if you wish to. 

Make sure the pot has sufficient drainage holes so that excess water can run out of the pot and be poured away rather which will help reduce the risk of root rot. It’s a good idea to put some small pebbles at the bottom of the pot to prevent the drainage holes being blocked by clumps of potting mix.

Using a cacti-specific fertiliser, feed your Bunny Ears Cactus a couple of times throughout the growth period. This will help to encourage new pads to grow as well as flowers and fruit to develop. It’s important that you use a water-soluble fertiliser made for cacti which are low in nitrogen rather than using a generic houseplant fertiliser. 

When feeding your Bunny Ears Cactus, dilute the fertiliser more than recommended so it’s weaker than what it says on the bottle. Too much fertiliser can damage and burn the roots so it’s better to be on the safe side. You should also never fertilise your Bunny Ears Cactus in autumn or winter as this can actually kill your plant.

To avoid your Bunny Ears Cactus becoming rot-bound, we recommend repotting your plant every year or two. Make sure to choose a pot only a few centimetres larger in diameter so that the plant doesn’t become unstable in its new home. Make sure to use thick gloves when repotting your Bunny Ears Cactus as the bristles can be quite painful and difficult to remove from skin.

You can easily propagate your Bunny Ears Cactus by breaking off one of the pads and potting it a few centimetres into the soil. We have found that using tweezers to break off the pads works really well and avoids you coming into contact with the sharp bristles on the plant. Pop your pads deep into potting mix and water regularly to encourage root growth. 

Top tip: we have always found propagating Bunny Ears Cacti to be more successful when you use cuttings that have 2-3 pads on each. This helps the plant to mature faster and reduces the risk of disease.

As with most Cacti types, the Bunny Ear Cactus thrives in low humidity. This is because they are native to desert plains and their pads will begin to rot if in a humid environment. This makes the plants great for those who find their homes are too dry for other tropical houseplants to thrive in. You can also use a dehumidifier to prevent your Bunny Ears Cactus from rotting. 

Although the cactus itself is not toxic to pets, cacti should be kept well away from them due to their glochids which can cause irritation when touched or swallowed. This is why we always recommend placing these plants high up on shelves or somewhere where children and pets can’t get to. The bristles on the Bunny Ears Cactus are actually very lose and come away even with a bit of wind so it can be really easy for yourself or any pets to get them stuck in skin if touched. 

If your Bunny Ears Cactus is healthy, you don’t need to worry about pruning it. With some other houseplants, it can be beneficial to encourage bushier growth but the same doesn’t really apply to the Bunny Ears Cactus. You only really need to prune off unhealthy pads when you notice them turning brown or drying out.