Needs regular water in summer, but for best appearance keep water off of the spines. Do not let the soil become too dry in winter, either. It does better with a good drained soil mix since it is a rot prone species, whose roots are easily lost in pots that stay damp for any length of time. It takes a couple of years to offset, but once it starts it can fill a 25cm pot in just a few years. Needs full sun or light shade in summer.
