To be honest they need to be in a greenhouse or conservatory and grown in a
free draining compost. If you take rooted cuttings and give them lots of
light then the resulting plants will start to look like the real thing.
Don't over feed but tomato fertiliser once a month at half strength does
help.

My cacti are all grown in a soil based compost with a low fertiliser base
(JI no 1) with small polystryene balls and or grit mixed at a rate of
between 3:1 (3 compost 1 polystyrene) and 1:1 depending on the variety.
They all get tomato fertiliser once a month in summer and twice a year they
get half strength phostrogen. The plants dry almost dry out between
waterings and that include the tropical ones such as Melocactus.

Bob


Ah, explains why I was having trouple identifying it. I thought the
closest
match was a prickly pear but it was skinnier. I never thought of cacti
getting leggy.

What's the best thing to do? It has responded well to cuting back hard,
and
cuttings take very easily. Should I just do that and then place it
somewhere
lighter?