Although Cacti Roots can very quite significantly in their size and purpose, for the most part the roots grow quite close to the surface and are actually pretty shallow.
When it comes to the question how deep do cactus roots go?
In general you can expect a cactus root system to grow up to 5 feet deep into the ground and upwards of 15 feet across the ground under the soil.
However most cactus roots will be less shallow into the ground around 6 inches in depth, but they can cover much more ground horizontally for several feet.
Type Of Root System
There are actually several different types of cacti root systems out there depending on the specific type of cactus growing.
Here are some examples so you can familiarize yourself a bit more.
Fibrous Roots
Fibrous roots are roots that become a network of roots that grow shallow, so close to the surface, but grow very long horizontally to collect as much rainfall as possible.
The prickly pear cactus is a good example of this type of root system as the roots grow only a few inches to a few feet deep but can grow up to 15 feet away from the cactus.
This ensures that the prickly pear can get as much water as possible since the roots are close to the surface but also branch out to collect even more than what’s by the cactus.
Taproot Roots
Another type of root system in cacti is a Taproot system.
A Taproot is one giant root that grows straight down by a few inches and has many other roots form right off it as well.
The main purpose of a Taproot is to not only form a strong foundation as an anchor to prevent the cactus from getting damaged by natural causes such as wind, but also collect water and nutrients as you would expect.
The Saguaro cactus is a prime example of this type of root system.
For a Saguaro cactus you can expect the roots to grow several inches deep but the roots on average will grow the same distance horizontally as the cactus is tall.
For example, if your Saguaro is 3 feet tall you can expect the roots to grow 3 feet wide and so on.
Type Of Container Needed
If you’re planning on growing your Cacti outdoors in the ground then of course you don’t need a container to grow in.
With that said, indoors you most certainly do.
Now there are many different type of containers out there but your best options for growing cacti will be either ceramic or terracotta containers.
I Like terracotta containers so that’s what I’m going to personally recommend.
You just need to make sure you select the correct pot size, nothing way too small and nothing overly large as both of these can cause issues in growth.
Fortunately I think I have found the perfect middle ground with this Terracotta container which I highly recommend.
Conclusion
So there you have it, all you probably wanted to know about how deep cactus roots grow and a little bit more about them!
As always I hope you have found this information and recommendation useful and I wish you the best of luck on your gardening journey!