Can cacti stay in small pots?

Cactus plants do best in pots that are roughly equal to the size of the root system. A quick way to gauge that is that the pot measures 1/2 to 1 inch away from the cactus stem in any direction. Cacti are fairly slow growers, so they can often stay in the same pot for at least a year at a time. Repot into a pot one size larger when you see root tips poking out through the soil surface or drainage holes.