Arizona snowcap cactus

When I was in high school I bought a small cactus, at the time it had a label that called it something along the lines of 'Snowy'.  It was an Arizona snowcap cactus.  

The Arizona snowcap cactus is a small thimble cactus, Mammillaria vetula.  This is a species of cactus in the subfamily Cactoideae which is endemic to the Mexican states of Hidalgo, Guanajuato, and Querétaro.  

There seems to be a lot of different varieties of this species in the ornamental trade.  Presumably M ventula either has a lot of genetic diversity, or it hybridises easily with other species.  

Arizona Snowcap cactus

The Arizona snowcap cactus is a small, round, green cactus with bright white spines.  This cute little cactus has tufts of dense white spines that are not very pokey, making it a good one for kids to grow.  The one I had years ago looked great, divided often, and flowered each year.  I really liked that cactus.

After I moved out of home after completing high school I lost all my plants, including this cactus.  Since then I have looked for another.  They are not overly uncommon, but they are expensive for what they are.  Every time I see them for sale I am not willing to pay the price, so I keep waiting.  

Cactus offset planted and presumably growing

Late December (28/12/2023) I got a small, pea sized offset from the Arizona snowcap cactus.  Originally I worried that it was too small and may not be viable.  I let it form callus for a few days, then planted it into a small pot.  

Since then it hasn't done much of anything.  I think it has grown roots, and the above ground part still looks much the same.  

Had it not grown roots, the above ground part would be looking shriveled or even started yellowing by now.  The fact it looks the basically the same after several months indicates it is probably alive and growing.  

The soil I have it in is not great for cacti.  I regret using normal potting mix, it would have been better to mix in some perlite or gravel or something, but I didn't so I will need to be more careful growing this.

Heading into winter with such a tiny plant in soil like this I may have trouble giving it enough water to survive but not so much that it rots.  I am growing this on the kitchen windowsill, it may not get enough sunlight there, but it will be somewhat protected from the cold.

Hopefully it survives the coming winter and is ready to grow larger once spring arrives.  I would like this to grow larger (and produce a few offsets) before I consider dividing it.