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I grow cacti in a greenhouse. I withhold water from October through March. Some of my cacti start growing in December. Should I water these or continue to withholding water?

Thanks

darylzigan2810 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 04, 2023 11:54 pm I grow cacti in a greenhouse. I withhold water from October through March. Some of my cacti start growing in December. Should I water these or continue to withholding water?

Thanks

Depends. If you are in a warm area you should probably drizzle in some water to stop the roots from drying off completely. If you are in a humid but cold area you can probably get away with no water.

Thank you. I appreciate your advice.

Hey Daryl

It helps us to know where you live in order to get you a better answer. I can guess you are in the Northern Hemisphere since it seems your winter is in the December timeframe and not June. Lets guess you are in the US. You could be in Florida or Maine. Big difference there too.

This year is the first year in a long time that I've had some of my cacti in a greenhouse over winter here in Northern NJ. This greenhouse is only heated to about 38F (3C or so) to keep the pipes in the concrete floor from freezing. But right about now on sunny days with outdoor temps in the low 50's, the inside temp can get over 80 F. But we are still getting cold days where outside temps might only be the low 30's and cloudy. I took a look at the plants a week or so ago and can see some flower buds just starting on one of the plants at least. I have not watered them at all, but condensation does drip down and hits them. And, the greenhouse is being used for cold loving plants like Pansy's now and humidity from watering builds up. I'm going to have to decide what to do.

Hi Jerry. I am in Wisconsin. We have the cold nights but when the sun is out it can reach 80 degrees in the greenhouse. I also have some in flower but will not water them until next month. We also have the condensation which adds moisture to the air. I think each plant deserves individual care.

I've noticed sometimes if cactus with flower buds are watered in Winter the flowers abort. Certain Mammillarias seem to do this.

darylzigan2810 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 3:31 pm Hi Jerry. I am in Wisconsin. We have the cold nights but when the sun is out it can reach 80 degrees in the greenhouse. I also have some in flower but will not water them until next month. We also have the condensation which adds moisture to the air. I think each plant deserves individual care.

Better do not water your cacti. Blooming do not require watering. For a real growth on the top some cacti shrink the base of the stems or shed some older pads or branches. If temps in your GH climb too high better consider some extra shading till March. I water some plants like tropicals, grafted or small seedlings, succulents but night temps at these pots never go below 10 C because the former are inside a heated house.

I really appreciate your words of advice. Thank you.