growing indoors
growing indoors
Hi everyone! Just got back from the lake, woohoo! I'm pretty new to cactus, or plants in general for that matter, and I am going to need to bring my cactus in for the winter. It's starting to get pretty chilly at night, in the 60's, and I am wondering what kind of setup I need, if any. Should I have a grow light inside or a mini greenhouse or anything like that? Or do the cactus just go in the basement where it's cool? What about light? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks. My real name: Beth.
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Bill in SC
- Posts: 2544
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 5:17 am
- Location: South Carolina, USA
Beth,
To overwinter them, any place that is TOTALLY DRY, and 45 degrees minimum for most species, and some indirect light such as a window, you should be fine.
If you have any Melocactus, Discocactus, Matucanas, and a few others, they have to be kept at temperatures well above the 45 degree minimum most species enjoy. DRY is the key to overwintering success..
Bill in SC
To overwinter them, any place that is TOTALLY DRY, and 45 degrees minimum for most species, and some indirect light such as a window, you should be fine.
If you have any Melocactus, Discocactus, Matucanas, and a few others, they have to be kept at temperatures well above the 45 degree minimum most species enjoy. DRY is the key to overwintering success..
Bill in SC
Or moist if you want to invest in some high-powered lightsDRY is the key to overwintering success..
To give you an idea, every square foot of space that your plants take up would need a minimum of 20W of light, and double that would be nice. Most of mine huddle by the windows or stay outside, I just pamper seedlings, a few real warmth lovers, and some winter-growing succulents under lights.Hi Beth-
Allow me to complicate matters!
Keeping a general assortment of cacti relatively happy over the winter is one thing. Over-wintering with the goal of optimal conditions, including flower production in spring, minimum root loss, and avoidance of etiolation or other "softness" is another.
It has been of great assistance for me to find out where my plants come from. North American hardy cacti growing wild in zones that get freezes quite regularly over the winter generally do well over the winter in a wide range of locations, even if they are often snow covered and wet (as long as they also get to dry out). North American cacti from the upper Chihuahuan desert generally do well also as long as they are relatively dry and temps don’t fall too far below 20F. This is also true for Mojave and Sonoran cacti.
One very helpful resource for me has been the Mesa Garden seed list. If you become familiar with their cultivation codes, I have found their accuracy quite high especially in regard to well-established plants.
South Americans are also quite often cold hardy, but I have found that they do better if they are bone dry, as opposed to occasionally wet.
Equatorial cacti are best inside, watered about once a month to keep roots alive.
Another caveat: if your plants are in pots rather than in the ground, add about 10F to the lows recommended by Mesa Garden. Heat retention overnight is lower in potted plants, and their outside roots die more quickly, leading to rot. I have had two Echinocereus dasyacanthus of the same age from NM side by side, one in a pot and the other in a raised rockery, and the one in the pot was seriously damaged by a string of 5F nights, whereas the one in the ground did fine.
Winter dormancy is crucial to the flowering of many species. The best general situation is a tricky combination of bright light and temps that stay low, even in the daytime. Cacti as houseplants often are at a constant 70F through the winter and are basically being “preserved,” rather than grown. Sometimes we can’t avoid this. Some growers make certain that their plants have gone *completely dormant* and then just leave them in dark, cold storage over the winter and have great success.
Peterb
Allow me to complicate matters!
Keeping a general assortment of cacti relatively happy over the winter is one thing. Over-wintering with the goal of optimal conditions, including flower production in spring, minimum root loss, and avoidance of etiolation or other "softness" is another.
It has been of great assistance for me to find out where my plants come from. North American hardy cacti growing wild in zones that get freezes quite regularly over the winter generally do well over the winter in a wide range of locations, even if they are often snow covered and wet (as long as they also get to dry out). North American cacti from the upper Chihuahuan desert generally do well also as long as they are relatively dry and temps don’t fall too far below 20F. This is also true for Mojave and Sonoran cacti.
One very helpful resource for me has been the Mesa Garden seed list. If you become familiar with their cultivation codes, I have found their accuracy quite high especially in regard to well-established plants.
South Americans are also quite often cold hardy, but I have found that they do better if they are bone dry, as opposed to occasionally wet.
Equatorial cacti are best inside, watered about once a month to keep roots alive.
Another caveat: if your plants are in pots rather than in the ground, add about 10F to the lows recommended by Mesa Garden. Heat retention overnight is lower in potted plants, and their outside roots die more quickly, leading to rot. I have had two Echinocereus dasyacanthus of the same age from NM side by side, one in a pot and the other in a raised rockery, and the one in the pot was seriously damaged by a string of 5F nights, whereas the one in the ground did fine.
Winter dormancy is crucial to the flowering of many species. The best general situation is a tricky combination of bright light and temps that stay low, even in the daytime. Cacti as houseplants often are at a constant 70F through the winter and are basically being “preserved,” rather than grown. Sometimes we can’t avoid this. Some growers make certain that their plants have gone *completely dormant* and then just leave them in dark, cold storage over the winter and have great success.
Peterb
Hi Beth,
Most of my cacti stay outside in the ground year round but I do have some that aren't hardy enough to withstand our winters.
I have a extra bedroom that I overwinter my non hardys in. There is no heat in this room and indirect light from a window. They do well for me like this. I try to maintain a temperature around 45 to 50 degrees in this room during dormancy.
Most of my cacti stay outside in the ground year round but I do have some that aren't hardy enough to withstand our winters.
I have a extra bedroom that I overwinter my non hardys in. There is no heat in this room and indirect light from a window. They do well for me like this. I try to maintain a temperature around 45 to 50 degrees in this room during dormancy.
Bill
If it sticks ya or pokes ya, I like it
If it sticks ya or pokes ya, I like it
Bill, that list is very helpful to me. Can you think of any others? I've read that astrophytums should also be kept a little warmer. An my euphorbia obesa. And maybe turbinicarpus valdezianus?
Last winter I didn't have nearly so many, so I'm more concerned this year. Last year, everything was OK in the laundry room in the garage, where it stayed above freezing for sure and probably got no lower than 40.
Last winter I didn't have nearly so many, so I'm more concerned this year. Last year, everything was OK in the laundry room in the garage, where it stayed above freezing for sure and probably got no lower than 40.
i agree i'm looking at this list and noting which ones to put in the spare bedroomreadymade wrote:Bill, that list is very helpful to me. Can you think of any others? I've read that astrophytums should also be kept a little warmer. An my euphorbia obesa. And maybe turbinicarpus valdezianus?
Last winter I didn't have nearly so many, so I'm more concerned this year. Last year, everything was OK in the laundry room in the garage, where it stayed above freezing for sure and probably got no lower than 40.
1 melo
1 Matucana
1 christmas cactus
1 eppi (if it ever roots)
other cuttings ??
all my seedlings
what about lithops ??
incurable cactoholic
growing rebutia's with a mix of others.
growing rebutia's with a mix of others.
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Bill in SC
- Posts: 2544
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 5:17 am
- Location: South Carolina, USA
Discocactus Zehnteri will die dead as a hammer at 40 degrees... Mine stay inside with any other Discos, Melos, and Matucanas.
Thanks for the tip Peter for the seed list info. BTW. I commend you Peter for your comphrhensive explainations to folk's issues. Your time is valuable, and it takes a good while to give those type answers. You are an asset to the forum, and I thank you again.
Bill in SC
Thanks for the tip Peter for the seed list info. BTW. I commend you Peter for your comphrhensive explainations to folk's issues. Your time is valuable, and it takes a good while to give those type answers. You are an asset to the forum, and I thank you again.
Bill in SC
Hi Bill, thanks for the thanks. I love the plants and I like being useful, as well as learning a lot here. The season is definitely changing in Santa Fe and I'm making the necessary preparations for winter. It's definitely one of the times of the year that I have to pay close attention to how all the plants are doing, especially since I grow without a greenhouse (but even then, as you pointed out in a different thread, you have to stay on top of things!)
peace
Peterb
peace
Peterb
Thanks everyone for the info! I really need to keep reading and learning! One day I'll be able to answer questions too, and help others.... Went shopping again and gave my friend my wallet so I wouldn't buy anything, then went to "just look" in the garden section...... Came home with 7 cactus, I'll post some pictures in a bit..
Peterb, the classic Turbinicarpus species are more tender than the ex-Gymnocactus and ex-Pelycyphora species.
Astrophytums are moderately hardy but very prone to rot with the slightest moisture when it is cold.
Lithops vary, some species can't take any frost at all, some species can go down to 20F or even lower. The big species from the interior are the most hardy, L. aucampiae and L. hookeri are probably the two hardiest. In practice you won't be able to get them dry enough to survive freezing unless you live in a desert. Avoid frost and most should be OK. Lithops are easier for us northerners to overwinter than many cacti, just stop watering when they flower and don't start again until they have got rid of their old leaves. In between, treat them like ornaments, dust occasionally and admire
Astrophytums are moderately hardy but very prone to rot with the slightest moisture when it is cold.
Lithops vary, some species can't take any frost at all, some species can go down to 20F or even lower. The big species from the interior are the most hardy, L. aucampiae and L. hookeri are probably the two hardiest. In practice you won't be able to get them dry enough to survive freezing unless you live in a desert. Avoid frost and most should be OK. Lithops are easier for us northerners to overwinter than many cacti, just stop watering when they flower and don't start again until they have got rid of their old leaves. In between, treat them like ornaments, dust occasionally and admire
--ian
Bill, thanks for the discocactus warning. It's in a pot with some other things (a pilosocereus azureus and a parodia warasii), but I'll just winter them in a spare bedroom instead. Cooler, but not cold.
I didn't water ANY of my cacti AT ALL last winter, and they all survived. Of course, I have a lot more now . . . .
Here's another wintering questions: Mammillaria saboae? Cold? Somehow it seems to me like it should stay warmer--I don't know why. The poor thing has been through a lot this summer--pot fell over and broke, a couple of heads rotted, ended up floating in water (!) because a stupid UPC label was blocking the drainage hole (don't know how I missed that one)--generally more adventurous than I might want for this little plant. I'd like to REALLY give it a rest over the winter!
I didn't water ANY of my cacti AT ALL last winter, and they all survived. Of course, I have a lot more now . . . .
Here's another wintering questions: Mammillaria saboae? Cold? Somehow it seems to me like it should stay warmer--I don't know why. The poor thing has been through a lot this summer--pot fell over and broke, a couple of heads rotted, ended up floating in water (!) because a stupid UPC label was blocking the drainage hole (don't know how I missed that one)--generally more adventurous than I might want for this little plant. I'd like to REALLY give it a rest over the winter!