Dilemma #1:
I have an Opuntia monacantha that I have kind of neglected this year. It is a good sized plant in a six inch pot. I just noticed that it is eat up with scale. It's too late in the season to use a systemic to cure it as it should be dormant now, and would not soak up the water/poison. Would rubbing alcohol sprayed on it kill the scale? What other options could I pursue?
Dilemma #2:
Last winter, my Notocactus leninghausii, and a couple more Notos shrunk considerably during the winter period. I have heard folks say that they give their Notos some water during winter. Do these plants go completely dormant, or can they actually draw water from the soil during this time? I would like to head off this issue this year, but at the same time, I do not want to rot any plants.
Dilemma #3:
I have all my Melocactus, Discocactus, and Matucanas inside in front of a window. The low temps will only get down to around 60 where they are. I also read on a web site where Melos like their roots to be somewhat moist, even during winter. These plants being from warm climates, do they go completely dormant? I only had one Melocactus last winter, and it did fine just misting it frequently. Would frequent misting be satisfactory to hold them through the winter, or should I give them very light waterings?
Hope all these questions are appropriate in one post.. Thanks ahead of time..
Bill in SC
At an impasse; need advice
-
Bill in SC
- Posts: 2544
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 5:17 am
- Location: South Carolina, USA
Don't know how applicable this will be but here in my southern california yard.
Annual temp range 27 - 116F,
Winter rain (we get about 10" a year, 12 of which fall in Feb),
Winters are 75-85 highs, 35-45 lows with the occasional light frost in early AM, clear days with lots of bright light,
Spring brings what we call June gloom which may actually last from April to July like it did this year == morning overcast/fog burning off by 11:00-12:00 and 85-100 highs. Overnite lows of 60-70
Summers. HOT! long, sunny days. Warm nights 70+ lows.
Fall, like Spring but the overcast/fog burns off quicker.
With that frame of reference ...
P(N) leninghausii grows in the garden year round, makes large clusters and is impervious to all our weather. I've plants in the ground that are 30+ years old that when our winter monsoons come and my back yard floods, sit in 4" of water for several hours at a time. This plant is tough!!
Melocactus are all over the place. Some are very cold hardy and can live outside year round. Some drop roots and fall over at anything under 50F, wet or dry! I grow them in a mix that contains 50% perlite, 30% pumice and the balance coir. I water all year. Weekly or better in summer heat and bi-weekly or monthly in the greenhouse during coldest part of winter. My greenhouse is basically unheated. The plant mass keeps it from going below 45 in most cases. I do use an electric heater that comes on to maintain a minimum of about 42F. Daytime gh temps are almost always 85-115, even on overcast days.
Discocactus, ditto Melos -- a very few, (most of the zehntneri group) are extremely hardy and can live outside here.
Matucana, remember that these plants are from Peru. They live at altitudes of 1500-6000M. They are all within a few degrees of the equator so day length is controlled only by their positon in river valleys.
For the higher altitude ones, 200-250 days of frost a year might not be uncommon, with a high of 60-65.
The biggest problem I have here is that it is too hot in the summer causing summer dormancy. Cold, winter rain, never really a problem here. Mine are all outside all year. Only concession I make is that really small seedlings(<5-8mm) go in the cold frame so I can control the moisture a bit better.
HTH ... GeneS
Annual temp range 27 - 116F,
Winter rain (we get about 10" a year, 12 of which fall in Feb),
Winters are 75-85 highs, 35-45 lows with the occasional light frost in early AM, clear days with lots of bright light,
Spring brings what we call June gloom which may actually last from April to July like it did this year == morning overcast/fog burning off by 11:00-12:00 and 85-100 highs. Overnite lows of 60-70
Summers. HOT! long, sunny days. Warm nights 70+ lows.
Fall, like Spring but the overcast/fog burns off quicker.
With that frame of reference ...
P(N) leninghausii grows in the garden year round, makes large clusters and is impervious to all our weather. I've plants in the ground that are 30+ years old that when our winter monsoons come and my back yard floods, sit in 4" of water for several hours at a time. This plant is tough!!
Melocactus are all over the place. Some are very cold hardy and can live outside year round. Some drop roots and fall over at anything under 50F, wet or dry! I grow them in a mix that contains 50% perlite, 30% pumice and the balance coir. I water all year. Weekly or better in summer heat and bi-weekly or monthly in the greenhouse during coldest part of winter. My greenhouse is basically unheated. The plant mass keeps it from going below 45 in most cases. I do use an electric heater that comes on to maintain a minimum of about 42F. Daytime gh temps are almost always 85-115, even on overcast days.
Discocactus, ditto Melos -- a very few, (most of the zehntneri group) are extremely hardy and can live outside here.
Matucana, remember that these plants are from Peru. They live at altitudes of 1500-6000M. They are all within a few degrees of the equator so day length is controlled only by their positon in river valleys.
For the higher altitude ones, 200-250 days of frost a year might not be uncommon, with a high of 60-65.
The biggest problem I have here is that it is too hot in the summer causing summer dormancy. Cold, winter rain, never really a problem here. Mine are all outside all year. Only concession I make is that really small seedlings(<5-8mm) go in the cold frame so I can control the moisture a bit better.
HTH ... GeneS
-
Bill in SC
- Posts: 2544
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 5:17 am
- Location: South Carolina, USA
Very good info Gene, and I appreciate it. Our climate, (zone 7B) though considered mild by most standards, is somewhat cooler than your's. We do get many days of heavy frost. We get some 20s in the winter, and occasionally teens, and rarely, single digits. Hopefully I can maintain a 45 degree minimum in the GH. I feel like it is too risky to overwinter my Melos and such in the GH, but I will give them at least monthly waterings inside, along with their frequent mistings which they really seem to like. These Melos, Discos, and Matucanas are my favorite plants at present, and I want to care for them properly. I would be at a great loss without them. Also, from the info you provided, I will definately be giving "Lenny" some drinks this winter.
Bill in SC
Bill in SC
Hi Bill, I have to keep my plants inside. The Melo's in ordinary chambertemp, were we live. So they are always warm. I have them in a western windowsill were they get appr.6 hours mild daylight. Every three or four weeks I give them some water, so they don't dry out completely. it does not do them any harm, they flower every year.
My Noto's are in a room with temps from about 7 to 9 degrees Celcius. I mist them on sunny days whole winter through. they don't dry out completely. Not all of them flower each year, but they don't shrink to much either and in spring they start easily with new growth. Hope this helps. Harry
My Noto's are in a room with temps from about 7 to 9 degrees Celcius. I mist them on sunny days whole winter through. they don't dry out completely. Not all of them flower each year, but they don't shrink to much either and in spring they start easily with new growth. Hope this helps. Harry
-
Bill in SC
- Posts: 2544
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 5:17 am
- Location: South Carolina, USA
Hardy Matucanas: haynei, some subspecies, maybe all; polzii; maybe more. Probably they wouldn't take an unheated winter for you, but no worries in with the regular cacti at 45F or so. Many, like M. aureiflora and M. madisoniorum are not at all hardy. Not strongly seasonal, they rest when it gets too hot, too dry, or too cold, otherwise they grow whenever they have water and sun.
Opuntia monacantha is a tropical Opuntia. Not hardy, it doesn't need to be dormant and mine certainly isn't yet. Bring it indoors and treat it. Watch out for anything else it may have infected. Like you!
Notocactus are quite diverse. Some are really quite hardy, others don't like frost at all. I keep them inside and try not to keep them dry for too long in winter. I don't have a good feel for how warm your greenhouse is going to get in winter but I imagine it may be quite warm on at least some sunny days and you will be able to continue watering some plants right through. You'll just have to be careful that they don't get caught with wet feet when those 20F nights hit.
Opuntia monacantha is a tropical Opuntia. Not hardy, it doesn't need to be dormant and mine certainly isn't yet. Bring it indoors and treat it. Watch out for anything else it may have infected. Like you!
Notocactus are quite diverse. Some are really quite hardy, others don't like frost at all. I keep them inside and try not to keep them dry for too long in winter. I don't have a good feel for how warm your greenhouse is going to get in winter but I imagine it may be quite warm on at least some sunny days and you will be able to continue watering some plants right through. You'll just have to be careful that they don't get caught with wet feet when those 20F nights hit.
--ian
Hi Bill,
My first season with a greenhouse I also noticed some of my cacti shrivelling along with a lot of my other succulents. I actually lost a couple plants, not due to rot but dessication. About mid winter I decided I'd better do something so I brought them in the house a few at a time and watered them one by one from below. Then I left them in the house for a few days to dry out before I put them back outside in the cold. It seemed to work pretty well for me to do this about once a month. They puffed back up and were happy and seemed to grow healthily once spring came.
Franj
My first season with a greenhouse I also noticed some of my cacti shrivelling along with a lot of my other succulents. I actually lost a couple plants, not due to rot but dessication. About mid winter I decided I'd better do something so I brought them in the house a few at a time and watered them one by one from below. Then I left them in the house for a few days to dry out before I put them back outside in the cold. It seemed to work pretty well for me to do this about once a month. They puffed back up and were happy and seemed to grow healthily once spring came.
Franj
Iann,
I should be minding my typing. Should read 1500-4000M. Much above that and we would have to make Oroya into honourary Matucana!!
GeneS
It's not you that should be lookingwhich Matucanas grow at the 6000m you mention? I've got a couple of the high altitude species but am wondering if there is something else
I should be looking at.
I should be minding my typing. Should read 1500-4000M. Much above that and we would have to make Oroya into honourary Matucana!!GeneS