golden barrel an winter..

[clemons]

have a G,B, an from what i understand they dont flower till mature an that takes years..so whats the advantage of winter dormancy as opposed to just leaving them on the window sill at room tempetures all winter an not watering quite as much..

[iann]

If you leave them at room temperature they will attempt to grow. The new growth will be etiolated because of the lack of intense light, spination will also be weaker. Luckily, this species will grow very little over a winter unless your house is really warm. Watering without strong growth is always dangerous, the water isn't taken up by the roots and the soil stays wet. All Echinocactus are very hardy, E grusonii is generally a moderate or large size, and so they are really very well suited to a cool dry few months. Unless you can provide suitably intense light, it really is best for them.

[clemons]

if they are dormant,do they need any light at all ? ....