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I'm new to growing cacti and other succulents and live in Oak View, CA (Ventura County). A friend passed on and I was given his potted cacti and succulent collection. Most were labeled which helps. Our lows here in this inland valley can get down into the high teens, low twenties. My plan is to grow the potted plants outdoors on wooden pallets and cover them with layers of cotton sheets and other fabric when the temperatures drop. Are there special fabrics or other techniques that work better to protect them from the cold?

It would help if you could share what species they are. Cacti have wildly different hardiness levels, ranging from 60° to as low as -20°F for a few select species. Did your friend keep them outside in winter in the same climate? You may find that the winter wet is more dangerous than the cold for many of them. Most cacti prefer to be kept quite dry in winter when temperatures drop below 50, although there are exceptions.

You may find some ideas in this link:-

http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtop ... ts#p343390

Thank you. It's raining now in southern CA and so now I have both cold temperatures and rain to contend with. I'll try to put together a list of cacti I have been given and post it. I'll try the plastic sheeting to keep the rain off and put cotton sheets over the plants for frost protection. My plants seem to love the rain. All the spines are colorful now.

I forgot to explain that this collection came from my friend Ron Hodges in Eugene and they were grown in an unheated greenhouse. Some of the plants looked like they were possibly scared by frost damage but not sure. They have grown out of that condition.

If they grew in an unheated greenhouse in Eugene, they shouldn't have any problem with the cold in your area as long as you keep them dry in the winter. Cotton sheets in the event of a hard freeze will probably be sufficient - they'll help both by providing some insulation and by keeping the sun from hitting the plants when they're frozen. Sun on frozen plants often causes more damage than the freezing, don't uncover them until they've thawed.

Keep the rain off them in Winter and I bet they will be fine. Most Dry at the roots cactus can take night time frost as long as it is sunny and above freezing during the day.