Winter preparations Question?

Anything relating to Cacti or CactiGuide.com that doesn't fit in another category should be posted under General.
User avatar
JCcares
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed May 18, 2022 1:21 am
Location: NC USA

Winter preparations Question?

Post by JCcares »

“Imidacloprid” I gave my cacti a soak last June. Will they need another treatment to prevent pesty pests before I bring all my cacti in my basement for the winter?

Insecticidal soap, Horticultural soap. Should I be doing this once a month, and when would be the best time to do this before I bring my cacti in for the winter?

Do I want the roots dry before I bring them in my home for the winter.

Do I keep the fans on my cacti circulation 24 hours a day all winter long?

I’ve noticed up north of where I live in NC where real winter happens Michigan and other northern states some bring their cacti into their dark cellar for the winter with no light? Do cacti need some light to get them through the hibernation season?

Thank you for helping
8AA59370-7AD8-4623-86D7-7AEE5AE25A82.jpeg
8AA59370-7AD8-4623-86D7-7AEE5AE25A82.jpeg (346.01 KiB) Viewed 890 times
for sharing your experience.
My name is Joe I Live in Hickory NC USA four equal perfect seasons.
LateBloomer
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 12:15 am
Location: Curitiba, Brasil

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by LateBloomer »

They can survive with zero light all winter if temps are low enough and no water there will be zero etiloation based on others experiences...

On another forum a grower lived near the Arctic circle and was able to grow in the extremes of zero sunlight for months at a time he did supplement a little bit with lights but nothing extreme.

I would make sure the soil is almost 100% dry before bringing them in to prevent rot since it will take longer to dry indoors.

Do you have any clones or 'extras' that you wouldn't mind leaving outdoors completely protected from rain? I haven't lived in regions that experience major winters but if I did I would gravitate towards plants and cacti that could handle the winters.
User avatar
JCcares
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed May 18, 2022 1:21 am
Location: NC USA

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by JCcares »

LateBloomer wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 9:53 pm They can survive with zero light all winter if temps are low enough and no water there will be zero etiloation based on others experiences...

On another forum a grower lived near the Arctic circle and was able to grow in the extremes of zero sunlight for months at a time he did supplement a little bit with lights but nothing extreme.

I would make sure the soil is almost 100% dry before bringing them in to prevent rot since it will take longer to dry indoors.

Do you have any clones or 'extras' that you wouldn't mind leaving outdoors completely protected from rain? I haven't lived in regions that experience major winters but if I did I would gravitate towards plants and cacti that could handle the winters.
Thank you 🙏🏽

Is 59f to 65f cool enough?????
My name is Joe I Live in Hickory NC USA four equal perfect seasons.
LateBloomer
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 12:15 am
Location: Curitiba, Brasil

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by LateBloomer »

Well if you don't water it yea... I have watered mine when day temps reach that but cold spells only last 2 weeks or so and 100% mineral mix and outside in full sun so... your experience may vary
User avatar
greenknight
Posts: 4807
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:18 am
Location: SW Washington State zone 8b

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by greenknight »

Agreed that you should get them dry before you bring them in.

Those temperature are higher than ideal, a little sip of water once a month may be needed to keep the roots of some cacti alive. Not enough water to induce growth, just enough to keep them from shriveling excessively. Some cacti are prone to casting off their roots to conserve water, even if you can re-root them next spring it sets them back a lot.

If you can protect them from the rain outdoors, I would leave them out until the threat of hard frost forces you to move them in. Some of the hardier species could stay out through a moderately hard frost, even, as long as they're dry.
Spence :mrgreen:
User avatar
JCcares
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed May 18, 2022 1:21 am
Location: NC USA

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by JCcares »

greenknight wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 4:00 am Agreed that you should get them dry before you bring them in.

Those temperature are higher than ideal, a little sip of water once a month may be needed to keep the roots of some cacti alive. Not enough water to induce growth, just enough to keep them from shriveling excessively. Some cacti are prone to casting off their roots to conserve water, even if you can re-root them next spring it sets them back a lot.

If you can protect them from the rain outdoors, I would leave them out until the threat of hard frost forces you to move them in. Some of the hardier species could stay out through a moderately hard frost, even, as long as they're dry.

Wow Spencer I’m glad we’re talking about this now giving me plenty of time to figure things out.

Spencer what are your opinions about another “Imidacloprid “ soak again before I bring them in for the winter and the insect killing soap? Fans on 24 hours a day all winter?

Thank you for helping Spencer you are truly the “GreenKnight”🙏🏽
My name is Joe I Live in Hickory NC USA four equal perfect seasons.
DaveW
Posts: 7369
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:36 pm
Location: Nottingham, England/UK

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by DaveW »

As others have said it depends on winter temperature and light in your basement. Cacti will stand cool and dry with no light if they are dried off and dormant. However if too warm and lacking light they will etiolate. I don't know about American basements, do they have any windows, if not you may have to use artificial light if they are warm and water a little as Spence says.

I read in the days before the "Iron Curtain" came down some in E, Europe could not get coal to heat their greenhouses so therefore used to dry their cacti off for a month or so to send them dormant, then knock them out of their pots and washed the roots off. They then wrapped them in newspapers and put them in their cellars, but those cellars were only a few degrees above freezing, In Spring they then potted them up and put them back in the greenhouse. A drastic method of keeping the plants over winter and not one to use if better conditions are available. Also it would not work with the more tropical cacti.

From the size of your present collection you could wheel it into a living room on a sheet of polythene if the family will allow! then bring them through in good light but, probably needing to water occasionally to stop them shrivelling too much and hopefully not promote growth in winter.
User avatar
greenknight
Posts: 4807
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:18 am
Location: SW Washington State zone 8b

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by greenknight »

Imidacloprid takes months to break down, I don't think you need to apply it again this season.
Spence :mrgreen:
User avatar
nachtkrabb
Posts: 1540
Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 7:07 pm
Location: Stuttgart, Germany

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by nachtkrabb »

Hallo JCcares, nice collection. Looks real good.

I am from Germany where we do get real winters, with or without snow, oftn with long periods od fros, depending on the year. I thus have a table which plants tolerate wich temperatures according to information from books & from the internet, especially llifle. Often I guess according to where the plants come from (climate zone, altitude etc.).
Then I get my plants in and bring them to different winterquarters, again according to their needs and their homelands: I have some cacti from warm rain forests as Selenicereus. Those stay in my relatively warm living room. My sleeping room is a lot cooler, and coolest is my stairwell. All places are quite well lighted! I admit I would not dream to put a cactus in a cool, dark cellar, although I have heard that others do so on a regular basis.
Many of those in the cooler placer get no or next to none water. Others as those from the hot tropics do need water.
A couple of Opuntias and similars have never been in here in their lives. They reside in their pots with well-draining soil in the yard all year round. I never gave them a roof for protection. They do look funny with snow! Some of them flower on a regular basis.
All those who will stay dry for winter will be given water while outside, although reduced. What would I do if there is some rain? I admit I won't run outside with my umbrella. So I stop watering the dry-guys inside.
In your place I would check: Where does my plant come from, what does it need?

About pests: Most winters, we get problems with mealy bugs here, especially & typically with the Stapeliads & co. So in fall I start to spray them with methylated spirits about once a week plus I put some "bug poison" into their water. You won't have the same stuff at your place, so I won't get into details.
My problem here is: Mealy bugs tend to hide in the soil & between the roots. Thus spraying alone is fine but not enough.

Now in August I start to watch the weather forecasts and my min-max-thermometer to realise when it is time to get the delicate ones in in time. The rest follow according to my plant-temeratures-table.
As the nights were cold at ours until June, we had to bring out our plants here three weeks later than usual. I just do hope for a warm fall, so they can stay out as long as possible.

Hope that helps as well? Good luck,
Nachtkrabb
Love and Revolution!
...and still more cacti.
User avatar
JCcares
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed May 18, 2022 1:21 am
Location: NC USA

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by JCcares »

DaveW wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 7:23 pm As others have said it depends on winter temperature and light in your basement. Cacti will stand cool and dry with no light if they are dried off and dormant. However if too warm and lacking light they will etiolate. I don't know about American basements, do they have any windows, if not you may have to use artificial light if they are warm and water a little as Spence says.

I read in the days before the "Iron Curtain" came down some in E, Europe could not get coal to heat their greenhouses so therefore used to dry their cacti off for a month or so to send them dormant, then knock them out of their pots and washed the roots off. They then wrapped them in newspapers and put them in their cellars, but those cellars were only a few degrees above freezing, In Spring they then potted them up and put them back in the greenhouse. A drastic method of keeping the plants over winter and not one to use if better conditions are available. Also it would not work with the more tropical cacti.

From the size of your present collection you could wheel it into a living room on a sheet of polythene if the family will allow! then bring them through in good light but, probably needing to water occasionally to stop them shrivelling too much and hopefully not promote growth in winter.
Got it Dave. THANK You 🙏🏽
My name is Joe I Live in Hickory NC USA four equal perfect seasons.
User avatar
JCcares
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed May 18, 2022 1:21 am
Location: NC USA

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by JCcares »

nachtkrabb wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 10:13 pm Hallo JCcares, nice collection. Looks real good.

I am from Germany where we do get real winters, with or without snow, oftn with long periods od fros, depending on the year. I thus have a table which plants tolerate wich temperatures according to information from books & from the internet, especially llifle. Often I guess according to where the plants come from (climate zone, altitude etc.).
Then I get my plants in and bring them to different winterquarters, again according to their needs and their homelands: I have some cacti from warm rain forests as Selenicereus. Those stay in my relatively warm living room. My sleeping room is a lot cooler, and coolest is my stairwell. All places are quite well lighted! I admit I would not dream to put a cactus in a cool, dark cellar, although I have heard that others do so on a regular basis.
Many of those in the cooler placer get no or next to none water. Others as those from the hot tropics do need water.
A couple of Opuntias and similars have never been in here in their lives. They reside in their pots with well-draining soil in the yard all year round. I never gave them a roof for protection. They do look funny with snow! Some of them flower on a regular basis.
All those who will stay dry for winter will be given water while outside, although reduced. What would I do if there is some rain? I admit I won't run outside with my umbrella. So I stop watering the dry-guys inside.
In your place I would check: Where does my plant come from, what does it need?

About pests: Most winters, we get problems with mealy bugs here, especially & typically with the Stapeliads & co. So in fall I start to spray them with methylated spirits about once a week plus I put some "bug poison" into their water. You won't have the same stuff at your place, so I won't get into details.
My problem here is: Mealy bugs tend to hide in the soil & between the roots. Thus spraying alone is fine but not enough.

Now in August I start to watch the weather forecasts and my min-max-thermometer to realise when it is time to get the delicate ones in in time. The rest follow according to my plant-temeratures-table.
As the nights were cold at ours until June, we had to bring out our plants here three weeks later than usual. I just do hope for a warm fall, so they can stay out as long as possible.

Hope that helps as well? Good luck,
Nachtkrabb
Thank you Nachtkrabb for sharing your love for all you’re different species of cacti. I will do as you suggest and study their origins. Some can handle colder temperatures some not. Thank you again for your time and love.
My name is Joe I Live in Hickory NC USA four equal perfect seasons.
User avatar
JCcares
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed May 18, 2022 1:21 am
Location: NC USA

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by JCcares »

I still need help with these 2 questions please.


Insecticidal soap, Horticultural soap. Should I be doing this once a month, and when would be the best time to do this before I bring my cacti in for the winter?

Do I keep the fans on my cacti circulation 24 hours a day all winter long?

Thank you 🙏🏽
My name is Joe I Live in Hickory NC USA four equal perfect seasons.
DaveW
Posts: 7369
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:36 pm
Location: Nottingham, England/UK

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by DaveW »

Regarding insecticides. Most (at least in Britain and the EU?) are not ovicides (ones that kill the eggs) since most of these were banned for amateur use. Maybe they are still available in the US? However that means most insecticides we use do not kill the mealies eggs. If you read the directions on many insecticides these days it will tell you how frequently to use them since the idea is to catch the next batch of new hatchlings before they can lay resistant eggs again themselves. Therefore often a single application per year does not work since later a new recently hatched crop of mealies appears from the resistant eggs.

Also many insecticides now tell you how many times a year to use before changing to a different insecticide. That is to avoid breeding a strain of mealy bugs resistant to that insecticide. Therefore it is always advantageous to ring the changes periodically to try and kill off the bugs that are becoming resistant to your normal insecticide. Say use a systemic sometimes but then occasionally a spray on contact one or one with a different chemical ingredient listed on the container.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide_resistance

Some things like soaps that do not contain poisonous chemicals and work by simply smothering the bugs do not breed resistance, therefore can be continuously used without breeding resistant bugs. I would doubt that soaps would also kill the eggs, so again you may need to use again once you see any new bugs have hatched.

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/inse ... t-control/
User avatar
JCcares
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed May 18, 2022 1:21 am
Location: NC USA

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by JCcares »

Got it Dave THANK YOU! Very much!!!
My name is Joe I Live in Hickory NC USA four equal perfect seasons.
User avatar
nachtkrabb
Posts: 1540
Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 7:07 pm
Location: Stuttgart, Germany

Re: Winter preparations Question?

Post by nachtkrabb »

Hallo JCcares,
you are very welcome. Hope I could help you.
About fans I can't say anything as we don't need them here in the South of Germany. I have no idea how humid your air usually is during winter. I can't even say how humid it is here but "...normal...". :oops:
I am so sorry...
N.
Love and Revolution!
...and still more cacti.
Post Reply