CactiGuide.com

Hello,

I just moved to Maryland and this will be the first winter with cacti. I've never overwinter cacti and was wondering if a grow tent [vivosun 10-12ft] completely blocked off from light, kept outdoors with a heater set to maintain 45-50* would be an OK idea? I don't have tons of plants, but the ones I have are quite large. Thanks!

Cj

TKC wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 8:33 pm Hello,

I just moved to Maryland and this will be the first winter with cacti. I've never overwinter cacti and was wondering if a grow tent [vivosun 10-12ft] completely blocked off from light, kept outdoors with a heater set to maintain 45-50* would be an OK idea? I don't have tons of plants, but the ones I have are quite large. Thanks!

Cj

I hadn't heard of grow tents before now, but your idea for that and the heater setting you suggested IMO should be great. The only thing you'll need to watch out for is to make sure that the tent doesn't blow away in the wind. Not sure about Maryland, but winters in the northeast can be brutally cold, and I'm pretty sure the winter winds whip through the place you just moved to.

I would just keep the plants inside for winter. They are fine for a few months in a dark unheated room, at least mine have been for the past 20+ years. No hassle with heating, winter storms trouble or worry about plant safety.

I'm not telling you to do this but my cacti handle a few nights of 1-2C so 35F and I watered them before hand. IF you were to use a heater you could save money setting the heater even lower to upper 30 or low 40s. Even my lithops did fine that I started a few months ago thinking they were winter growers

Most cacti can deal with slight freezing temperatures quite well, but for a few species (Matucana, Discocactus, well... much from Brazil). Many can survive an occasional very cold (up to -10C) night well too. For prolonged cold and more severe cold, most are probably better off with some sheltering. But don't panic too soon when the first bit of frost arrives.

I have mostly large mature specimens, but some smaller...I've been reading a post about bare rooting and keeping cool, but I don't have an unheated room. My basement houses a reptile collection so that'll never work. The bare rooting fascinates me, but I have a 4ft tall saguaro cutting that's not simply bare rooted and stored on its side...hell I have two barrel cacti I can't even come close to wrapping my arms around! In terms of those drying out I feel like with the rain we've had if have to stay now, and who's to say it'd work?

Dirty secret... that 4ft saguaro is a cutting I bought in 2019 and have never repotted...eek

Steve Johnson wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 9:33 pm

TKC wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 8:33 pm Hello,

I just moved to Maryland and this will be the first winter with cacti. I've never overwinter cacti and was wondering if a grow tent [vivosun 10-12ft] completely blocked off from light, kept outdoors with a heater set to maintain 45-50* would be an OK idea? I don't have tons of plants, but the ones I have are quite large. Thanks!

Cj

I hadn't heard of grow tents before now, but your idea for that and the heater setting you suggested IMO should be great. The only thing you'll need to watch out for is to make sure that the tent doesn't blow away in the wind. Not sure about Maryland, but winters in the northeast can be brutally cold, and I'm pretty sure the winter winds whip through the place you just moved to.

In March I dealt with this by putting a moving strap over the center pole, but still inside under the cover. I attached heavy weights to each hook and it never budged. This was on a 13ftx10ft greenhouse for my cacti and agave.

TKC wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 11:07 pmIn March I dealt with this by putting a moving strap over the center pole, but still inside under the cover. I attached heavy weights to each hook and it never budged. This was on a 13ftx10ft greenhouse for my cacti and agave.

Sounds like you're set then -- excellent! By the way, I'm a reptile fan too. Are you keeping lizards, snakes, or both?

Steve Johnson wrote: ↑Thu Sep 08, 2022 2:07 am

TKC wrote: ↑Wed Sep 07, 2022 11:07 pmIn March I dealt with this by putting a moving strap over the center pole, but still inside under the cover. I attached heavy weights to each hook and it never budged. This was on a 13ftx10ft greenhouse for my cacti and agave.

Sounds like you're set then -- excellent! By the way, I'm a reptile fan too. Are you keeping lizards, snakes, or both?

Both!