Summer dormancy and rain

Discuss repotting, soil, lighting, fertilizing, watering, etc. in this category.
Post Reply
.ilUli.
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2022 2:35 pm
Location: Orange County, CA (zone10a)

Summer dormancy and rain

Post by .ilUli. »

We’ve been experiencing a bit of a heat spell recently here in Southern California with night temps consistently over 75°F. I’ve been advised that my cacti are probably in summer dormancy because of this, and to stop watering them.

It is currently 101°F outside and I am protecting my plants from the sun with a shade cloth. They have not been watered for 2 weeks now. Looking at the forecast for tomorrow and Saturday I can’t help but wonder what I should do…we are actually expecting rain. If you are familiar with SoCal weather you know not to put too much stock in that, but I want to be prepared.

Should I let my cacti get rained on or should I cover them up if it does indeed rain? The high for Saturday is currently at 83°F and everything after that looks pretty decent with cooler nights. Is it better to control that first watering?
Just a beginner trying to learn and keep my cacti alive and happy. Zone 10a
Pd1973
Posts: 51
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 7:29 am
Location: Rijeka, Croatia, EU - zone 9a

Re: Summer dormancy and rain

Post by Pd1973 »

.ilUli. wrote: Thu Sep 08, 2022 9:24 pm We’ve been experiencing a bit of a heat spell recently here in Southern California with night temps consistently over 75°F. I’ve been advised that my cacti are probably in summer dormancy because of this, and to stop watering them.

It is currently 101°F outside and I am protecting my plants from the sun with a shade cloth. They have not been watered for 2 weeks now. Looking at the forecast for tomorrow and Saturday I can’t help but wonder what I should do…we are actually expecting rain. If you are familiar with SoCal weather you know not to put too much stock in that, but I want to be prepared.

Should I let my cacti get rained on or should I cover them up if it does indeed rain? The high for Saturday is currently at 83°F and everything after that looks pretty decent with cooler nights. Is it better to control that first watering?
In Croatia, i.e. the place where I live, this summer was extremely hot, with several heat waves, so I can say that most of my cacti went into dormancy, but also on three occasions, last month, more than 100 liters of rain fell per square meter, I didn't bother much with it, my cacti are exposed to weather conditions, but when I noticed that it was hurting them, I just moved them to a shady place. Currently, September is quite rainy, but at the end of August, the cacti came out of dormancy, so I reduced watering, and the more sensitive cacti are not exposed to rain. The vast majority of my cacti, such as Trichocereus, are exposed to rain, they are in a porous substrate anyway, and they are also in vegetation. So, I believe that your cacti will respond positively to the new weather conditions. Yes, even when they were dormant in the summer, I continued to water them at least once a week. Now I only water cacti that are not exposed to rain.
keith
Posts: 1860
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:50 am
Location: S. CA USA

Re: Summer dormancy and rain

Post by keith »

I'm going to let my plants get rained on , the heat wave is forecast to end .
User avatar
MrXeric
Posts: 559
Joined: Sun Nov 15, 2020 10:31 pm
Location: California, USDA zone 10a

Re: Summer dormancy and rain

Post by MrXeric »

Just like you I haven't watered my plants since before the heat started, so I will be letting them get rained on. Good chance to let the winter growers get started too. But yes, I will assume there won't be enough rain to actually completely soak the pots, so I will likely have to give them a light watering the day after the rain.
User avatar
Steve Johnson
Posts: 4514
Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2011 4:44 am
Location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)

Re: Summer dormancy and rain

Post by Steve Johnson »

For those of you who haven't already been doing it, I highly recommend that you bookmark the National Weather Service website:

https://www.weather.gov/

Type in your zip code on the upper left, hit "go", and you'll get the 7-day forecast being reported by your nearest NWS weather station. The mainpage with your forecast also includes links to 3-day history (this gives you a comparison between observed and predicted temps) and the hourly weather forecast. Nice thing about the hourly -- if it shows a chance of rain on the way, the precipitation graph towards the bottom shows the amount being predicted. Looks like SoCal will have a good chance of rain this weekend. Would the amount be enough to water our cacti the natural way? You'll get the answer through your local NWS hourly forecast.
If you just want photos without all the blather, please visit my Flickr gallery.
My location: Los Angeles, CA (Zone 10b)
.ilUli.
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2022 2:35 pm
Location: Orange County, CA (zone10a)

Re: Summer dormancy and rain

Post by .ilUli. »

Thank you for your answers, they put my mind at ease. I also checked out the NWS website and found it very informative and more detailed than the apps I usually rely on. And yes, I bookmarked it.

My cacti will keep their umbrellas closed, so to speak, and hopefully get a little shower at least to wash all of the ashes from the wildfire away. Can’t wait for the cooldown!
Just a beginner trying to learn and keep my cacti alive and happy. Zone 10a
Post Reply