Winter in the garage

Use this forum to get advice on growing succulents and keeping them healthy
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Kelly_NC
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:48 pm
Location: Eastern North Carolina (Zone 8a)

Winter in the garage

Post by Kelly_NC »

Hi! I am brand new to both the forum, and cacti/succulents. I have acquired quite a collection over the past couple months because during a recent trip to Lowes, my husband and I discovered that they were having an end-of-season clearance. So, we bought several, and then we were given several by people who foundnout about our new hobby. Anyway, I repotted them, and decided to keep them in the garage for the winter before I attempt to plant some outside in the spring (at least the ones that have a chance of surviving here in NC). Anyway, is it best to leave the garage light on all the time? Just during the day? At all? Does it even matter?
Ron43
Posts: 251
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2011 1:57 am

Re: Winter in the garage

Post by Ron43 »

All my cactus are left in the garage all winter with only very little daylight coming in through a very small window and I never water them all winter.
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gemhunter178
Posts: 2762
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:10 pm
Location: Massachusetts,USA. Zone 6A

Re: Winter in the garage

Post by gemhunter178 »

Welcome to the hobby!
As for the garage thing...yes it does matter, if you let your plants go dormant from cooler temperatures(around 40-50 degrees F for most cacti) and little to no water, they will remain non-etiolated and healthy and may even reward you with blossoms!
A cactus and succulent collector who especially likes Ariocarpus. …Though I have a bit of everything! Want some pictures? See my flickr! I also do art and such.
Kelly_NC
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:48 pm
Location: Eastern North Carolina (Zone 8a)

Re: Winter in the garage

Post by Kelly_NC »

So...then, as far as lighting? Should I just let whatever light comes through the garage windows be enough? Or leave the overhead fluorescents on?
peterb
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Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:19 am
Location: Chandler, Arizona, USA

Re: Winter in the garage

Post by peterb »

Hi, welcome to the great world of growing cacti! Your plants are probably still actively growing, having come from Lowe's. So watch out for pale, stretched out, thin growth from the growing tips of the plants. If they are well dormant and ready to sleep through the winter, you do not need to provide any light at all. But if they are still growing, you will need to slowly harden them off to no light over the next month to 6 weeks. You might do better putting them on a bright windowsill for the winter, or in a sun room.

Also, I'm curious which ones you are thinking of planting outside in NC? Post pics and forum members can ID them for you. Very few cacti can survive outside in a NC winter.

peterb
Zone 9
Kelly_NC
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:48 pm
Location: Eastern North Carolina (Zone 8a)

Re: Winter in the garage

Post by Kelly_NC »

Thanks for all of the help!! I am still trying to figure out which ones will go outside. I just made a spreadsheet of what I have (according to the stickers from Lowe's)...yes, I am a bit of a nerd, hence the spreadsheet... My next project is to take pictures of all of them. I have several from the "prickly pear" family. I knows those seem to do well here, but want more variety than that.
tinacrez
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2013 11:51 am

Re: Winter in the garage

Post by tinacrez »

I've also acquired many succulents and seem to be at a standstill for which I should try to coax into dormancy and which would do well staying in the winter sun through the season.
If there are any existing threads about this that you know about, please share! Thank you!
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oldcat61
Posts: 932
Joined: Mon Apr 08, 2013 12:48 pm
Location: Southern NJ

Re: Winter in the garage

Post by oldcat61 »

Good luck - I've asked the same question : who to leave in the cold GH & who to bring in the house. I've posted here & in General-Succulents. I may bring the haworthias & an aloe or two in just to have a spot of green. Sue
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hoteidoc
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Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:56 pm
Location: Finger Lakes region, NY Zone 6b
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Re: Winter in the garage

Post by hoteidoc »

Go to MJPapay's posting's -- pretty sure he's outside of Raleigh area -- for the possibilities in NC -- which are actually far more extensive that most people realize, as long as you provide the proverbial "well-drained" soil. And the BEST text source is Leo Chances's recently published Cactus & Succulents for Cold Climates! Here he's talking about Z7 & colder (down to Z4-3!) So anything in there will be fine in NC!
As far as light, you really don't need much if "holding" area in the 40 - 50F range -- & as PeterB said plants hadn't been H20'ed, & hence, still growing. If they were bone dry -- like the last couple I got @ Lowe's, they're set for Winter dormancy!
Once bitten by the cactus collecting/growing bug, there is no known cure!
There's no 12 step programme for Cactaholics...so I shall just have to get some more!!
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