When buying succulents what is the worst time to do so?

[Pushrestart]

Hi everyone
Wanted to reach out to growers that have very long and difficult winters, when is the worst time to buy succulent plants?
Would appreciate hearing stories, experiences, thoughts on the subject matter. Im thinking of buying some cacti/succulents at the present time and growing concerned as most plants (except those that can handle colder weather) will be moved indoors by the end of next month or early October. Is it best to hold off till spring or should I just buy them now?

Thanks so much

[adetheproducer]

I live in Wales, UK very long and cold and damp winters but buy plants all year round with no real problems. If they are sensitive species I keep indoors until spring.

[HairyHarry]

It depends on the plant.

Anything that has a crucial cycle, I tend to buy no later than mid-growing-season: anything that drops its leaves like plenty caudiciforms, anything that has to flower at a certain time, or renews itself, like mesembs.

Cacti I buy all year round, they don't mind skipping flowers for a year, and you can bend their dormancy somewhat.
Crassulacea and the likes, that really doesn't matter.

[Pushrestart]

Thank you both very very much, my understanding is cacti bought at any time of the year is pretty safe if you keep it protected or in a fairly sheltered environment. Plants with a very specific growth pattern/cycle I'll hold off on.

The reason I inquire about cacti ordering periods is because when getting new plants I've noticed some members here soak in them a hydrogen peroxide solution. This is not possible to do if its fall/winter right? Another hypothetical what if you order cacti out of season and they come with bugs, what then?...

Thanks again to everyone who is helping me learn and work my way through this!

[Steve Johnson]

The reason I inquire about cacti ordering periods is because when getting new plants I've noticed some members here soak in them a hydrogen peroxide solution. This is not possible to do if its fall/winter right? Another hypothetical what if you order cacti out of season and they come with bugs, what then?...

I've been doing the peroxide treatment for a few years, and it works really well. In fact, so much that IMO it should be standard practice for growers whenever they repot their plants. The peroxide we get at the store is 3%, so if you dilute it 1 part peroxide to 2 parts water, that gives you 1%. Soak the roots for 15 minutes or so, rinse them gently but thoroughly in running water, then let them dry out before repotting. Peroxide does 2 things -- first it'll kill any pathogens that may be hiding around the roots (rot, for example). Second, it promotes faster healing of the roots. The peroxide treatment can be done anytime during the year.

Mealies generally don't do much in winter, although if your cacti get warmth indoors, that could complicate the situation. Hopefully this doesn't happen to you, but if it does, Bayer 3-in-1 spray is the best option. If you knock them down and they keep coming back, spray again. Once the roots of your plants start becoming active in spring, then you can do a soil soak. The active ingredient is Imidacloprid, but it has to be disposed of properly. Of course it'll be best if you don't have mealies hitching a ride with your cacti to begin with! Reputable cactus & succulent nurseries take great care to make sure their plants are pest-free before they sell them.

[Pushrestart]

I've been doing the peroxide treatment for a few years, and it works really well. In fact, so much that IMO it should be standard practice for growers whenever they repot their plants. The peroxide we get at the store is 3%, so if you dilute it 1 part peroxide to 2 parts water, that gives you 1%. Soak the roots for 15 minutes or so, rinse them gently but thoroughly in running water, then let them dry out before repotting. Peroxide does 2 things -- first it'll kill any pathogens that may be hiding around the roots (rot, for example). Second, it promotes faster healing of the roots. The peroxide treatment can be done anytime during the year.

Excellent suggestion, I took note of your peroxide soak and will be doing so when I get my next order in! Is this what you use for all succulents or just cacti, and is the soak kept at the root level, nothing higher, right?...I guess my question still remains if I buy a cactus during the late fall or winter lets say, and its a period of dormancy, I cant do the peroxide rinse or treat for bugs, have to wait till spring right?...
Some cacti will rot if you give it even a glimpse of water during the winter season, right?
Please excuse my questioning, Im fairly new to this and want to make sure I have a sound understanding of what to do/not to do.

Thanks!

[Steve Johnson]

I only grow desert cacti, but the peroxide treatment should be good for jungle cacti and succulents as well. Here's an example of what I did when I repotted a Gymnocalycium vatteri about 3 years ago:



I've found that there's no such thing as a bad time of year for buying and repotting cacti. But to be honest, the climate in my area gives me the luxury of doing things in winter which may be rather dicey for people living in colder wintertime climates. Given your climate and the fact you're still new to this, you may want to hold off until spring before you repot any purchases you make after the growing season is done. Unfortunately I can't give you any advice on succulents. Some desert cacti are fine with occasional light watering in winter, although you'll need to know the species involved. If in doubt, keep all of your cacti dry over mid- to late-fall and winter. The best I can offer here is a broad generalization. If you can ID the species of your cacti, you should be able to get more properly targeted winter care advice from other forum members.

If you can tell me where you plan on getting your plants from, I'll let you know whether pests are something you should even have to be concerned about.

Hope this helps!

[7george]

Get them when you find them. Later plants that you liked might be gone.

For me the worst time to buy (tender) succulents is the winter, when this kind of plants will need good cold protection to be transferred from the store to the car or home. Many nurseries do not deliver tender plants by post in winter months for the same reason.