temperature and melocactus

[spikef35]

i have a question, will my two melocacti be damaged by 50-36 degree Fahrenheit nights?

[Steve Johnson]

i have a question, will my two melocacti be damaged by 50-36 degree Fahrenheit nights?

Depends on whether they're juveniles or adults. Juvenile Melos are fairly cold-hardy and can be treated like most other desert cacti, including keeping them dry in winter. But once they've started growing cephalia, the situation gets trickier -- down to about 39F you'll be fine, below that not so good. Adult Melos also need occasional light watering in winter to keep their roots alive. During fall and winter I give my matanzanus sips every 3 weeks. The idea is to just moisten the mix, but no more than that. A spray bottle on the stream setting is great because you can aim little streams of water around the base of the plant. Gives you a lot of control, and it's hard to accidentally drench the pot that way.