when it's ok to reduce watering?

[Lucy_V]

Hi, I live in California and have my cacti collection outdoor (in pots, not directly in the soil). At the end of October it is still warm enough during the day and my plants look dry and unhappy if I don't water them at least weekly. Should I reduce watering to once in 2 weeks / once in 3 weeks even in the warm conditions to let them "rest" for the winter or should I continue once a week watering until it becomes more cold outside? Are there any particular species that dormant during summer and "awaken" in the fall, that need to continue regular watering? Any advise will be highly appreciated.

[iann]

Reduce? I stopped ages ago. It has been a particularly warm autumn, but then its only England so hardly baking. Humidity is very high now and I can't imagine watering anything except the most obvious winter growers.

[Pushrestart]

Wellllll... what are you growing Lucy and where in CA are you? There are certain cacti that dont need a winter's rest and should get some water over winter meanwhile others should be resting now or very shortly.
In a cooler darker and more humid environment watering should be stopped earlier than if you have warm sunny dry days.

[Lucy_V]

I live in LA, it's Indian summer now . Most cacti in my collection are the common ones - mamms, gymnos, rebutia, parodia, echinospis, some opuntias and echinocereus. A few of them are still having flowers - Mamm.gracilis, M. camptotricha, M. karwinskiana, Parodia mairanana and recently a small bud appeared on Matucana madisoniorum. I just want my plants happy and blooming, trying to do what is best for them ).
Lucy_V

[Steve Johnson]

Thank you for the replies! I live in LA, Indian summer, you are right . Most cacti in my collection are the common ones - mamms, gymnos, rebutia, parodia, echinospis, some opuntias and echinocacti. A few of them are still having flowers - Mamm.gracilis, M. camptotricha, M.mystax, Parodia mairanana and recently a small bud appeared on Matucana madisoniorum. I just want my plants happy and blooming, trying to do what is best for them ).

Fellow (and lifelong) Angeleno here. We're due for a big cool-down with rain in the forecast starting tomorrow night, so I think L.A.'s Indian summer is about over. With that said, we're lucky to live in a part of the country where stretches of nice, warm weather over the next couple of months are quite possible. Looking at what you have on your list, I wouldn't water anything now, but this guideline may be helpful to you:

1. The last thing you'll want is a bunch of cacti exposed to the winter rains. In my younger days (1970s and '80s), I lost too many to rot that way, so a rain shelter is really important -- even if it's temporary. Any winter watering you do will be under your control.

2. Taprooted cacti are rot-prone (especially the ones with big, thick taproots), so keep them completely dry until the growing season begins. (Where you and I live, that'll be sometime in March.) Cacti without taproots can take light watering once a month in late fall and winter, but the conditions for this have to be right (which I'll explain in a moment). If you're not sure about what types of roots your plants have, then IMO better safe than sorry -- don't water anything until the start of the new growing season next year.

3. "Light watering" means getting the mix just a little moist, not wet. In other words -- sip, don't soak. Spray bottles have nozzles with mist and stream settings. Set yours to stream, and aim little streams of water around the base of the plant. Once again, this gives you a lot of control, and it's difficult to accidentally soak your cacti that way. As long as you're careful, I don't think you'll have any problem developing an intuitive feel for light watering.

4. Based on my most recent experience, the proper conditions for light watering are: overnight lows above 40, and minimum daytime highs of 70-72 (of course higher is better). Here in L.A., November and December can be pretty toasty sometimes, so those months provide a good opportunity for it. Year to year January and February tend to be the most variable in terms of winter weather. While droughts are a depressing fact of life in California, we might as well take advantage of the years when those months allow us to give winter sips to our cacti. It gives them a jump start on the growing season -- skeptics may disagree, but I can tell you for a fact that even if they aren't growing above-ground in February, their roots won't be so dormant as one may think. Which brings us to my last point...

5. Timing is everything. I time my winter sips when the forecasts show a week of consistently favorable conditions going into it. The most local forecast you can get will come from the National Weather Service website here:

http://forecast.weather.gov/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Type in your zip code, and the forecasts you get are being reported by your nearest NWS weather station -- you can't get any more local than that! The 7-day forecasts will guide you on whether or not winter sips are advisable. If they give you cause for pause, then I'd recommend defaulting to Ian's #1 rule on watering -- "when in doubt, don't!" Then again, if all of us SoCal folks get to enjoy the wet winter we really need, sips may not be in the forecast at all over January and February.

Okay, these are the guidelines I'm following for my collection. There is, however, one exception -- Eriosyce senilis does best with deep watering once a month in winter. They're beautiful plants, and their flowers in February/March are gorgeous, so if you don't have one yet I'd highly recommend it for your collection. If you ever get into Discocactus and/or Melocactus, let me know. They do require some winter watering care, but if your part of L.A. isn't prone to really cold nights, you should do well with them. I'll be happy to give you some guidance on how to get them through winter.

[Lucy_V]

Hi Steve, THANK YOU so much for such a comprehensive explanation, it covered basically everything I needed to ask or had doubts about . I knew there are a few Angelenos on the forum, and was hoping to get an advice from more experienced collector!!! Ended up printing your reply for keeping as a reference I do not have Eriosyce senilis or any Discocactus and/or Melocactus yet, but have Eryosyce paucicostata and E. laui. Following your advice, I'll stop watering and will only do "sipping" if the forecasts promise warm days for a week. How do you save your plants from the winter rains? I was thinking about covering my shelves with strong plastic may be?? Before this year I never covered for winter, and had lost some to the rot... Thanks again for a good tip. Where do you usually buying your cacti? My first attempt of growing from seeds didn't succed much (5 tiny plants from about 50 seeds . I will try again next year, but honestly getting a few-years-old plant is much easier, considering space and special conditions (light, temperature etc) needs for seedlings.

[Steve Johnson]

Hi Steve, THANK YOU so much for such a comprehensive explanation, it covered basically everything I needed to ask or had doubts about .

You're quite welcome! As a local, it's nice to share some experience with you.

Regarding the rain problem, I use a portable greenhouse I designed 2 years ago. I deployed it earlier this month, and it'll stay up until the rainy season is over, then it gets stowed in my garage during spring and summer. Clear plastic sheeting from Home Depot and Lowe's is okay, but not all that durable after a few months of constant UV exposure. In fact I got tired of having to replace my portable GH every year, so I found that UV-resistant polycarbonate film is really the best way to go. Here's my source, and maybe this'll help you:

http://www.greenhouses-etc.net/glazing/ ... _cover.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For cacti, here are the places I've done business with:

Desert Creations, 18161 Parthenia St, Northridge CA. Phone # is 818-482-8795. Really nice brick-and-mortar nursery, not that far away from you. Helpful people too, so the advice you get there should come in handy.

C and D Plants (Costa Mesa, CA). Craig Fry has been on the forum for years.

CoronaCactus Nursery

Miles' To Go (Cortaro, AZ) -- Miles Anderson is one of the best in the business, and his plants are always top-quality.

Mesa Garden (Belen, NM) -- astounding inventory of c&s seeds and plants, although the website is really clunky and it doesn't provide photos of what they sell.

Winter is not a good time for getting plants shipped from out-of-state nurseries, but if you have a hankering for new plant acquisitions during wintertime, our sources right here in SoCal are a safe bet.

Happy growing!

[Lucy_V]

Thank you again! Websites you recommended are amazing! Regarding portable greenhouse - I wish I have a space for it, unfortunately my collection is clustered on a rudimentary balcony in our townhouse... I'll get the plastic for this winter and will think about something more permanent for the future. Happy growing!

[greenknight]

Mini-greenhouses are widely available - here's an example: http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/ca ... ouses.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;