Can these cacti survive outside in the Florida rain?

[tomo]

I'm thinking about moving several cacti into a mini-outdoor cactus garden and need some advice. I want to move a Mamm. hahniana, a melocactus, and an Echinocereus reichenbachii ssp pailianus to an urn outside on the patio. The Mamm. and melo aren't getting enough light where they are now, and the Echinocereus is getting too big for my window sill. Problem is, in Florida, we get torrential rain showers almost every day in the summer. The area I'm thinking about would get several hours (I'm guessing around 4-5 hours?) of morning light and it's under an over-hang (so it would get at least some protection from the rain). I don't know if I potted each one in a pot, then pot the three pots in the urn, would that help minimize drainage issues? Are any of these especially prone to rot?

I'd appreciate any advice on how to proceed. Thanks!

[DaveW]

No reason in rainy countries you cannot build a transparent roof over the plants with the sides left open. A sheet of corrugated or twin wall polycarbonate and a bit of timber to hold it up should not cost too much, or even use what is often known as a cold frame for them, also often made of polycarbonate these days. Some countries use similar roofs to prevent plants from damage by hailstones too. No need for a large structure, it only needs to cover the plants you have and perhaps a bit extra for new ones in future. You could also put them on a raised platform or bricks to help drainage if required.

See the roofs lower down this link:-

http://www.kakteensammlung-holzheu.de/e ... cacti.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.succulentsandmore.com/2011/0 ... cacti.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You will also probably find some of these mini greenhouses on your country's EBAY that can provide rain protection for cacti outside in rainy climates:-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from= ... s&_sacat=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[tomo]

thanks for the reply, those are some excellent ideas! I really like the look of the mini pop-up greenhouse and think that might work really well for what I'm planning, thanks for the suggestions!