Stesonia coryne likes warmer winter rest?

[Chicago Cactus]

I just read that Stesonia coryne likes a warmer temperature in the winter than most cacti? Any one found this to be true?

[mikayak]

I can't say as mine died last winter during the cold temps while everything else survived

[iann]

I suppose it depends what temperature you keep "most cacti" during the winter

It does seem to grow best with sustained hot (hot by English standards) weather, but it doesn't seem bothered by a little frost in winter. Habitat is the low desert of Argentina, very hot in summer with varying amounts of rain, cool and dry in winter. The distribution of this species is quite wide, from Bolivia to quite far south in Argentina, so habitat conditions vary from extremely hot and relatively wet in Bolivia to cooler and very dry in parts of Argentina.

[Arzberger]

Stetsonia coryne grows here in Paraguay and I can say that the clima on its habitat is very dry during winter time. Sometimes the temperatures can go low, such as 0ºC at night, but during the day they are almost again over 15ºC. Also they have much sun all the year.

Best regards
Alex

[Chicago Cactus]

Well then I guess it doesn't really need a "warmer rest period". Initially what I read did make some sense because I've been growing a Stetsonia for the past decade and for the first 8 years I kept it in my heated basement where it never got below 60F in the winter. It always put on at least three inches of growth every summer no matter how hot it got. However, the past two winters I put it in a much cooler area where I keep the temps around 50F from December till March. Last year it only grew about 1/4 inch and this year no growth yet. I did repot it this spring and the roots are nice and healthy. Just what kind of yearly growth is normal for this species?

[iann]

My plant is only growing slowly, but I'm sure it can grow much faster. I've always thought that lack of warmth in summer was holding it back because it hardly moves at all until nights stay consistently warm in maybe July or August. That means it gets a couple of months to grow before winter is back. Or maybe it just spends four months getting over a winter which was too cold? Mine spends most of winter between 50F and 60F if it is inside, and that is day and night. Outside in the greenhouse, days might reach 50F but nights can go below freezing. It really doesn't seem to make much difference to the plant which one it gets. t would probably benefit from a bigger pot and more fertiliser also.

[daiv]

Mine did not make it this winter at 45F, but unlike Mikayak, neither did a bunch of others.

I would guess that at the cooler temps, it takes longer to get rolling in spring. If it isn't etiolating, then stick with the warmer winter and get more growth.