Winter resters

[Mike]

Hi,
I wanted to follow up on Andy's last message as to stopping the watering on his "winter resters".

First, do folks stop all water (like zero) for like 3 or 4 months. I note that Ted Anderson suggests watering avery 4-6 weeks during winter so the roots can continue growth.

Second, what isn't a winter rester? I have gone through the Desert Tropical site to see the watering needs of each cacti I got. Some, like ariocarpus, astrophytums, gymnocactus, and the senilis types say no water or very little water, and mention root rot. A few (very few, like Echinopsis spachiana and hylocereus undatas and Parodia haselbergii) say moderate water year round. But most say little or light water - most mammillarias, gymnocalyciums, parodias, echincereus and echinopsis. Others (like ferocactus) say "needs little water."

Thus, it seems like the bulk of mine are winter resters, although perhaps not teetotalers re water. I am intrigued to know what actually do re water, and which species. Or if someone recomends a particular book that is more specific.

I also have a bit of a problem discerning the difference between very little, little and light, and unless I waswilling to measure the water in a test tube it is a guestimate anyway.

I will put what I found for my cacti on the next post for those that are interested.

Thanks Mike

[Mike]

Here is what Desert Tropical says on the cacti (and succulents) I have if you are interested.

WINTER.
1. No water
Espostoa, oreocereus, P. scopa and leninghausii, pink lace echinocereus, eriosyce, astrophytums (water with caution all year – root rot). Opuntia Snta rita (to keep purple). Cleistocactus straussi, Echinopsis huascha needs none, Mam pringlei, various Euphorbias (trigonia lactea anoplia and obesa, fruticosa, suzanna), Lithops and smiliar stone ones, Monadenium ritchie,

2. Very little -rather dry.
Copiapoa, ariocarpus peniocereus, Cleistocactus, Corypantha. Lobivia aurea. Parodia turec, Euphorbia globosa, spiralis and snowflake and decaryi. , K thrysiflora and tomentosa (others not on DT), Ech. Agavoides and peacocki Aloe aristata. Aeonium tabulaeforme (planted, nothing to do)

3. Light water. E
Except for those listed above, and except for P. hasel. and E spachiana(moderate water ok), light water for all the parodia, gymnos echinocereus, and echinopsis, Rebutia polymorpha, and Aus subulata, tephrocactus, F emoryi and alamosanus, and O rufida. .

4. Light water when established - Cylindropuntia fulgida, Tephrocactus, opuntia – rufida and microcays?, ferocactus.

5. Keep warm, and little or no water.

discocactus melocactus ortegocactus Monadenium, neoraimondia strombocactus, uebelmania Euphorbia decaryi

[daiv]

I think this is going to be a tough one to find solid information on, simply because growing condition in different locations/environments can be so differnt. I believe you ultimately have to experiment with your conditions and learn over time which of your plants like this and which like that. See, I have a lot of plants in the ground, but the ones I have in pots, John would say no water at all because he's English, but I've watered my potted plants just about once a week for years in all seasons (except when it has rained recently) and have had very little trouble with rot or anything else.

Another big factor to this is the soil you use. I have found that in a soil mix that is not my own, I can get a plant to rot by my watering schedule. I just made this mistake with my O. denegrii which I bought at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum and never re-potted. Now the plant in these pictures is just black mush. http://www.cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=Obregonia

I am not the final say in this matter and now that I'm experimenting with different soil mixtures, I may change my watering habits.

Daiv

[Lonestar]

I have been wondering this same thing! My collection has grown quite a bit this past year and I have added several new types of cacti that I would really like to have alive when Spring rolls around! Living in Austin, TX, we typically have very humid winters. So far, I have gotten by with "eyeballing" it. If something looks like it is "shriveling" I typically will give it a little splash of water. Now, a few times this has backfired and I have lost a few cacti from doing this, but over the years I think I am starting to get a better feel for it. Plus, I have started educating myself on the different types and where they come from so I can take that into account when I perform the “eyeball test.” I keep all my cactus that aren’t in the ground indoors near windows. Most are in clay pots.

Anyone have any specific tips for the following?
Ariocarpus fissuratus
Stenocereus thurberi
Gymnocalycium anisitsii
Mammilaria plumosa
Ortegocactus macdougallii.

These are some of my newest additions that I am not as familiar with just yet. I know most of them will take little to no water, but any additional advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[templegatejohn]

Hi Lonestar,

All of the cacti you mention in your post will survive the winter without water, unless they are in what I would call a warm atmosphere, above 60f. Then you would do as you have been doing and eyeball them for signs of shrivelling. the trick then is to give a little water but not enough to bring them back into growth.

There seems to be an awful lot of indecision regarding watering, so I will approach it this way:

If you do not water your cacti through the winter, will they die? I think not.

If you do water them when they have gone into dormancy, will they die? There is a good chance they will, because the plant will not be taking up water and the roots will therefore be standing in wet compost, something they particularly dislike.

Each person knows his growing conditions best. For example if the plants are in a room that is heated for the comfort of human beings, maybe 70f. plus, then the plants will continue to grow and will need some water, though much less than in summer.

John

[Lonestar]

That's good advice John. Thanks for breaking it down like that. This site is hands down the best source of information for cacti growing I have found. Thanks to Daiv for running it, and to everyone else who posts here. Very cool!

I will be sure to post on this forum if any of my cacti start to look sick this winter. Hopefully that won't happen, but if it does, I know ya'll will be able to give me some good advice.

[daiv]

Thanks to Daiv for running it, and to everyone else who posts here. Very cool!

Thanks, but I have to say that the value of this resource rests largely on the members. Collectively, we've made it more than I thought possible.

[Mike]

Hi Lonestar

I would certainly agree with the above advice. Escpecially on the ariocarpus and macdouglii, I have been told very little water, if any, during winter.

On the plumosa, it is interesteing, since the Dseert Tropical site says
"Regular water in summer, do not let the soil comes too dry in winter either. Still provide good drainage since it is a rot prone species."

We actually left it out last winter during record rains in LA and it survived, tho didn't flower.

Mike

[daiv]

Well I think watering is the number one topic on the site. Understandably because it can kill a succulent. This has been said before, but just a restatment. The soil mixture definately has an effect on the watering tolerance. I quickly lost my Obregonia denegrii to rot because I left it in the soil it came in. I should have known to repot it into my mix. Lesson learned. It would have been fine in that mix, but I water too frequently for it. So even though everything else was equal, the difference in soil was enough to do it in.

Daiv