Wales is not generally the sort of place people associate with cacti, being definitely cold and damp. Until now, I've kept my substantial cactus collection on window ledges, but now I'm moving home. Where I'm going to doesn't really have any suitable window ledges to place them all on. In any case, they all need new pots that will be too big to practically fit into window spaces. Realistically, I think I will have to keep them outside. At present, I can't afford a greenhouse. This throws up a huge bundle of challenges, because the Welsh climate is predominately cool and damp. However, that is "cool", not "freezing", and the temperature very rarely falls below temperatures they would encounter in a desert winter. I read on other websites (thank you for that thread listing other sites about cactus propagation, BTW -- very useful!) that the problem is likely to be the combination of the cool and the damp -- and Wales certainly combines both in massive quantities!!! An additional problem is frost -- cacti aren't likely to appreciate being covered in a layer of ice for hours every night for several months in succession. What my new house does have is a huge south-facing graden, unshadowed, and it will be no problem to grow the cacti against the wall, where they can receive the maximum benefit from the sun and the house's heating system. I wonder if I can plant them in large pots, with sandy soil that will drain easily, and place the pots on the concrete patio where the drained water will run off easily. In addition, I can cover them in opaque plastic sheeting during winter, same as farmers frequently do, to prevent the frost landing on them. What do you think? Will they stand any chance under those circumstances?
I think one very important piece of information is missing: what species you grow. The plastic cover sounds like a very good idea.
yes, species is an important factor!! some can actually handle quite cool temps - and for a period of time - and others can not deal with anything under 50 F for any bit of time. for all, except those hardy in temps below freezing, too moist soil for any amount of time will be an issue. so, first, which types are you growing? in general, for those that can handle to temps you have there, some kind of overhang (either the building itself or a frame with plastic covering) should be more than enough to protect them from excess moisture. have you thought about shelving units to place in front of windows inside?? maybe only for those that can't handle the temps outside.
Thank you for your help. There's a number of them, and some are unidentified. The ones I'm aware of are: Rebutia Pygmata Rebutia Fiebrigii Rebutia Senilis Aeonium Tabulaeforme Aeonium Swartkop (Blackhead) Hvernia Hysterix Aichryson Tortuosum Haworthia Otzeniana Aloinopsis Luckhoffii ... and a Peanut Cactus -- don't remember the Latin name. How will those do out of doors? I'm having difficulty locating a temperature range for the village we're moving to, but the Welsh average minimum is about 1 Celsius. Based on my experience, I would guess it can fall as far as -5 celsius, but that's exceptional.
The current name of peanut cactus is Echinopsis chamaecereus, older names include Lobivia chamaecereus and Chamaecereus silvestrii. That one and Rebutia are relatively hardy and will withstand your temperatures, but wet soil for a long time is not recommended, arrange some kind of cover for them. Dried flowers still attached to the body is a risk in wet climates, remove them. (They serve as entry points for disorders) It should be Rebutia pygmaea, by the way. Don't know about the rest.
Thank you. I've been looking around online and noticed "growhouses" for sale at a fraction of the cost of a greenhouse. SO far as I can tell, these are the same as a greenhouse, only covered in thick plastic sheets rather than glass. Does anybody have experience of these? Are they any good? Could they work as a temporary measure to keep my cacti relatively warm and dry during the winter?
Things like these? http://www.ukgardensupplies.co.uk/acatalog/Mini_Greenhouses.html Yes, if you wrap some horticultural fleece around it before the cover is put on, otherwise the plants are likely to get burnt.
A thin, felt-like polypropylene fabric used to cover plants for various reasons. Can be seen at the end of this page: http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/blogs/da...homemade-cloches-plumbers-and-hula-hoops.aspx
Mandarin, thank you so much for the picture! This appears to be what we call "floating row cover" here in the USA. Can anyone who knows both confirm, please?
DISASTER!!!!!! I set the growhouse up a couple of days ago and arranged all my cacti in it. Everything was looking good up until last night, but this morning, my cacti are in a terrible state, all of them having gone limp to some extent. I think my Blackhead (which was on the top shelf) has had it, with its leaves hanging down, possessing no strength at all, and its stem feeling soft and spongy. Yesterday evening, when I checked, it was quite damp inside the growhouse -- I suppose from the plants' respiration -- with a lot of condensation on the inside of the growhouse, and some moisture on the plants themselves. It was bitterly cold last night (although that's nothing unusual in desert environments), with a heavy frost. This morning, the sun is strong and the inside of the growhouse is a couple of degrees warmer than the outside air. I'd be surpirsed if it had burned the plants, however. The only cause I can think of is that the water inside the growhouse must have frozen last night, affecting the cacti. I've taken the Blackhead inside and placed it on a sunny shelf in the hope that it can recover in the warm. For the rest, I've opened the door of the growhouse so the moisture and any excess heat can escape. Is there anything else that you'd recommend?
Sunburn does not cause them to become limp, must have to do with cold/wet conditions. Where did you keep the plants before you moved them to the growhouse? Was the soil dry? Do you know what the temperature was? It is very strange that they become sick so quickly, it usually takes some time before the damages become visible. It is normal for many cacti to lose some water when they experience cold, but they don't become soft. I lost one plant in early winter when it was very humid and only slightly above 0°C, but the rest are doing fine. Now the air is drier, around 40-70%, and temperature varies between -5 and +2°C.
