Do cacti need to be watered in winter?
This is a short experience about the succulent plant cactus. Do cacti need to be watered in winter? If there are any mistakes, please correct them!
Winter is a difficult time for plants, especially when it comes to watering. In this article, let's see how gardening enthusiasts view the question of whether cacti need to be watered in winter. The enthusiasts have summarized this in a systematic way and suggest that they should organize their thoughts.
Gardeners must remember! Our country has a vast territory with significant seasonal, temperature, and humidity differences from north to south and east to west. Therefore, there are no fixed rules for watering cacti; it all depends on one's own experience in growing flowers. Now, based on the climatic characteristics of Shanghai, I will briefly discuss how to water cacti plants.
1. First, understand the ecological habits and growth conditions of cacti plants. When is the growing season or the period of rapid growth? When is the dormant period or the period of slow growth? Generally, water more when the temperature is high and less when it is low. Do not water on cloudy and rainy days or when the humidity is high (over 80%). Water in the early morning in summer and before noon in winter. In spring and autumn, you can water in the morning and evening. Water more when the plant is growing vigorously and less when it is growing slowly. Do not water during the dormant period. These are general guidelines, which should be known by those with some knowledge of growing flowers.
2. From November to the following March is the dormant period for most cactaceae plants. During this time, their physiological functions are greatly reduced, and water consumption is minimal. It is necessary to control watering, especially in November, if the potting soil is not completely dry (which means there is no moisture on the surface and bottom of the pot), try not to water. (I usually stop watering from the end of November to the end of March of the following year.) If it is completely dry and you feel brave, you can water a small amount so that the water does not leak out of the bottom hole of the pot. At this time, watering should follow the principle of "do not water when not dry, and do not over-wet." This is watering under natural climatic conditions. If there is central heating in the north and the room temperature is kept at around 20 degrees, then it is a different story. There is one feature of cactaceae plants that everyone must remember: these plants go into dormancy in winter. If you artificially keep the temperature above 20 degrees, they will not go into dormancy and will continue to grow, which can affect blooming and fruiting in the following year. It's like not allowing you to sleep for 24 hours; you will definitely feel weak the next day. Therefore, it is good for cactaceae plants to have appropriate low temperatures (as long as it does not drop below 5 degrees) to accumulate energy and form flower buds.
3. April to October is the growing period for cactaceae plants, with the period from late May to September being their peak growing season, except for a few species (such as Epiphyllum and Zygocactus) that have the habit of summer dormancy. The rest of the species should be watered once in the morning and watered again in the evening if necessary. If it is very hot and windy, you can water twice a day. However, this should not be done during the plum rain season (mid-June to early July) because the humidity is high, and the light is not strong, which can easily lead to root rot and death. During this time, do not water if the potting soil is not dry. If you want the cactus to grow larger and produce more offsets, water more to create a high temperature and humidity environment (about 70% humidity). Avoid wetting the cactus when watering.
In summary, another feature of cactaceae plants is that their roots must not be waterlogged (which means the roots should not be soaked in water for a long time), except for hydroponics (which is a different method of care). This is the key to growing these plants well. Remember this!
The above is [] about whether cacti need to be watered in winter, hoping it is helpful to you!