print font size 5 steps how to winterize cacti properly

With the onset of autumn and colder weather, we should be thinking about wintering cacti. Recently, cacti have become a fashionable affair, and so they appear in many households. People often grow them just like other houseplants, which is just a stumbling block. The cacti then do not bloom, deform, pull unhealthily and in the worst case die.

Let the cacti rest in winter

Cacti last in the dry for a very long time and this must be observed, especially at the time that is just happening. The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are falling, the sun is not warming as much as in the summer - and the cacti are stopping growing. So give them the rest that most species need so much. In the following points, we will describe what it is and how to prepare cacti for it.

1. With the arrival of autumn, reduce watering so that the substrate in which you grow the plant dries completely. The last watering of cacti is usually done in mid-September. Thanks to this watering, the plants will create the necessary winter supplies. (Otherwise, it is with the watering of the Christmas cactus, which is gradually beginning to prepare for the formation of flowers. As soon as the buds appear, restore the reduced watering to normal from August.)

2. It is advisable to spray against sucking insects on the plants, especially if you have more than one.

3. As the substrate dries, decide where to store the cacti for the winter. The ideal room is with temperatures from 10 to 15 ° C, in which there is enough light (don't forget to wash all the windows through which the light will come in time). When choosing it, it is essential that cacti are not exposed to frost for a long time. On the contrary, a short drop in temperature below zero is not a problem for these plants. Such conditions are best met by a winter garden. If you are its owner, congratulations, you care less. If not, the solution may be a cooler hallway (yes, even in a block of flats), porch, entrance hall, glazed balcony or garage that meets the above conditions. If you don't even have it, cacti can also be winterized in the chamber or cellar, if there is enough cold in them. However, the problem here is with a lack of light, which causes the weakening of plants and their subsequent greater sensitivity to the sun. It is then necessary to get them used to the sun's rays gradually from the beginning of the new season. Another problem may be the presence of mice that can destroy cacti.

4. As soon as the daily temperatures fall below 10 ° C, it is time to transfer the cacti with the dried substrate to the selected winter habitat. If you want to place some of the plants in the new soil in the spring, you can winter them free-rooting. Take them out of the pots and clean their roots. Then store the cacti in a cardboard box and place them in the winter quarters. You will plant them in the new substrate only in the spring.

5. Let the cacti sleep in the winter, do not water them, they do not grow, in short, they completely forget about water in their case, just check them regularly to find out in time if a possible pest will appear. If this happens, separate the infested plant or plants from the others and treat. Mites and rootstocks appear most often, the best remedies against them are Mospilan and Omite. If there is incipient rot on the cactus, immediately cut the infested area with a clean knife to healthy tissue. Then cover the wound with charcoal powder and let it dry in a warm place. When the cactus has its first roots, plant it in a special permeable substrate.