A practical handbook and an in-depth analysis on a much debated topic among those who grow succulent and/or cactus plants. Here’s what you’ll find by reading this article, designed specifically to help those who, with the first drops in temperatures, are starting to wonder where to place their succulents when the real cold arrives. Unless you have a greenhouse, perhaps equipped with a burner regulated by a thermostat, the question is in fact more than pertinent: during the winter it is better to keep the succulent plants outside (sheltered from the rain), or in a cool environment such as a landing, an internal staircase or even a garage? Or should we bring all the plants indoors? It is good to clarify immediately that the answer to these questions cannot be tranchant or “absolute”: obviously the correct winter location depends on many factors, starting from the area in which the plants are grown (North or South Italy? North or South Europe? Sea or high mountains?) to arrive at the type of plant (Cactaceae, succulent native to Africa or Madagascar? Sempervivum, Crassula, Euphorbia?). In short, the range of cases is very broad and as always there are no absolute rules. Luckily there are many fixed points and many precautions that should be respected to ensure that our succulents pass the winter securely and take advantage of the vegetative stasis to be able to flower again the following year.

The following article answers these questions, and you will also find an indication of the correct measures to be taken to ensure that cacti and succulents overwinter in the best possible way, have abundant blooms and, above all, you’ll find a practical handbook with an indication of the best location for cacti and succulents organized in alphabetical order, so as to facilitate the identification of the plant, understand in which minimum temperature range it can stay and where it can be placed (for example outside, on a landing, or directly inside the house). (…)

Premise

Succulent plants, whether Cactaceae or succulent plants belonging to other families such as Crassulaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Euphorbiaceae, etc., are not houseplants. They can certainly adapt to home cultivation, but they are plants that require light, air and which find their best location in outdoor environments such as windowsills, terraces, gardens or open greenhouses. This, of course, in the growing season which generally runs from March to October. The problem, and therefore the focus of this article, is winter, also because not everyone has the possibility of having a greenhouse or a garden. Given the slight drop in temperatures in recent days, questions are growing regarding how to behave in view of the cold weather in the coming months. As always, given that succulents are a varied world, made up of thousands of botanical species, unfortunately there is no single answer. However, there are parameters and references on which we can rely to give the correct answer to the question regarding wintering. These parameters are essentially the guides underlying the handbook that you will find at the end of the article.

Attention: this article is designed specifically for those who are not yet very familiar with these plants and need practical information and quick answers: for example, I have this succulent, where can I place it when it gets cold? For more specific insights and tables with the minimum temperatures that succulents can reach, it is possible to refer to two other articles published in the past. The first article, accompanied by a table with minimum temperatures, can be found at this link. The second article, which deals with seasonal care in detail, can be reached via this link.

Cacti

Let’s begin to distinguish between Cactaceae and succulent plants in general. The distinction is not intended to complicate the matter, but rather to simplify it to more quickly identify the correct solution to the initial question: where to place the plants during the winter? If you want to learn more about the difference between a cactus and any other succulent (for example Euphorbia, Echeveria, Lithops), you will find this article helpful.

Almost all cacti tolerate low temperatures very well. By low temperatures we mean minimums close to zero Celsius degrees or even well below this value. The cacti can therefore also be placed outside as long as watering is completely suspended at the end of September and they are positioned in a cold place sheltered from the rain. These are also the essential conditions for the plants to flower from the following spring. Therefore, a terrace, a balcony or a garden are fine. The important thing is that the cacti do not take on water until the end of March and the temperatures do not fall below zero Celsius degrees for several consecutive nights. In the event of frost or prolonged nights with temperatures well below zero, it is advisable to move the plants to a less cold place, even if only temporarily. A useful precaution is to cover the cacti with at least two or three layers of non-woven fabric: naturally it doesn’t work miracles, but two or three degrees more ensures them and, above all, allows transpiration, preventing condensation from forming on the plants or a humid environment is created, which is very dangerous for these plants as it favors the formation of stains on the stem, mold and fungi. On sunny winter days it is useful to raise the tissue even for a couple of hours to ensure the plants have a good exchange of air. It is best to avoid small greenhouses closed by thick sheets of transparent plastic, unless you always leave them open during daylight hours.

An exception to this basic rule are some genera of cacti, which do not tolerate the cold and should therefore be kept indoors or in environments where temperatures do not fall below certain limits (for example an internal staircase, a landing or even a garage). In these cases it is not necessary for the plants to receive a lot of light because if we suspend watering the cacti go into stasis and stop growing. This avoids the risk of “etiolation”, i.e. the so-called “spinning” which disfigures the plant from an aesthetic point of view. Attention: however, if we see excessive wrinkling of the stem or branches of these cacti, particularly if they are wintering indoors, it is advisable to water in moderation, at most once a month. The cacti that do not tolerate the cold are those originating from tropical areas and forests: firstly the epiphytic cacti (Schlumbergera, but also Epiphyllum, Rhipsalis, Aporocactus); secondly, two species native to Brazil and the Cuban archipelago: Melocactus and Discocactus. All these plants must winter at minimum temperatures no lower than 12/14 Celsius degrees (Melocactus and Discocactus require even higher minimum temperatures, between 16-18 Celsius degrees): you will find all the indications and the reference to the genus in the handbook accompanying this article.

Succulent

In theory, for succulents the matter becomes a little more complicated. This is because the Cactaceae is a single family that is divided into genera, species and subspecies. Succulents, on the other hand, are distributed in various families which are in turn divided into genera, species and subspecies. The number of these plants is therefore very high and providing specific indications plant by plant is almost impossible. However, even in this case it is sufficient to set a few “boundaries” to make the matter less complicated. The first element to consider is the place of origin of the plant: many succulents come from Africa or Madagascar (for example Euphorbia and Lithops). Clearly these plants require higher minimum temperatures and cultivation at home or in an environment where the minimum temperatures do not drop below 10/12 Celsius degrees is ideal. Other families or genera, for example Agave, Sempervivum and Sedum, tolerate intense cold very well, in many cases even well below freezing.

Even with succulents it is advisable to suspend or at least reduce watering during the winter months, whether they are in a cold environment or in an apartment. During the winter months, in fact, almost all plants slow down in growth and frequent watering would only expose the specimen to the risk of root rot. Generally speaking, you can adjust as follows: from the end of October to the end of March, succulents should be placed in environments sheltered from rain and at temperatures between 7 and 16 Celsius degrees. There are many exceptions, such as the aforementioned Agave, Sempervivum and Sedum, which we can keep outdoors even without protection and letting them take the rain (as long as it is not torrential and lasts for whole days). Other plants, such as some species of Euphorbia, Echeveria, Lithops (the so-called “stone plants”), tolerate the cold well but must be kept dry and at temperatures between 2 and 7 Celsius degrees. Other plants native to Africa or Madagascar, such as Adenium obesum (called “Desert Rose”), Pachypodium (the so-called “Madagascar Palm”), Uncarina and several species of Euphorbia require several degrees more because they do not tolerate the cold: all these plants will therefore have to be brought indoors from at least mid-October, unless autumn is mild and the minimum temperatures remain high even in this period, as happens in the regions of Southern Italy, Southern France or in Spain.

The handbook that completes this article will also be useful to orient you between the needs of the various succulents.

The handbook

The handbook (actually the handbooks, since one is dedicated to cacti and the other to succulents). It is intended to be a useful tool for the still inexperienced grower or for the expert grower who is approaching a particular genre for the first time. Naturally, the handbook should be considered as a tool, a sort of “map” through which to orient yourself and should not be understood as an “absolute” compendium with dogmas or strict rules, also because the temperatures indicated have been “rounded” a little upwards precisely with the aim of not putting your plants at risk (for example if the range between 5 and 10 degrees is indicated, it is very likely that the plants included in this range can tolerate even a few degrees less). Many growers have conducted experiments discovering that certain plants can resist temperatures lower than what is commonly thought, just as others have found that plants considered rustic were not able to survive the winter (in these cases, however, it is more likely that unpredictable factors have occurred, such as frequent frosts or that the specimen itself was already weak or not in perfect shape).

How to read the handbook

The handbook – both for cacti and succulents – is designed for quick and easy consultation. The three icons consider three possible environments for the wintering of plants:

1. the outside: the plants should be placed outside the house but sheltered from the rain and, for caution, protected by a few layers of non-woven fabric;
2. environments protected from rain but without heating, such as a landing, an internal stairwell, a room in the house where the radiator has been closed. For succulents that fall into this “category”, at most, even a very sheltered corner of a balcony can be fine, as long as the plants are covered by at least four layers of non-woven fabric;
3. the apartment: warm environment (generally between 18 and 20 Celsius degrees) and obviously protected from rain. In this case it is best to place the plants near a window and away from heat sources.

Each icon is color coded and genres are listed alphabetically. It is sufficient to scroll through the downloadable handbooks below, identify the genre whose needs we want to know and look at the color of the line in which the genre is written: depending on the color we then refer to the icon.

Download the handbook on winter placement of cacti

Download the handbook on winter placement of succulents

 CULTIVATION CARDS  – To further deepen your knowledge of a single genus of cactus or succulent, remember that in the website shop, at this link, detailed sheets are available in downloadable and printable PDF format with notions, anecdotes, curiosities and precise cultivation instructions. You can find the cards simply by scrolling through the shop, after the section dedicated to subscriptions.

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Correlated articles

Succulents and cold: a table with reference values
Seasonal care for cacti and succulents
How to grow cacti: the handbook

© The texts, videos, photos and graphic elaborations of the site “Il fiore tra le spine” are original material and are covered by copyright. It’s forbidden to reproduce them in any way.

L'articolo Where to keep succulents in winter? Outside, on a landing or in the house? A practical handbook proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

A spring that is struggling to establish itself, temperatures that fluctuate continuously with sunny and very hot days and gloomy days with the thermometer plummeting. Above all, heavy rain almost every day for at least a week, at least here in the North Italy. Many of us have already moved their cacti and succulents outside, or have removed the winter protections (non-woven fabric or transparent sheets). Many are worried, some run for cover by bringing the plants indoors, others are undecided about what to do… Is it really the case to worry about the combination of low temperatures and persistent rain?

In this article, here are some reflections and the answer to the question that many of you are asking me these days, as always based on what I have learned in years of cultivation (…).

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L'articolo The cacti, the spring that doesn’t come and the rain that doesn’t stop: should we be worried? proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

The topic is a classic and the question is among the most frequently asked among cactus and succulent growers: until when can I water my plants? In other words, given that – as even less expert growers know – it is advisable to keep cacti cold and dry during the winter months until they can be watered, when exactly should we stop watering? And again: should watering be suspended completely or will it just have to be reduced? Are there cacti that can or should also be watered in autumn and winter? Are there any non-cacti succulent plants, especially those with leaves, which need to be watered even in the winter months, otherwise the branches and leaves will wither? It is clear that part of the answer to these questions can vary according to the place where we grow plants (there is a big difference, just to give an example in the Northern hemisphere, between Sicily and Great Britain, Spain or Germany), but in principle it can be said that there are many fixed points that every grower must know and respect in order for his succulents to grow healthy and robust and to flower profusely. Above all, there are some fixed points that must be respected to avoid, quite simply, rotting our cacti and succulent plants during the winter or early spring.

And since the period in which most of the cacti and succulents will go into vegetative stasis is approaching, it is advisable to deepen these fixed points and learn to at least distinguish the macro-water needs of the various families of succulents. This is exactly what we will do in the following article (…)

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L'articolo Summer is at the end of the line: until when can we water cacti and succulent plants? proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

Temperatures are still above the seasonal averages, but summer has faded and autumn is on its way. Like every year, at the end of September I started preparing my greenhouse for the cold months. Nothing major, just some cleaning work, moving plants from outside to inside, a check on the heating system and two coats of copper oxychloride on plants a preventive measure. The plants themselves will do the rest, dehydrating following the suspension of watering from mid-September (from now on I will water just a few leafy succulents and, sporadically, Copiapoa and Eriosyce until the end of October) and starting to produce their natural “antifreeze” within the plant tissue of stems.

This is a good time to check the state of health of the plants and, in my case, to “draw some sums” on the results of the Spartan cultivation to which I subjected several specimens, as I explain in the following article. (…)

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L'articolo Spartan cultivation in full sun, and the results can be seen: healthy plants and robust thorns proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

In the following article we look in detail at what we have to do in the run-up to summer to best prepare cacti and succulents and avoid problems. (…)

Aestivation

The slowing down of vegetation in cacti is called “aestivation“: basically in the middle months of summer many plants slow down or stop their activity, just “waiting” for the great heat to pass. It will therefore be a good idea to observe them well and try to tell from both the new spines and the stem whether they are in full growth or not, and adjust watering accordingly. Many succulent plants and many cacti, such as Agave and Euphorbias, Gymnocalycium and Echinopsis, have limited aestivation. For these, therefore, a watering regime appropriate to the rate at which the soil dries out can be maintained, watering as often as once every 7 to 10 days. The area in which you are growing succulents is also decisive: in North Euorpe, let’s say, you still should not overdo the watering, given the high ambient humidity rates, while in the South of Europe you can even go so far as to water almost every day if necessary.

A more in-depth discussion on watering can be found here.

Wanting to make an initial broad distinction, it is important consider that Chilean plants, such as Neoporteria (Eriosyce) and Copiapoa, from mid-June to the end of August stop or slow down their vegetation considerably. For these genera we can’t really talk about aestivation, but watering should be suspended altogether during this period, because there is a risk that, with the plant stopped and unable to absorb water, the soil will remain wet for a long time, triggering rot. Plants such as Echinocactus polycephalus, Sclerocactus and Pediocactus also slow down their vegetation significantly in summer and, like Copiapoa and Neopoerteria, should be kept dry and, if possible, in slightly shaded areas so as to contain the heat. Most cacti, on the other hand, simply go into aestivation in August, a month during which I use to suspend watering altogether. A special attention should be paid to the leafy succulents, such as Echeveria, Crassula, etc.: for these species it will be enough to adjust based on direct observation. If the leaves begin to shrivel and lose turgidity, you will be able to water. Otherwise, better to wait.

Fertilization

Also during the warm months, it’s better to avoid fertilization: plants “work” less and absorb less water, and fertilization may prove unnecessary or even harmful.

When and how fertilize cacti and succulent plants.

Pests and adversities

In July and August, with the great heat, conditions are created for the proliferation of the red spider mite, one of the main pests of succulents. Hot and dry weather are the factors that favor the presence of this pest, which attacks the tender parts of the plants’ stems. You can then resort to some spraying (which does not go to wet the soil, but only the aerial part of the plant) and a few of preventive treatments with specific products.

An article on pests and diseases of succulents can be found here.

Without a doubt, the best thing to do during the warm months is to encourage maximum air circulation. This obviously applies to those growing in greenhouses or partially sheltered areas: outside, plants enjoy normal air recirculation and are therefore able to tolerate the intense July and August sun and high temperatures. On the contrary, plants grown in greenhouses (even if open) have less air available and are exposed to temperatures that can easily exceed 40 degrees. There are many solutions: a shade can be placed on the roof of the greenhouse to contain the insolation, or all moving parts of the structure can be opened to the maximum. Finally, thermostat-controlled fans (or a timer) can be used for improving indoor air recirculation.

Seedlings

A separate discussion must be reserved for sowings: seedlings born in spring are not yet able to withstand long periods of drought, but they should be sufficiently developed by now to tolerate the wet/dry alternation. They can therefore also be watered during the summer, but allow the soil to dry out almost completely between waterings. Leaving seedlings completely dry for a month can drastically slow their vegetation or even lead to their death. Seedlings one or more years old, on the other hand, are better able to withstand dryness. For these, as for adult plants, the golden rule is observation: if the plants are swollen and turgid, they can be left to dry out during the hottest weeks. If they tend to deflate excessively you can provide for a focused watering. Remember that aestivation can also affect young plants!

Seasonal care in detail

If you want the complete picture of seasonal care, with what needs to be done in spring and autumn to best care for cacti and succulents, you can check out this article or this one.

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Correlated articles

Watering cacti and succulents
How to repot cacti and succulent plants
Substrates for cacti and succulents
The correct soil: the materials you can use

© The texts, videos, photos and graphic elaborations of the site “Il fiore tra le spine” are original material and are covered by copyright. It’s forbidden to reproduce them in any way.

L'articolo Summer is coming: seasonal care for cacti and succulents, watering and aestivation proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

Light is fundamental for every living being, starting with plants. This is obvious, but we cannot ignore it if we want to grow cacti and succulent plants in general. Plants, moreover, that often need many hours of light per day; in some cases direct or non-filtered light, in others not straight but equally intense daylight. In fact, there are succulent plants that, if placed in full sun, slow down growth, burn and even die. On the contrary, many succulent plants and many cacti, if they do not receive the right amount of direct light, will have stunted growth, with weak thorns and elongated stems.

In this article, we see what we need to know about the right exposure of cacti and succulent plants in general. Also, at the end of this article, you find a table summarizing the type of exposure needed by the main families of succulents. (…)

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L'articolo How much light do cactus need to grow well? The importance of sun and air and a summary table proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

Do cacti resist frost? In winter, do succulent plants have to be kept indoors or can they stay outside? And what are the minimum winter temperatures they can tolerate? Even among experienced growers, the minimum temperatures of cacti and succulents are still debated today. I tackle the topic starting, as always, from my personal experience, which is my only way to have accurate data, found in the field, related to my system and my growing conditions, here in North of Italy. Let’s say right away that during winter I keep most of my plants in the greenhouse. It is a large greenhouse of 60 square meters and with a height, at the top, of 4 meters. These dimensions guarantee a satisfying volume of air, which in turn prevents moisture stagnation, the first real enemy of cacti and succulent plants in winter.

Let’s see, in the following article, the various factors that influence the resistance of cacti and succulents to cold. At the end of the article, you will also find a schedule with the minimum temperatures tolerated by the various families of succulents. (…)

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L'articolo Succulents and cold: how to care for cactus in winter and the minimum temperatures tolerated proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

I confess: I do not have the skills nor the desire to build an artificial propagator. You can find detailed instructions and all the necessary information online, but I’ve never put myself there. This doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve good results even with traditional seeding. For over fifteen years, in fact, I have been sowing in spring with natural light and heat, using the classic “method of the bag”. I sow above all Cactaceae and, at the cost to being banal, I fully confirm what all plant lovers can tell you: it is from sowing that we can get the most satisfaction if we have this “disease” of cultivation. Moreover, it is only by the sowing that we can appreciate the different stages of development of a plant, follow its evolution from birth to flowering (a small-big event!), and get specimens able to adapt from the beginning to the conditions we can give them for the rest of life. For myself, another basilar aspect of sowing is that in this way I can have more specimens of the same species and genus, born in the same conditions, on which to test different growing regimes. In short, you start all, democratically, from the same point, then you see who arrives and how he arrives through different soils, different exposures, and so on. In short, different cultivation practices. So it’s clear that since the starting point is the same (the seed, which obviously must come from the same fruit) if the plants after a few years show significant differences between them, this will be mainly due to the different soil, the exposure, the irrigation and fertilization regimes used. And from this, empirically, useful lessons can be drawn.

Let’s explore the topic in the following article, describing sowing step by step. (…)

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L'articolo How to sow cactus and succulent plants: from pollination to the first flower, the procedure proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.