Growing winter growers

[peter831shaw]

I have several "winter growers" in my small collection and have a question about watering.

I really don't know what temperatures they are exposed to in nature but I am guessing they grow in the winter because the temperatures are lower than in the summer...

However, while my temperatures are high compared to others in the UK, I still wonder how and when to water these plants when my lows are not that low but not that high. My heater is set to 10C right now but that still seems cold compared to what they should be receiving in nature.

I have a few pelargoniums that are looking pretty good but I am still worried about 10 C.

My media has great drainage, but it still has water in it

Peter

[rodsmith]

I have aeonium and conophytum winter growers and all are housed in our conservatory. I have a fan on permanently blowing air at ambient temperature and between about October and March a second fan is set to keep a temperature of 5 degrees C. In practice the temperature can get as low as 3 degrees C. I have had no fatalities from my winter growers in three years under this regime. I water roughly every month in the winter but less frequently with some of the conos.

[MikeDom]

I have an extensive collection of winter growers interspersed with summer growers. My temperature drops to 8 Deg C and rises to 14 Deg C in the sunshine. I do grow the Conos under T5 fluorescent lights, so unlike Rod I have to water them weekly, as I do for most of the winter growers. The Pelargonium carnosum are just coming into flower as is Orthopterum Waltoniae and the Aloinopsis, amongst others. I have no problems with difficult Stapeliads, Pseudolithos and Adenium socotranum are perfectly happy amongst others. It works for both winter and summer growers, so 10 Deg C would be perfectly OK. And do water them, some such as Tylecodon will need a lot of water.

[Herts Mike]

My Pelargoniums and Othonnas are in the greenhouse at about 10c and perfectly happy. Now that they are all in full leaf they need watering once a week.

[Terry S.]

I have just completed an article on this topic that I have submitted to CactusWorld. Most of my winter-growing material is South African and my heater thermostats are set to 5C. In practice this means that on a cold night the extreme ends of the greenhouse get down to about 2C. Back home in South Africa, the temperature would not get below about 5C near the coast. However in the hills, the temperatures can get below zero and down to about -15C on the Roggeveld.

Note that Canary Islands plants that originate from near sea level, e.g. some aeoniums might need it a bit warmer.

[Herts Mike]

I should have said mine are only at 10c because they share the greenhouse with the Stapeliads.

[ralphrmartin]

I suspect most of my winter growers are more or less permanently wet, but they seem OK.

[peter831shaw]

I have an extensive collection of winter growers interspersed with summer growers. My temperature drops to 8 Deg C and rises to 14 Deg C in the sunshine. I do grow the Conos under T5 fluorescent lights, so unlike Rod I have to water them weekly, as I do for most of the winter growers. The Pelargonium carnosum are just coming into flower as is Orthopterum Waltoniae and the Aloinopsis, amongst others. I have no problems with difficult Stapeliads, Pseudolithos and Adenium socotranum are perfectly happy amongst others. It works for both winter and summer growers, so 10 Deg C would be perfectly OK. And do water them, some such as Tylecodon will need a lot of water.

Conophytums, watering every week? Okay, I have only 2 and I am not really getting the watering schedule of these awesome plants, and hate to lose them.

Interesting, since you are using T5 light, are you keeping them at the natural day length?

This brings up an interesting question for me, and maybe Terry's article will cover this, though I dont get that publication, Can I assume that day length does not really play a role in triggering growth, just water?

So much to learn, thanks for everyones help.

[Ali Baba]

Some of the winter growing bulbs such as Lachenalia, Massonia and Daubenya will be much happier at 3C than they will at higher temperatures.

[peter831shaw]

Some of the winter growing bulbs such as Lachenalia, Massonia and Daubenya will be much happier at 3C than they will at higher temperatures.

yes, this makes it all the more difficult. My Lachenalia and Massonia are mostly seedlings or small bulbs, so I am keeping them inside until they get a tad larger,

Peter