BCSS - Forum

Heat mats arent very expencive. I use heating in autumn and spring but all the winter coĺlection spents in a garage on shelves with modest lights at +5 / + 12 C. Only brazileiros move to the house, cause they die at lower temps. Your task is to hold temps below 0, remember that each light frost is a great risk as prolonged subzero temps.

I've had development. My granddad is letting me use his shed. He has one of those cheap small greenhouse things.

The new plan is to put my cacti in there, in low light, wrap it around with insulation and have a heat map below. This means I can maintain minimum 10c temps.

My only worry is that they won't go into dormancy and start to etiolate. Has anyone else done a set up like this?

NaZzAtAzEr wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 12:32 pm I've had development. My granddad is letting me use his shed. He has one of those cheap small greenhouse things.

The new plan is to put my cacti in there, in low light, wrap it around with insulation and have a heat map below. This means I can maintain minimum 10c temps.

My only worry is that they won't go into dormancy and start to etiolate. Has anyone else done a set up like this?

Personally I don't think you need to maintain 10C. A couple of the cacti you have listed at 10C will go much closer to zero. Other 10Cs listed I'm not familiar with. Perhaps just bring those in doors and maintain the shed just above zero.

I have moved my cacti to my granddads and wrapped them in wool, fleece and a blanket. Hopefully they survive on to next year
At the moment they aren't getting any light, and should hopefully dry out fully soon. They have a heat mat a shelf below and I am going to buy a thermostat to make sure it doesn't dip below freezing. Fingers crossed!

good luck with the overwintering

NaZzAtAzEr wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 12:32 pm The new plan is to put my cacti in there, in low light, wrap it around with insulation and have a heat map below. This means I can maintain minimum 10c temps.

Unless you have heat lovers like Melocactus, Discocactus and things like that, I would aim for 0C. Most cacti can easily take freezing temperatures if they are dry. Up to -3C on a regular basis is not problem, colder should also not harm a lot if it happens not too frequently and to severely. So 0C is a very safe target for you.

10C is way too high. It will only cost you a lot of energy, there is an increase in fire risk and the plants might not get a proper dormancy (which might also result in lack of flowering during next growing season). And keeping them nice and cold makes it easier for you to ventilate well. Give your plants as much as fresh air as you can to toughen them up and avoid high humidity (just open up windows or the door and only close it when it starts to freeze). Ventilating will be a hard thing to do during winter if you want to keep the temperature at 10C at the same time but so much easier closer to 0C...

Cold (preferably frost free), dry soil and fresh air are the three key winter survival ingredients for about 95% of the cacti. Light would be nice too, but not essential.

How did things go with overwintering?

Last year was great, in total darkness and a heat mat, only had a few mealies that I fought off. This year is a different situation with added lights and possibly a heat mat. I just want to ward off frost and elongation

Nothing died on me this year! Apart from one damaged cacti.

Thinking of doing a different set up this year, keeping the cold frame outside as I have gained more cacti this year and it is becoming more of a hassle to move it around. I've been shopping for other things and came across this product: https://phairs.com/collections/garden-t ... er-tcg8062 Anti-Frost Cold Frame Heater


It sounds perfect to what I need, and I have space on the bottom shelf of the cold frame. I still stop watering in September so that the soil is bone dry over the winter. I know that most cacti can cope with cold temperatures but I just need to ward off the frost.

I wouldn't use a paraffin heater with cacti and succulents. They will add a whole heap of moisture to a small enclosed area.

I'd move any sensitive specimens inside and leave the rest nice and dry overwinter in the cold frame. Is it in a sheltered spot or will it get particularly cold? Will it get sun in the winter?