Methods for Overwintering Succulents and Cacti
Core content of this article: topics related to succulents, methods for overwintering succulents and cacti, detailed information as follows:
Overwintering methods for succulents and cacti at home:
One, basic overwintering conditions: the more sunlight the better, temperature should be above 1 degree Celsius, with 15 degrees Celsius or above being optimal during the day. Soil moisture should be managed according to watering guidelines: water when the soil is dry, but avoid thorough watering. Alternatively, on sunny mornings, you can spray clear water on the plants. Shanghai's winter is humid and cold, but it's fine as long as the humidity of the small natural environment inside the facilities is not too high!
Two, introducing several overwintering methods:
(One) General indoor method:
Place along the windowsill or inside a封闭凉台 with a wide board or glass panel, or in a step-like arrangement, with the front lower and the back higher, for a clear and neat appearance. This style is best placed on the east side of the凉台, where there is more sunlight than on the west side. To increase the temperature and humidity inside the pot and to protect against the cold wind when opening windows, you can use disposable thin plastic cups as covers over the pots, or for larger pots, cut a large plastic bottle in half to use as a cover.
(Two) Glass tank cultivation method:
1. Using a glass fish tank for cultivation: Based on the available space for cultivation, prepare several tanks of different sizes, with 2 cm thick yellow sand at the bottom and several long thin glass strips above, placing the pots on top without sticking to the sand. Cover the top of the tank with glass, and if it's very sunny, place a chopstick horizontally to prevent high temperatures from damaging the plants.
2. Homemade larger special glass house: Customize the size of the house based on the available space, for example: 1 meter long, 0.5 meters wide, and 0.4 meters high. On the top edge of the 0.5-meter width, there should be a 25-degree slope (to receive more sunlight), and three sliding doors in front of the house for easy placement and removal of pots and to allow the escape of hot air. It's best to stick a vertical glass panel in the middle of the 1-meter long tank, and on top of it, stick two 8-cm wide horizontal glass panels on both sides (for placing more pots to fully utilize the space inside the house). Similarly, on the other two sides of the long house, you can also stick a wide 8-cm long horizontal glass strip (a total of four strips). On the flat bottom of the glass house, you can place a moisture-absorbent thick soft membrane (filter membrane for tropical fish tanks) and then a layer of window screen mesh (to prevent the pot from sticking to the bottom), completing the setup. Benefits: Increases temperature and humidity, allows for more pots in the same space, and looks elegant and beautiful.
(Three) Foam box cultivation method:
Use one or two or three foam boxes connected together, placed flat, with four square wooden sticks at the corners standing vertically, then four long square wooden sticks fastened tightly to the corner square wooden sticks (best to be lower towards the sunlight to receive more light), and then surrounded with plastic film, leaving a moveable plastic door that can be pulled down and sealed at the pot removal area. In the bottom of the square and long foam boxes, place mixed soil and press it down, then place window screen mesh on top (to prevent soil from sticking to the bottom of the pot), which is the simplest method for entering winter.
(Four) Outdoor cultivation method: Make a square (or long) foam box outside the window that can fit a flower shelf, and then make a moveable glass tank that fits exactly inside the square (or long) foam box. At night, place a deep foam box of the same size as the bottom one over the glass tank, ensuring that the top and bottom foam boxes fit together perfectly, preventing cold air from entering. This method can safely survive temperatures of minus two or three degrees Celsius outside.
Notes:
For the above (fourth) method, note that the bottom of the glass tank's sliding door should be slightly higher than the surface of the foam box below, as the bottom needs to store a thick layer of mixed soil to store heat during the day and survive the cold at night. Add heat during extremely cold conditions.
(Two, three) Install a heater inside the facility to keep the succulents growing normally in winter.
The above sharing of overwintering methods for succulents and cacti is complete, hoping it can be helpful to you. Don't forget to check out more gardening experience and knowledge!