Waking up the cacti after their 6 months rest

I have just started to water my many cacti after 6 months of being dry and I was quite
amazed to find these flowering already.

 

Nice to see them so early. I've been going to water mine too but there's always something else to do first so I haven't got around to it yet.
How many cacti have you got @Ladybird4 ?

 

Hello @Michael Hewett. I think I have about 50(ish) at the last count. They are definitely addictive. I've noticed a few have mealy bug infestations so that is something I will have to sort out soon.

 

That's nice, I love them but I don't know how many I've got, I've lost count.
Yes vine weevils are a nuisance. I use a systemic vine weevil killer and the cacti seem to survive.

 

I've watered a few of mine but I'm always a bit haphazard as to how I go about it.
Probably because mostly they dont show any stress.

Some succulents have had a couple of waterings, mostly Echeverias and Aeoniums.

 

I use rain water on mine (same as I do for my orchids). I keep bottles of water from the water butts inside the house to get to a temperature that won't cause a shock to the plants when they do get watered.

 

Mine don't get pampered

 

Hi you three!
I have a few cacti (but nowhere near 50!) and watered and fed them this morning. I keep them on the bathroom windowsill but I am wondering... are yours outside at all? If so, when is the best time to move mine there?
I agree that they are addictive, but I have to limit how many I have as I don't have room. I have one of those mini greenhouse thingies out on a sunny patio but it's got a lot of sempervivums, pots and more pots filling it! Would this place, if space is cleared do for my cacti for a while?
Thank you.

 

Hi Pattie. I keep all of my cacti indoors on window sills. I have several narrow shelving units (they are actually classed as bathroom shelving) that just fit on the sills so I have three layers of cacti on each unit. I believe you can put them outside during the summer if the weather is nice and sunny but I haven't risked it as I live in a very wet area. The sempervivums, which I also love, could come out of your mini greenhouse and the cacti would be very happy there.

 

I leave a fair amount of cacti and succulents in a cold frame over winter, with just a thick fleece which I roll down over the glass on frosty nights.

I ventilate whenever the temperatures are above freezing.

Of course you have to be careful as to which species you do this with but the majority of desert cacti will just sail through winter like that as long as you don't water them.

They also flower better for having a cold dry winter rest.

 

Thank you @Ladybird4 and @pete. Most helpful.

 

My cacti mostly live indoors over winter and in the greenhouse from Mid April to autumn.
When moved out to the greenhouse they get covered with fleece for some days to prevent sunburn.
Some live in the greenhouse year round as they have got too big for the windowsills.

 

Most of mine are just titchy at the moment but when they start growing bigger, there's nothing for it but the furniture will have to go!

 

I have quite a few, nothing too rare but some of the opuntias live outside year round... so they've been watered occasionally!