Hey folks
So I'm trying to move my collection of bridgessi cacti outdoors for the first time this spring/summer. I got them last fall and they've been a closet grow since and have been dormant since November.
I want to move them outside next month to get them proper sunlight. However, since I live in the northeast I'm concerned with how often it rains and over watering. I only have a deck to work with as my growing area and there really isn't anywhere to put them to keep them out of rain.
Will I have to constantly be moving them inside when it rains to keep the soil from becoming too moist? I have them in cactus soil with plenty of pebbles for drainage on top and bottom.
from what ive learned from some people on this site , bridgesii are more intolerant to water than other trichocereus.
Pebbles on the top and bottom of your soil isnt going to help with drainage. The mix itself is what is important and that can be made to handle lots of water if it is free draining enought.
When you say it rains a lot are you talking in the summer rains. It really comes down to temps if it is hot they will handle lots of water.
This is graph of my temps and rain fall
All of my trich's are outside all year round and they get watered every two days from November though to March and watered as required in the other months.
Try to get shelter for cactus. Like near the house or under something?
If possible.. maybe build small greenhouse! :awesome:
They can handle cold and rain actually good but after that they need warm and sunny days.
I have keep gymnocalyium and echinopsis in north scandinavia outdoors at summer without shelter about a month. Temperatures are normally at +10-15. "Hot days" are +20C.
They survived the 3days rain at +8-18C teperatures(night times was +2-10C!) and easily survived when they got new rainy days again!. But they were at pots what have almost full of just rocks and water just run trough the pot... So soil is major factor. Cactus can be at rainy and humid areas easily but you just need to make soil what are like 50-60% of rocks and pots don't have actually so much soil at all so at rainfall water just runs trough the pot and roots dry fast.
Ofc I can't say cactus can tolerate all the time water, but trichocereus are different by that they are growing at area where that can get water like another trees and plants got too.. But I would still protect them from rain by building small greenhouse or just some shelter.
I hope I would get cactus outdoors soon :tongue2: There is -22C now.. Snow are very much and hopefully smelt away at beginning of June. At greenhouse I can keep them out little bit sooner but mostly the greenhouse of mine are for food cultivation.
