What kind of information are you looking for? You seem to have winters like those here.

All of yours like a cold winter rest, except the Hatiora. I have actually kept many Rebutia and Lobivia in my refrigerator from late autumn to March, and they flowered well, better than usual. They don't need much light in winter. I let them dry out first, I stop watering in mid-September.

I you keep them on an isolated windowsill as I wrote in another thread you could try turning the plants. Not for the light, but to let as much of the plant as possible experience the lower temperatures close to the glass.

If you can protect them from rain you can keep them outside for some time still, Rebutia, Lobivia and G. baldianum are not harmed if the temperature goes a little below freezing. G. bruchii tolerates temperatures down to about -15°C (5°F), I have tried.

I have a Hatiora rosea, but I have not yet found out what it likes, so I cannot help you much there. They are supposed to like a temperature drop to 12-15°C, I will try to arrange that the coming winter.

Thank you tjiken for your response!! Im looking for info on growing these in containers. Dave's garden is a wonderful site if I am to be growing them in the ground. Seeing as pots will become the same temperature as the ambient air temp, that info doesnt do me much good.

Keeping them in the fridge is a wonderful idea! I have a mini fridge that i think will do the trick. Will they need some light? What about watering? I know the wont need much of either but any pointers on how to give it to them would be awesome. Should I open the fridge to let light in periodically? Maybe after watering? My plan is to water using a spray bottle that way I dont give them too much. Also, Will I have to worry about etiolation? Im not too worried about that but if I can minimize it, thats what I want to do.

I bring my plants in when the forecast calls for rain. I like to be able to control how much water they get. So protecting them from the rain wont be a hassle. When I bring them in though, I no longer have a kitchen! :) I like to say that I have the most dangerous kitchen on the block!

The reason why I am some what freaking out about winter and the blooms(other than the health and beauty) is I want to try my hand a creating hybrids. My understanding of hybrid making is this: Cross pollinate by hand, using a small paint brush, between plants of the same genus. Harvest and sow the seeds. The seedlings should all have varying traits either from the mother or the father. Im sure Im missing a lot from the big picture. My hope is to(years down the road) be able to hybridize two hybrids that I "made". I think that would be such a cool life experience and will bring a whole new level of cultivation under my belt.

Thank you for your advice!!
plant_junkie

They should not be watered as long as they are in the fridge. I don't water mine at all from mid September to April, except for species with sensitive roots, like Notocactus and some Mammillaria. Water encourages growth and should be held back when temperature and light are low, but on some species the roots die back and will not recover if completely dry in winter. I have never had (or have heard of) that kind of problems with Rebutia and Lobivia.

I keep them in a tray in the fridge, it makes it easier to bring them outside on warm winter days. This kind of cacti (mainly from the mountain areas in Bolivia, often at altitudes of 2000-3500 m) like winters with bright, mild days and cold, dark nights. When grown in pots in a completely different geographic location one has to make compromises, especially people without big, temperature-controlled greenhouses (like me). This is why I keep mine in the fridge but I bring them outside on sunny, warm days.

It is not necessary to give them light in winter, however, they will do well in total darkness. If you let them dry out first they will stop growing and then they don't need much light, and they will not etioliate either. Calms down bugs too ...

There are other types of cacti that are said to need bright light in winter in order to flower, and others need substantial amounts of water in late winter, but yours are not among them (I am not completely sure about Gymnocalycium when it comes to light though).

AW man Im getting stoked! What temperature would be most suiting? Thank you once again. Im starting to feel a little more confident about this winter!

plant_junkie

For these, between 0 and 10°C will be fine (that is why a fridge is so suitable). Higher temperature during daytime is ok. If it temporarily gets colder (down to -7°C for a day or so), they are most likely to survive unharmed too, if they are dry and used to cold.
(But don't place a cactus in subfreezing temperature during the growing period, that is dangerous.)

Hi I was looking for the same information for winter and cacti thanks I found this thread. I have a 2 mamillaria, 1 rebutia, and 1 cleistocactus strausii. Which one can I store in the fridge or a cave? Do I have to put them inside a cardboard box inside the fridge?

Kami, you might be 8 years late :,)

Thanks :)