TC help...sunlight, temp, & water needs!!!

10 years ago

hello again, all.

I know this has probably been posted elsewhere and answered many many times...but I need some help with my TCs. (thanksgiving cacti) I have a little one and a BIG one. I bought the little one, and the big one was a gift from my mother. Totally unexpected, But a welcome addition to the plant family.

Now I have a big problem with my apartment. There is absolutely no direct sunlight anywhere until about March, and none ever that's good for succulents and definitely not regular cacti. That's okay...I grow my succulents under lights...and leave cacti alone. (even though I LOVE them)

I also am wintering my goldfish plant and croton under a second set of lights so they wont lose their color/will bloom. Recently Ive become worried about my Big TC and its sunlight needs. I started letting it share the lights with the Gold F. and Croton...but TC is so big they wont all fit under there. So, I rotate them every 12 hours... by putting one(s) in the closet to get dark time and one(s) under lights. It works except for the TC lost almost all its little buds, but that's fine its already bloomed tons. The others don't seem to mind...no leaf drop... but its a pain, and I'm sure the plants aren't too happy about it either.

So my Temp. and Sunlight questions are:

Would the TC be okay on my back porch until March (3 and1/2 Months from now) With no direct sunlight? It would get light, just not direct sun as it would be in a buildings shadow.
also:
Relating to the back porch: what temperatures can a TC tolerate. (all the sites say different things) I live in a salt marsh in suburbs of Savannah about 10 miles from the ocean. (if that helps) In zone 8b. The temperatures this time of year fluctuate from 70s-50sF (day) and 50s-low 40s F (night) And every once in awhile in the high 30s, I'm also sure freezing or below is possible at anytime, but if it happens it would be only briefly.

And then theres the water issue:
Now I've had this TC since Thanxgiving...about 3 weeks? And I haven't had to water it since. The soil has remained moist...not wet, not soggy, but moist enough to be doughy, and some tiny bits to stick to a pencil. I check the soil every 2 days its still moist, but its been slowly drying out. My succulent sense is freaking out, but there is no rot, no yellowing, and the segments are perky, not any droopier than they are supposed to be. There were some young recently propagated sprigs that got dessicated because the soil shrunk from drying out...leaving them with bare roots but I'll check on that first thing tomorrow.
Is this good for the TC...its freaking me out.

BTW I will post pics when I get on my phone, tomorrow.

This post was edited by snailprincess on Tue, Dec 17, 13 at 3:53

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Comments (4)

puglvr1
10 years ago
As noted above...I live in FL (zone 9b)...I have all my TC's outside about 350+ days a year but they are under a roofed entryway...open on 3 sides and they don't get direct sun this time of year only very bright light...I only bring them inside the house when the temps dip below 38 degrees or when there's a frost forecast since they are (slightly) protected by the 3 walls and roof above...once in a while in the summer I place them under some Palm or Oak trees where they do receive a couple of early morning sun...but never after 11 am as the sun is very strong by then...TC's are normally best not grown in direct sun.

I grow most of mine in mostly small pieces of Orchid, Pine or Fir bark and Perlite Plus a sprinkle of good potting mix (Josh's mix) something like 5-1-1...so it retains a little moisture and I don't have to water it as often...

In my zone I water mine about once every 6 to 10 days depending on the temps/humidity...

Good luck!

This post was edited by puglvr1 on Tue, Dec 17, 13 at 15:58
pirate_girl
10 years ago
These are TROPICAL, jungle cactus plants, I suggest do not leave them outside below 50 degrees. Maybe (guessing here) lowest should 40s, it's likely 30s would kill them.
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cahac
10 years ago
As long as you can give them bright light, i wouldn't worry about direct sunlight Most of mine are across the room from any window. I am in Va and i have to bring mine inside about the middle of Oct they get bright light but no sun light at all til mid April and then only about 1 hr of very early morning or late afternoon sun. they don.t get any direct sun. you should be ok in mid 40's but i wouldn't trust into the 30's temp. wise. as long as your mixture doesn't stay wet and dries out you should be fine. Just my thoughts & opinion
cliff
msrohud
10 years ago
I too am in 8b just up the road in the Hilton Head area. Depending upon what type of "winter" we have this year, my TCs will stay out unless we are expecting weather below freezing. I have moved all mine into the lanei and they are tucked under/around other plants that provide some warmth and protection. On the couple of nights that we did have frost warnings already, I threw light moving blankets over them. Now I will say that the younger ones that I ordered from Bill Smoley's site this fall will stay under my fluorescent lights along with all the other succulents.
I also treat many of my orchids exactly the same. I will say though that my beds in the lanei are very packed and lush so lots of "body heat" is shared between the plants! Even my poinsettias are in their pots in these flower beds.

In the summer mine are moved out into a flower bed that faces the west. They again are tucked in around other plants like ferns so that it's like an easter egg hunt come fall to locate them all so I guess they get dappled sunshine even though they are in a sunny area.

This is what works for me and all of them bloomed (13) this fall. The largest one actually had over 200 blooms and has just made its return back outside yesterday.

Hope this helps since we're essentially in the same area. We are about 6 miles to the ocean so I know that also keeps our temps moderated.