nitrogen Posted December 28, 2014 Hey y'all, a friend of mine says it will be 25 degrees where he lives later this week - will the trichos freeze and die in this? What is the lowest temps your trichos have done ok with? thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ Posted December 28, 2014 (edited) depends on the tricho, grandiflorus/huasca is loving 2" of 28.4F snow atm heres a pic the day after and I hear it will be happy ....even if a lot colder others are indoors , too wuss to risk em lower than 44.6F for now may have nudged a degree from my hand-heat changing the dispaly to 'heit big hopes for pasacana and thelegonus tho Edited December 29, 2014 by ☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Auxin Posted December 28, 2014 Depends not just on the trich species/selection but also the degree of dormancy/thirst. If a cactus is still trying to grow it will be significantly less able to survive a freeze. Consider also, a 25° prediction is just that. Reality can surprise. A month and a half ago my weather report predicted 25° and what I got was 8° A few dozen cacti were still out including 14 hardy dormant trichs, they froze solid and changed color but were still alive when they 'melted' a few days later. If possible, bring inside. If thats not possible, put a plastic shower cap or styrofoam cup on the tip to prevent damage to the most vulnerable part. Remember eye protection when moving big honking cacti. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zelly Posted December 29, 2014 also a lot depends how long the cactus has been growing in a particular environment. if its been exposed to cold temps in years past. humidity also plays a large part. below freezing and foggy could be lethal tell your friend, if possible wrap his prized possessions with christmas tree lights for a bit of added warmth. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Evil Genius Posted December 29, 2014 Hi Nitrogen, the Question isn´t easy to answer because it depends on many variables. Are you speaking about Fahrenheit? Because 25 Fahrenheit isn´t usually a Problem if the cactus is dry and used to it. If you are talking Celsius and you mean minus 25, it will kill it. Generally speaking, -20 to -25 celsius is the temperature that kills Trichos. Most can deal with minus 5 to minus 10 celsius (if dry) for a while but everything below depends on the general health of the plant. I assume you are talking about Fahrenheit so i wouldn´t really be worried, but would make sure to wrap it up and protect the soil from getting wet. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ Posted December 29, 2014 (edited) i was assuming they would be using farenheit ... so answered using farenheit , just in case ... -20C to -25C = -4F to -13F good to know about the -5C to -10C (23F to 14F) and that freezing fog is killer ... *follows advice too and wraps up prized possessions with lights* is getting leg hair trapped normal? what about a full on "condomnation" of the tricho pieces with a nice horticultural fleece wrap or a few wraps of that thin foam packaging shit, not the bubbles one, but that might be a good backup or gap filler, still got nuthn extra to add for root protection tho... Edited December 29, 2014 by ☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
afungitobewith Posted December 29, 2014 (edited) A lot of mine froze out when an early cold snap happened. It was around or below 25F for 2-3 days in a small greenhouse. The wind blew the door open. Most of my peruvian and bridgesii dominant looking hybrids died leaving some of the pachanoi crosses unscathed. Out of 50 young plants about 10 survive. pulled this info off a pdf Trichocereus andalgalensis Under 20F Trichocereus grandiflorus Under 20F Trichocereus huascha Under 20F Trichocereus huascha cristata Under 20F Trichocereus pachanoi Under 20F for short durations Trichocereus pasacana 10F Trichoceereus spachianus Under 20F Trichocereus thelegonus cristata Under 20F Edited December 29, 2014 by afungitobewith 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
djmattz0r Posted December 30, 2014 I have had trichos survive low 20s (F) while completely dormant and had no issues, mind you the temps only dipped that low for a small amount of time at night. This was TBMs, reg bridgesii, PC pach and a few others. I have also had the same PC pachs that survived those low 20s take tip damage after the weather warmed up and they started growing then it dipped back down to just below freezing and they got damage. So I believe there are many factors as others have pointed out. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gunter Posted December 30, 2014 Many report some forms frozen solid and recovering... the exact temps are still a mystery but it is said that slow thaws often result in life when fast thaws kill. So much about this need testing. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hostilis Posted December 30, 2014 I left some out this winter. Got down to -4f and it killed everything other than my echinocereus and escobaria. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Auxin Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) So much about this need testing. Not to mention breeding. Thing about cacti, the space that would support X number of adults can support a hundred times as many babies. So grow a farkin hundred times as many cacti as you want, when they get crowded carefully kill 90% with freezing temps, then when they get crowded again carefully kill 90% with freezing temps. Breed the survivors and get 10,000 new seeds. Repeat. Edited December 30, 2014 by Auxin 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nitrogen Posted December 30, 2014 Thanks for all the info! Christmas tree lights - brilliant! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theuserformallyknownasd00d Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) How do people think trichs will go with a winter averaging 1-3C nights and 10C days for 3 months (can actually extend out to 5mths..). average rainfall 75mm each month? I'm talking completely on there own no shelter. Thanks for any advice in advance Edited to add info Edited December 30, 2014 by prioritise 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) I quite fancy the chances of some trichos at those parameters Prio , namely pachanoi, bridgesii, poss peru', pasacana, grandiflorus/huascha, terscheckii, ....maybe scop - not sure...., I know scop is hardy as fk so long as it's dry, dnno bout the 75mm in winter tho, makes me think of mild mountain weather just for saving F to C / C to F calculations time in future when i look back at this ... or anyone else who thinks in Celcius hostilis' [-4F] = -20C ,,, dang thats hardcore weather! good to know about echinocereus , I think I'll leave mine out next winter prioritise' 1 to 3C = [33 to 37.4F].... 10C = 50F thats only a little cooler than i let the "cactus room" go lucky weather! , has your city got room for another cacteer? what about a "raised bed" of pummice type stuff ? (an Idea I had for over here in uk but also with some sorta structure that can be reduced to a "fruit cage" in summer/as necc) , Edited December 30, 2014 by ☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theuserformallyknownasd00d Posted December 30, 2014 I'll be able to initially have shade houses etc, but I'll be a 3hr drive away and won't be attending any repairs/rot sitos in any sort of timely manner! The soil is a beautiful red mineral soil, and the place grows rocks by the day, and there's a baco... Everything is already out there and waiting! Plan is to landscape a garden each time we head out and after 10 years we'll be able to retire in our hilly cactus wonderland... /hijack back to temp stats ;) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hostilis Posted December 30, 2014 In my experience if they are plumped up with water from rainfall and it freezes they're gonners. Most trichs anyways. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gunter Posted December 31, 2014 I use -3.8c as my safe temp and heard of a few varieties that survived -9.4c. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites