Teotzlcoatl Posted January 28, 2009 Sometimes I water my Trichocereus everyday in the hot-hot-heat of S.C. Some people seem to think this is crazy! What'd you guys think? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JDanger Posted January 28, 2009 Every day might be a bit of overkill (read: unnecessary), but I definitely amp up the watering (once or twice a week depending on the heat) during the summer, with a bit of liquid fertiliser. Word on the grapevine is it's good for bulking 'em up. I guess they could handle more if they really needed to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Teotzlcoatl Posted January 28, 2009 It rained here everyday for 2 weeks and they were fine. I know one dude who leaves his Trichocereus cacti outdoors year round in Florida and they do great! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
genki Posted January 28, 2009 (edited) i water mine when they start to soften a little. with the weather we are having this week (5 days of 40c or more) that will probably mean 3 times. normally in summer they get watered 1-2 times a week. trichs can handle a lot of water but that doesnt mean that you should water them more than necessary. edit: just out of interest what constitutes hot hot heat teotz? also all my cacti are in pots, not the ground Edited January 28, 2009 by genki Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiral Posted January 28, 2009 I water mine everyday and they love it... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Teotzlcoatl Posted January 28, 2009 (edited) just out of interest what constitutes hot hot heat teotz? also all my cacti are in pots, not the ground Last year I think the high was 103F. I water mine everyday and they love it... Me too! Does anybody esle do this? Edited January 28, 2009 by Teotz' Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
genki Posted January 28, 2009 my cacti are last on my list for watering priority. i don't have access to tank water and watering restrictions only allow for watering twice a week for 2 hours. any water collected around the house goes to my caapi, psychotrias, and fruit first. im curious as to how much of a difference watering everyday makes? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ballzac Posted January 28, 2009 I would water them every day in this heat if it weren't for restrictions. All my collected water goes on my cactito plump them up...everything else can shut up and die Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Teotzlcoatl Posted January 28, 2009 Aw damn... well this question doesn't really work here then! Watering the hell out of them makes 'em grow really fast for me! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
random fly Posted January 28, 2009 My plants (all in pots) are watered with reticulation every day (we have a bore pump). My cacti are no exception, although if I had a choice, I probably would cut it down a little bit. I've only ever had a couple of rot problems, all in winter (reticulaton is off, but the rains are frequent). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paradox Posted January 28, 2009 yeah trichs can handle a lot of water when it's hot & they will put on a lot of growth. it's just that this fresh new growth tends to be very plump & tender & if you suddenly stop watering, say you go away for a couple of weeks & don't water & it's hot, this new growth will be very susceptible to heat damage. basically, if you pamper & mollicoddle your cacti they will be weak as piss & won't be able to handle changes in their environment very well. IMO it's much better to water once or twice a week in summer, maybe a little more if it's really hot or less if it's not. this seems to be fine for very sufficient growth but they will still be tough plants that can look after themselves not pissweak spoilt little pussies Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sharxx101 Posted January 28, 2009 (edited) I water mine everyday and they love it... I water mine everyday too with left over shower water they love it! I have re-potted of a few trichs this summer and they have no root rot and heaps of new root growth. Edited January 28, 2009 by sharxx101 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Teotzlcoatl Posted January 28, 2009 IMO it's much better to water once or twice a week in summer, maybe a little more if it's really hot or less if it's not. this seems to be fine for very sufficient growth but they will still be tough plants that can look after themselves not pissweak spoilt little pussies Hey now! I baby my babies! I water mine everyday too with left over shower water they love it! With soap and stuff in it??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sharxx101 Posted January 28, 2009 No soap on the cacti! they are clean I take the bucket out before I use soap. Hey now! I baby my babies!With soap and stuff in it??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiral Posted January 28, 2009 When working as a landscape gardener some years ago...my boss told me that if you add detergent ..a mild one..to water it acts like water wetting crystals do and holds moisture for longer...is this true..he was adamant that if you don't have water crystals then soap can be a good replacement. H. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
herbologist Posted January 28, 2009 How the weather has been, I was watering every day. I got worried about rootrot so I put them in the ground, now I only need to water once maybe twice every two weeks. When I removed them from pots I didn't see any sign of root rot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ballzac Posted January 28, 2009 When working as a landscape gardener some years ago...my boss told me that if you add detergent ..a mild one..to water it acts like water wetting crystals do and holds moisture for longer...is this true..he was adamant that if you don't have water crystals then soap can be a good replacement.H. I believe there is truth in that, although both are bad if you get them on cacti because they wash the waxy coating off and leave the cactus vulnerable to infection. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
momomoto Posted January 28, 2009 Yeah I heard that the detergents are good for plants because of the nitrogen - which isn't high on a cactus' priorities, but good for greening up foliage plants Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyAmine. Posted January 28, 2009 I water mine when they need it. I usualy wait 2 days after the soil becomes dry again. IMO it makes for a stronger, healthier cactus, plus being in a very humid envrio at times this helps to prevent fungal/bacterial issues including fungus gnats. BASTARDS!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
~shameless~ Posted January 28, 2009 Yesterday it was about 39c today 41.7c tomoz it is supposed to be 43c ( fuck its sooo hot in melb this week) so i have been watering everyday this week with collected water,-` my tbms are wilting its so hot`-, `my scop has lost virtualy all its clorophyl on the side that cops the hot afternoon sun`. actually alot of my cati have started to really stress and lose that green look this week i hope they wont burn too much!! under the hottest time of the year i would water every day!! Teotz i would water every day in mid summer to fatten up cacti so they can cope with this heat!! hey teotz do your summers ever reach 107.6 farenhiet,? i'm not too sure if trichs really like this sort of heat for more than a few days at a time, so get them healthy and fat with regular watering in spring and summer to deal with the heat comes around. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Moses Posted January 28, 2009 (edited) Yesterday it was about 39c today 41.7c tomoz it is supposed to be 43c ( fuck its sooo hot in melb this week) !! u want hot come to adelaide 42C yesterday 45C today(113F to u teotz) 44C tomorrow our first 'cool' change is tuesday next week with 38c. i have my crests and variegates under shade cloth and the digital thermometer in there was reading 50C that being said all are doin fine(except some trays of seedlings that are a little yellowed and shrivelled) watering every 2nd day all my plants are in pots. Edited January 28, 2009 by MOSES Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trucha Posted January 28, 2009 During summer in Texas I had to water every day. Not everything but all of the Andean plants. They just don't get high heat as is common in summer in central Texas in nature. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Teotzlcoatl Posted March 10, 2009 This is what I thought... Thanks for the responses! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trucha Posted March 20, 2009 The key factor is whether they can dry out adequately in-between waterings. I now live in northern CA where every day watering would never be tolerated by them. During the peak of summer heat in Texas every day watering was sometimes required for keeping them alive especially the smaller pot sizes of 1 gallon or less. Lots of professional growers add soap or a surfactant to their watering solutions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tobydoo Posted April 8, 2009 I water mine when they need it.I usualy wait 2 days after the soil becomes dry again. IMO it makes for a stronger, healthier cactus, plus being in a very humid envrio at times this helps to prevent fungal/bacterial issues including fungus gnats. BASTARDS!!! I agree completely! It creates IMHO a larger stronger root mass. I let mine be dry for at least 3 days. And USE MYCHORRHIZAE. Greatest gift God (or whatever makes the birds sing and the grass green) supplied us! (look Mychorr. up on line) Also, cool night temps. (below 70 degrees) encourages growth and in dry climates spritz the cactus (moderately) as they drink through their spines. We did tests with the Mycorrhizae in our landscape company over 3 years with controls. plants, shrubs, trees and my cactus. Results: USE MYCORRHIZAE. it's organic and should be used with everything you want to grow well. Anyone wants more info specifically can PM me. But Andy is absolutely correct! These are cactus.......every day watering is un- naural. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
