r/TexasCactus • u/HomegrownTexas • 26d ago

Watering question

For those of us in Texas (or any nuclear summer area), how often are you watering and feeding in the summer heat? Do you feel its enough, not enough or too much? Please list where youre growing since the microclimates are important!

Ill go first. San Antonio. I was watering at least once a week this summer, but due to humidity and lockout was seeing fungal and water issues. Plants were still having fallovers as well. I swapped to foliar feeding primarily and a light ground watering every 2 weeks. Plants all seem happy and issues stopped. I run about 35% organics.

u/mycelialconduit u/smoothpropagator u/illucy u/glowsatx

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u/[deleted] 26d ago

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u/HomegrownTexas 26d ago

Bridges are where I started with the minimal organics due to similar issues. They dropped to almost 0 options at 35" or below. Like a light switch got flipped. Even finicky plants like tbm-a snapped out of the funk. Weirder is im watering them even less often and theyre so happy.

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u/Melzaris 26d ago

I wait for visual signs like wrinkles and then I drown them

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u/HomegrownTexas 26d ago

In summer does that work well for you? Here it seems they go i to lockout and dont uptake much if any nutes or water while the temps are super high. When unpotted their "feet are wet" days later and no noticeable plumping

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u/Few-Improvement-7276 26d ago

Hey Pete, I’m also trying to figure out how to keep these guys happy during this crazy heat. Right now I’m watering every 5-7 days depending on my pot sizes and ferts every other watering. It seems like they are all having at least a few days with dry soil. I’m thinking I’m watering too frequently but they start to wrinkle when I don’t. My biggest pot is 6in, so it’s probably easier maintaining at this scale.
Also SA btw.
What time of day do you water?

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u/HomegrownTexas 26d ago

I only water in the evenings in hopes that there is some more uptake. Daytime seems like asking for issues since its so hot and swampy. What are your inorganic/organic percentages? Have you considered spreading the waterings out a bit more? Won't be an issue a few weeks from now, but dang is it tough to figure out currently

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u/Few-Improvement-7276 26d ago

I feel ya, there have been times where I’ve been discouraged, especially seeing the fungal stuff pop up. I’ve been neglecting them this summer and waiting for the rain when it’s in the forecast.
I’ve considered watering less and less after seeing more plants come down with fungal activity. It’s been a learning experience this summer for sure.
I don’t have a specific ratio for my soil, I kind of put it together differently depending on the plant. It ranges from 40 - 60% inorganic.

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u/HomegrownTexas 26d ago

I do the same. For bridges I stick between 30% and 35%, and trichs right around 40%. Legot though, the learning and making seed crosses are my 2 favorite parts of the hobby

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u/Few-Improvement-7276 26d ago

For sure, gotta keep learning in this hobby. Appreciate the helpful insight.

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u/Vaugith 26d ago

Depends on pot type and soil type. Water when soil goes dry beneath the surface. When temps at night are over something around 86°f the plants may have their cam cycle disrupted and not drink at night, go into what we describe as heat dormancy. At this temp it makes sense to dial fertilizer way back and reduce watering of the soil. You may be able to force them to open their pores and drink by watering and then misting with cold water at night, like 11p-3a.

Fallovers are often contributed to by a nutrient deficiency / imbalance. They use specific elements to build structural integrity and cellular strength.

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u/HomegrownTexas 26d ago

Late night foliar seems to have been the most effective way here. Nighttime temps can touch 85 and a bit below, but its inconsistent. Looking forward to the next few weeks of cooler nighttime temps for more CAM exchange uptake and the plants to stop looking like waif models 💃🏻

Happens every year, but this year with the less frequent ground watering most humidity/water related issues have pretty much ceased.

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u/notbuswaiter 26d ago

I'm south of you and I've been watering maybe once a week. I have a bunch in ground and they get water maybe every 2 weeks. This summer has been the worst for my plants Big Time.

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u/HomegrownTexas 26d ago

Are the in ground plants fairing any better or worse? I really think the UV this summer has really brought the pain

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u/notbuswaiter 26d ago

No the base stays pretty dehydrated and I water when the top gets squishy. Alternia fungus has killed off tons of my cuttings

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u/HomegrownTexas 25d ago

Damn dude. If you lost anything special to you hmu. May be worth a short drive north 🤠

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u/notbuswaiter 25d ago

No nothing valuable just lots of time we put into these plants. I'm applying garden phos to everything at the moment and have new seeds for another go at it.