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Cacti have special wintertime requirements�simple things, really, but necessary to help them through the winter months.

First, and probably the most important, cacti should not be watered any more than once every 4 to 6 weeks. Over-watering in winter is the major cause of root-rot. Cacti should be bone dry before watering and if you are in any doubt at all, don�t water them. When you are certain the ground is totally dry and they are ready for a drink, water thoroughly sometime between the hours of 9:00a.m. and 1:00p.m. The timing is important during the winter because the ground is a bit warmer at that time of the day, preventing icy-cold water from shocking the roots, and the water will have time to soak into the ground, preventing pooled water from freezing around the roots during extreme nighttime temperatures.

Fertilizing while plants are dormant is a waste of food and may ultimately harm the plant. April is a good time to fertilize, when the plants are coming out of dormancy�they are beginning their spring growth and need the food at that time.

Cacti generally freeze from the top down, so if you prune a cracked limb in the winter it allows the freeze to get further into the branch, causing even more harm to the plant. Leave the cacti alone, except for watering every 4 to 6 weeks, and wait until spring to see if you need to prune back broken limbs.

Tall, skinny columnar cacti are more susceptible to freezing because they have little �body fat.� Picture a 98-pound woman and a 350-pound man lost in a bitterly cold snowstorm. Who do you think will survive? The one with the most insulating body fat�

Here are a few tips to help your cacti survive the winter:

Since cacti generally freeze from the top down, you can place Styrofoam cups over the ends of the �arms� or cover the entire plant with a Styrofoam cooler.

You can decorate your cacti with small Christmas lights and leave them on all night throughout the winter. The heat from the lights will prevent frostbite, however, you�ll probably have to endure puzzled looks from your neighbors when you�re still lighting up the night in February!

When planting cacti in your yard, place them close to the house for added protection from the elements.

Plant cacti in front of rocks that will collect heat during the day and radiate that heat back to the cactus at night. You�ll have to keep east/west directions in mind when placing rocks and cacti�after all, north-facing rocks aren�t going to collect much daytime heat.

Blankets are not recommended for wintertime protection. When unwrapping the cacti, the blankets often catch on the spines, breaking them off and leaving small wounds that are very susceptible to the cold.

Some cacti are pretty hardy and won�t need much additional attention to survive the winter. Old Man of the Andes and most of the Tricocereus family handle the cold well. However, the White Torch, Mexican Fenceposts, and San Pedro cactus won�t survive extreme winter temperatures without some help.

A frozen cactus will turn black and mushy�possibly even turning the consistency of jelly. At this point, there�s no hope. However, if only the tip of a limb or the edge of a cactus is frostbitten and black, remove all of the black area immediately. If you don�t, it will spread rapidly.

If you have cacti in your yard that have special wintertime requirements, you may want to watch the evening news to catch the predicted nighttime lows. If you haven�t decorated your prize cacti with Christmas lights, dash out into the night with Styrofoam cups in hand! Your efforts will pay off and in the spring your cacti will be whole and healthy, providing you with a plethora of beautiful blooms.

Information provided courtesy of Arizona Botanical Gardens, 1601 Hwy. 89A on the road to Jerome. For more information, call 928-634-2166.