56 Avoid winter troubles 

AVOID WINTER TROUBLES 
BY GOOD SUMMER CARE 
1. Wintering succulents begins with good care in summer and autumn. 
2. Since all cacti are succulents, they must have sufficient moisture during 
their growing period. 
3. Inspect daily if weather is damp and cloudy to forestall decay. 
4. Examine plants, pots (around drainage hole and rims), greenhouse 
benches for insect life. 
5. Use sprays regularly according to proportions recommended by manu- 
facturer. 
6. Get rid of pests during summer and fall. Winter spraying is not always 
advisable. 
7. If plant is not lighted equally from all sides turn pot once a week. 
8. Poor ventilation insures early succulent graves next winter. 
9. Use fresh soil and sufficient drainage if plants need repotting. 
10. Keep plants with similar needs near each other. 
11. Try to keep a duplicate of the less hardy types (offsets, cuttings, etc., 
help assuage the grief over the loss of a fine plant). 
12. Small rockeries are fine for summering some types of plants and so is the 
semi-shade afforded by trees, grape-arbors, lath and muslin houses; but be 
certain to rid the plants of all insects and diseases before moving to winter 
quarters. 
13. Study, read, write, talk to other cactophiles, and add a few new plants 
frequently to your collection as time and finances permit. Never let your 
interest lag. 
14. Keep records of treatment, culture, weather conditions and blooming and 
rest periods, insect and disease attacks, and recoveries, or failures. 
If all growers would follow the above rules they would be spared 
many failures. Yet most beginners must learn through trial and error 
and with the loss of many fine plants. So often a person becomes 
over ambitious in assembling plants too fast and then when the 
“frost hits’ or a severe storm strikes an improperly housed collection, 
the damage is done. Prepare a place for your plants first and keep 
ahead of them—drive your hobbyhorse, don’t let it drive you. 

