When to water Cacti?

The important thing to remember when watering cacti is that these are desert plants; supremely adapted to dry conditions. In dry conditions plants will stay dormant but alive for long periods of times. What they do not like is wet and cold and the same time- a combination that will cause rot and the eventual death of your cacti. If growing in the northern hemisphere or in conditions with colds winters the trick is to ensure that you stop all watering in the cooler winter months.

Peyote: In the UK, these cacti kept in an unheated greenhouse should not be watered after late September, early October. Do not water Lophophora Williamsii (Peyote)  until a week or two after the daffodils are out. This tends to give a better guide than going by the calendar as winter conditions vary and the daffodills seem a better judge of when the worst has past.  If you have not watered your plants and they are completely dry they can withstand temperatures well below zero. The slightest damp and they will die. After winter dormancy period, in about late March or so, start to water with plain rain water, lightly so at first. As the temperature picks up you can increase the watering to a more liberal wetting but always ensure that the pot dries out completely before watering again. Variables such as ventilation and temperature can affect this greatly so experiment and find the best regime for your plants and their particular conditions. If you experience a long overcast period stop watering. It is important to note that these plants experience a dormant cycle when growing in its native environment. This dormant phase, which coincides with the dry season, enables the development of flower buds for the next wet season. Too little water is better than too much. I water once every fortnight in April, May increasing to weekly watering June, July, August back to fortnightly in September. Experiment on the side of being stingy with your water and your lophophora will do fine. Like so many cacti peyote seem to thrive on neglect...