A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Cant keep them alive?

I have lots of houseplants and they are all really healthy, but I cant keep any cactus' alive. They all slowly start dying and I dont know why. I dont overwater. We have lots of saltwater tanks and because of that have a VERY humid house, is it possible that our house is just to humid for cactus'? Our tanks evaporate approximately 4 gallons of water per day, if that gives you an idea of how humid our home is!

I would really like to be able to keep cactus, out of all the plants I have ever had its the cactus that my husband likes the most (figures since I kill them, lol).

Thanks for any tips you can give me.

Saved by grace;
Victoria

Probably. I've seen a cactus burst from being touched because it was so waterlogged from humidity.

Do you cactus become mushy to the touch? That would be the telling characteristic.

How about a christmas cactus? They aren't true cactus but they look alot like one but might be able to handle the humidity.

Yeah, they all got mushy and gross.

I do have an x-mas cactus, it does great but blooms about 3 months late, lol. It just did bloom actually.

Thanks
Victoria

Christmas cactus bloom acording to hours of daylight, which happens twice a year. Mine bloom around November and March. But yes, cacti can't handle humidity. If your tanks evaporate that much, is the air without them dry? Is there a separatable room in your house? What are your winters like? There are some species that might be able to live outside where your wolves run, depending on where they run.

Our house is open, the plants are in another room but there is not way to shut the plant room off from the front room where the tanks are.

Our winters are cold, were in zone 5, we are supposed to get up to 6" of snow from sunday to monday. Winds are the worst though, usual winds are around 15-20 mph usually but for the past week weve had gusts up to 40-50 mph...but thats normal in the plains of Kansas.

As far as the wolves go...read Luke 10:3 if you want to know what I mean...

Saved by grace;
Victoria

One more question...I have a mother in laws tongue (I think thats what it is) and its not doing the best. It doesnt support its leaves very good (I just had to move it against the wall so that the leaves will stand straight up instead of hang down like a fern). Would this maybe be caused by all the humidity in our home? I thought about giving it away if its just going to die in our home but REALLY want to keep it.

Thanks again,
Victoria

When you say you do not over water. How often did you water your cactus. I have some that I do not water for a month sometimes more if it is cool. Last year they did not get any water for two months.

I would not think humidity would rot them. I have my cactus outside in the summer and our summers are very humid. Cool and damp would rot them.

The same with my MIL plant I only water it once a month in the winter. When it is outside in the summer it is watered once a week.

I watered them about every 3-4 weeks, so maybe I did over water. Same with the MIL. I will cut back on watering it, Thanks.

Victoria

yea humidity shouldn't kill succulents but over watering will... here in Central Texas i gorw alot of cacti and succulents indoors and outdoors during the spring the humidity levels can reach 80% or more almost tropical... because of the torential and non-stop rain(like this weekend, non-stop foggy/ misty conditions with a few thunder storms)... i keep them protected from the rain but the humidity is MUCH higher than what they normally encounter... but indoors during winter when central heating is used and humidity levels can SORTA be influental... i pot my plants in quick draining medium and in terra cotta pots... the succulents should be wet for too long its ok to water every 3-4 weeks but DO NOT let the soil remain wet/ damp for a week thats a killer situation... my succulents medium dry out anywhere from 1-2 days PLENTY of time to absorb water BUT not enough time to rot...

--AARON

"DO NOT let the soil remain wet/ damp for a week thats a killer situation... my succulents medium dry out anywhere from 1-2 days PLENTY of time to absorb water BUT not enough time to rot..."

That would be the problem then! Like I said I would water every 3-4 weeks...but yes, the soil was still wet after a week...

I think Im ready to try cactus again...and not over water.

Thanks everyone!

Victoria