Growing winter hardy cacti can b very rewarding especially when plants show new growth and flowers.
Many people do not realise that cacti can be grown outside in the UK. Truth being that many cacti in their natural environment tolerate frequent temperatures bellow freezing point, some can tolerate temperatures bellow -20 degrees Celsius.
The main obstacles when growing hardy cacti in the UK is creating an environment that best suits the plants, giving them the best possible chance.
Wet rainy weather during the winter months proves to be the main problem when growing these plants outside in the UK. Many plants will withstand hard frosts if dry or semi-dry. A combination of frost and wet roots can result in cactus being reduced to a pile of green mush (dead as a door nail).
There are many ways that cacti can be encouraged through the winter which I will discuss on this site. I have established cacti in beds that receive no protection during the winter months. They are subjected to the full force of the winter both cold and wet. All the plants flourish with very little damage from our damp cold winters.
