Winter cacti and succulent update

It has gotten well below freezing and I am quite surprised how well my cacti are holding up. The Sedum Tricolor has gone from a green color with pink outlines on the leaves to a burgundy color. When the temperatures got below the thirties the colors of the Sedum changed colors.

The Sedum Tricolor along with the prickly pears have done the best in the first year. But the color change was quite unexpected. It seems like its surviving though hard to say for sure until Spring comes around.

One of the Houseleeks, (Sempervivum Calcareum Tectorum) or (Sempervivum Mahogany) has dropped most of its leaves and is now just right at the surface. I heard some cacti will pull themselves down into the soil during the winter to minimize exposure, maybe that is what I am seeing here.

One of the prickly pears (Opuntia fragilis) has not done much since planting it. Seems to be doing okay and just waiting for warmer weather.

The eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa) has kind of sagged over and looks like its quite unhappy with the cold air, it looks more winkled than usual.

When I poke at it seems like its still pretty strong and probably just flopping over due to the shock of the cold.

A few cacti did not make it past autumn, maybe too much water.. not sure. Ill need to pull them out next year.

Another eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa) to the right of the basket.

This eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa) is all wrinkled like the other one is. I do not remember being this wrinkly, but maybe it was. Will need to observe when the spring time comes around.

A different kind of prickly pear (Opuntia polyacantha erinacea) it put on new growth shortly after planting it. The tip of the new growth seems like it has darkened from the cold. While the bottom part of the plant is unaffected. Maybe new growth is more susceptible to cold weather.

Another dead cacti, the center is all rotted out. Ill want to pull it out before the spines get everywhere.

I think this cacti is dead as well, it was one of the first to show signs of stem weakness and usually means its rotting below. Hard to say what happened. Maybe I damaged it when planting, or the soil mix I used does not drain fast enough.

The ghost plant (Graptopetalum Paraguayense) seems to be doing okay, it has held on and not produced any growth this winter.

Its tips of its succulent leaves are a pink color now. I think during the summer and autumn the plant was just mostly whiteish blue but now it has changed from the cold a little like the Sedum Tricolor did. But with less of a drastic appearance change.

Speaking of the Sedum Tricolor, I am surprised how much it has spread out. Next to the prickly pears it has grown the most in the first year.

A stick was used to prop up (Echinocereus reichenbachii var. fitchii) as it was sagging over as well. I did not want the cactus to break so I put a little stick in the ground it sits up next to.

The needles of the (Echinocereus fendleri) shine in the morning sunlight. This plant has not changed much besides bulking up once planted.

Above is a Missouri Foxtail Cactus (Escobaria missouriensis), it has not done much since planting it in the autumn. Probably a slow grower.

During the winter time most of the cacti do not get alot of light. But as the sun changes position when spring and summer comes around they get alot of light.

In the ground I have some spineless prickly pear (Opuntia ellisiana). They are from Georgia and seem to be doing the best out of all the cacti. Looking forward to getting fruit one day from them.

Slug damage can be seen on the paddles, I have seen them eating new growth on some of them.

So the side the slug damage can be seen more. But I do not think its hurting the large cactus much.

Something made a hole in one of the cacti paddles I rooted and planted. No idea how this happened, poor little cacti it has been chewed on by slugs and now something put a big ol hole in it.

Hope it survives, its the most hardy out of the cacti I have, and being in the ground I think it should have the best chance of recovery.