February
This time of year always seems to be a bit flat, Christmas has gone and warmer weather seems to be a long way off. The cold dismal weather does not encourage anyone to get out into the greenhouse and do some work on the plants. However, that is exactly what you should be doing.
Most cacti and many of the other succulents are dormant at this time of the year and now is the time to re-pot, pot-on or just generally inspect and clean up plants for the new season ahead. For re-potting use your preferred compost (I use 5O% John Innes No.2, 25% grit and 25% Perlite) dry or nearly so with a soil insecticide such as "gamma BHC" or "Chlorophos". If the root ball is rock hard it should be broken up carefully with as little damage to the roots as possible and then replaced in its pot with fresh compost and clean top dressing. This will also allow you to see if there are any pests such as root mealy bug. A pot one size bigger should be used if the plant has grown within 5mm of the edge of the old pot.
Some plants are still actively growing and even flowering at this time and so they will need to be watered carefully on fine, sunny days. These plants include the obvious ones such as the familiar epiphytic cacti, schlumbergera hybrids and rhipsalis, and also South African succulents which have kept the growing rhythm of their homeland such as Bijlia and Gibbaeum. Some terrestrial cacti such as Mammillaria and Rebutia may be coming into flower by the end of the month and these will benefit from a light spray with water.
