I got this baby mescalito cactus from a friend, and it sooo beautiful and chubby but it's still a baby, I feel it needs like 4-5 years for a yeald without killing it. So anyway, i live in E. europe where the climate is pretty rough for cactii. I feel I can still let it soak up some sun beside the window but soon the temp beside the window will fall below 7o C (44 F). How can I ensure my baby doesn't freeze and it gets the light and (non frozen) water it needs? Is there some kind of lamp I can get which will help it through the cold months? PS: I'm a general newbie grower.
Cactus are pretty tough, I think you will be ok. The temperature in their native environment could get into the low 50's F at night, so they can handle some cold. I don't know about below 50's like your house though. Maybe some other members can chime in, as my house never gets that cold. Just give it some good soil, room to grow, and a bit of water every now and then. I would also recommend some sort of cactus supplement. The type you use to give your house plants vitamins and minerals. But they do make some especially for cactus. I know you can get these in the USA, but I am not sure about Europe. Peyote is very slow growing though. Have you tried San Pedro or Peruvian Torch? They grow quicker, but can have lower mescaline content. But depending on the vendor you use, they may have been breed for their high mescaline content. If you got one from your typical garden shop, it would definitely be lower.
My SP grows in pots in the garden. I bring them in in the winter, keep by a window, seldom water (too much water is probably the most common mistake with cacti), no fertilizer, and leave them alone until the spring. The room where I keep them sometimes gets into the 40s and even 30s in the winter. Spring and summer is when I fertilize. I recommend finding a few authoritative sources and putting some effort into learning about growing your cactus.
