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[cucumber]

Hey guys,
so I started some Peruvian torch seedlings nearing the end of spring - I know, a little too late to start them, but I thought that the Midwestern summer wouldn't be too harsh for them. I made a soil mix with compost/dirt (with fertilizer in it), coir, and perlite. I haven't fertilized them since, because I figured the fertilizer in the soil was probably still sufficient. Now, however, it's starting to get chilly and I don't really know what to do with them at this point. They're not very big - 2 centimeters at most. I'm wondering if I just screwed up, planted too late and fertilized too infrequently and now they'll never make it through the colder months, or if there's something I can do to salvage them.  As it is, I was planning to move them indoors and put them on a heating mat. I've got a few cacti but none ever from seed, so I'm just a bit nervous about all the effort going to waste.

[MadPlanter]

No worries man just put them in a well lit window for winter and you will be fine. They will survive normal housing temps no problem. No need to fertilize at this point either just let them grow.

[New Wisdom]

They wont be big for a while, and if it's cold where you are then they probably wont ever be able to stay outside during winter.  They'll do fine inside like mad planter said. They might get a little etiolated inside during the winter if you keep watering them.  I'm not really sure if you can make seedlings go dormant, but that might be a good option (just not watering them makes them go dormant and low light)

[Shpongle Lover]

Yep.  Little to no water - depending on how dry your home is in the winter. House temps sufficient for humans is fine for over-wintering cactus seedlings.  Put them near a south facing window at a distance that doesn't allow convected cold air to reach them.  That will be sufficient light.

S.L.

[cucumber]

Thanks. I've never started from seed and so I've been making way too big of a deal out of most things. Can't wait for next spring now.