Spraying cacti at night

The other day I was wondering if it wouldn't be better to spray cacti with fertilizer or systemic pesticides at night.

Being CAM plants their stomates are open at night and closed during the day. They have tough waxy waterproof skin which would I suppose shed most liquids. But at night when the stomates are open liquids possibly could get inside the plant more readily.

I looked it up. Some of them have their stomates widest open around about midnight. So I figure that'd be the best time for spraying! (Or maybe I could just pour it on the soil during the day sometime.)

with pouring in the soil, you need to ascertain the uptake method. typically if it is designed to be taken through stomates, the roots are not able to use the same type of chemical.

imho

I don't know about best times etc, they all appear to be absorbed at a good rate no matter when you apply them. However I do know systemic insecticides will provide protection for the entire plant whether applied to the skin only, roots only or both.

Yeah it was just a thought. I figured that because the stomates are open at night then possibly the spray might be able to get in more effectively. This is only insofar as 'foliar' (stem) applications go. I know that surfactants are often added to these sprays, which suggests that the stuff just soaks in. Maybe it can't enter via a stomate at all, I really don't know.

Just another crazy theory!

Lots of theories are crazy 'till someone proves them true!

Let me know as it may be usefull...

Well way back when I was a kid I heard that it was a good idea to spray fertiliser onto the undersides of the leaves because that's where the stomates are.

Being obsessive I looked this stuff up. Apparently entry via stomates is important for systemic surface sprays. One of the reasons they add wetting agents (eg detergent) is to break down the droplets so that they can cover more stomates. Cactus stomates open at night. Etc.

I suppose I should just try it out myself - spray some during the day, and some at night. Midnight preferably! Oh well. It'll probably give the neighbours something new to wonder about if nothing else.

Bonnie said:

Quote :

Let's give them something to talk about.

charlie - why not keep a photo diary and set up some control plants and see what happens.

Sorry, I missed your post!

I'd like to set up some sort of trial. Possibly I could spray them with a high N fertiliser. That way it might be easier to see a response. Some sort of dye might work, but I'd have to look into that one. Its probably easier just stick to the fertiliser!

The problem is that I've just sold the house, so its a bad time for this sort of stuff. But when I'm settled I'll give it a go.