Frequently Asked Questions
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Plant Care
Q
Will my plant flower every year?
A
Once the cacti and succulents are at a flowering age they will flower every year providing that they are looked after properly and kept in the right conditions. Many cacti start flowering when they are 2-3 years old.
Q
Where do cacti and succulents like to be?
A
Cacti and succulents like a sunny position, for example a south facing windowsill or a conservatory or greenhouse, where they are protected from frost and excess humidity.
Q
Can I keep cacti and succulents outside?
A
Cacti and succulents are mostly from tropical regions and all of our plants have been raised under glass, so we would not recommend keeping them outside, however, if you live in a warm climate, you may have some success with hardier varieties such as Agaves outside, but it is essential that they are protected from harsh conditions such as frost.
Q
Do cacti and succulents need watering?
A
Yes! One of the great myths about cacti and succulents is that they don't need water but, whilst they are hardier than some plants, they will still need to be watered from early March until September. They won't need watering in the winter. Most varieties will need one good watering a week, but don't allow them to stand in water, as this will rot the roots.
Q
Should I look after lithops differently to cacti?
A
Yes, lithops need watering once a week during the summer, and need to dry out between waterings. The watering season for lithops is shorter, from late April until October. During the dry winter time the old heads will shrivel back allowing a new head through.
Q
How do I look after a Conophytum?
A
These are autumn / winter growers so only need light waterings, with infrequent mistings in summer. Conophytums can also benefit from slight shade during their dormant period.
Q
How do I look after an Echeveria Lauii?
A
Allow the plant to dry between waterings, avoid getting the leaves wet. Keep dry from September to March and keep in a full sun position.
Q
How do I care for Echeveria 'Compton Carousel'?
A
Water it just like a cactus during the summer months, then give very occasional, light (spoonfuls) waterings in the winter. This plant likes a sunny position, but requires slight shade when the weather is very hot.
Q
Do cacti and succulents need feeding?
A
Again, yes! If you want to get the best from your plant then from March to September you need to feed them regularly - once every two weeks should be enough. We recommend either Vitafeed or Chempak special cactus fertilisers, or you can ask at your local gardening store for a high potash feed.
Q
Why do cacti and succulents have a dormant period over the winter?
A
This is a residual trait from their natural environment - the plant needs to regenerate for the new season.
Q
Do cacti and succulents need any other treatment?
A
Cacti and succulents, like all plants, need to be treated with systemic insecticide three or four times a year. Should your plant become infected with root aphids, water them with the systemic insecticide as often as directed by the manufacturer.
Q
What should I plant it in?
A
Cacti and succulents like open, gritty compost to allow surplus water to drain through.
Q
How often should I re-pot it?
A
This will depend upon the variety and conditions, but in general we would recommend re-potting every year, in the spring. Ensure that you use a plant pot which has drainage holes in the bottom.
Q
My cactus has started to grow tall and spindly, what is wrong?
A
The likelihood is that it has not received enough sun, and has thus tried to grow towards the light.
Q
Can I plant a cactus in a bowl with other house-plants?
A
We would not recommend this due to the different care requirements of the other plants, however you can put them into a bowl, which has drainage holes, with other cacti.
Privacy & Security
Q
Why does this site need cookies?
A
This site uses "session cookies" to store your order basket and to enable you to log in and process your orders. These cookies are deleted by your browser when you close it and do not contain any personal information at all. For more information, please see AboutCookies.org.
Q
What information do you collect from your customers?
A
When you set up an account we will ask for your name, address, e-mail address and contact telephone number. We will also ask you to confirm that you are over eighteen years of age, but your actual age will not be recorded. When you place an order our payment processer - currently PayPal® - will ask for either your credit / debit card details or your PayPal® account number, dependant upon how you wish to pay, but we do at any point have your financial details or hold them on record (see below). We will also keep a record of your previous orders.
Q
What security measures do you take?
A
Both your password and the answer that you give to your security question are stored in a "one way" encrypted form; this means that even we cannot access your password or the answer to your security question. This is why we cannot send an email with your password in, although if you do forget or lose your password you can still reset it from the sign in page.
Q
What do you use the information for?
A
We will only use your personal information to process your orders. We may use summary information to assess and improve our services, but this will not contain any personally identifying information. We will also use your contact details to reply to any questions that you ask us.
Your financial details will be used to process the order that they were provided for, but they will not be stored on our systems once they have been used.
Your financial details will be used to process the order that they were provided for, but they will not be stored on our systems once they have been used.
Q
Do you pass any information on to third parties?
A
Yes, we will pass on information to the following people:
1. Transaction Processer - currently PayPal®
2. Courier / delivery company
3. Law enforcement agencies with legitimate authority
We will only disclose the absolute minimum information required.
1. Transaction Processer - currently PayPal®
2. Courier / delivery company
3. Law enforcement agencies with legitimate authority
We will only disclose the absolute minimum information required.
Q
Can I find out what information has been passed to whom?
A
Absolutely - we will only disclose the absolute minimum information to any third party, but should you wish to know exactly what has been given to whom please contact the data registrant. Please remember that, since we don't record them ourselves, we will not be able to tell you precisely what financial details were disclosed, only the type of information (e.g. credit card number).
In the event of a non-obvious disclosure (e.g. request by law enforcement agency) we will attempt wherever we are able to notify you as soon as the disclosure occurs.
In the event of a non-obvious disclosure (e.g. request by law enforcement agency) we will attempt wherever we are able to notify you as soon as the disclosure occurs.
Q
Do you sell the information on?
A
No. Absolutely, positively no way will we ever knowingly pass your details on to any third party except those mentioned above. If you suspect that any information has been supplied from us then please contact the data registrant as soon as possible so that we may investigate the matter.
Q
Do you hold information on children?
A
We ask that our customers certify that they are over eighteen years of age when they open an account, however, should you suspect that your child's information is being held on our systems then please contact us immediately.
Q
Can I see what information you are holding on me?
A
You can see and correct any personal information that we are holding at any time of the day or night simply by selecting 'My Account'.
Q
Can I delete my account?
A
Under artice 17 of the GDPR you have the "right of erasure" which means that you can request that all personal data that we hold about you be removed. If you have never placed an order with us then you can delete your account at any time and no record of any of your details will be kept, however, if you have placed orders with us then we are required by law to keep some of those details on file. All other details will be destroyed and you will retain the right to know any of your personal information that we are still holding at any time. This can be obtained by e-mailing the data registrant or by writing to The Data Registrant, Southfield Nurseries, Bourne Road, Morton, Bourne, Lincolnshire. PE10 0RH.
General Site
Q
Why don't you quote charges for mainland Europe, Northern Ireland or worldwide delivery?
A
Unfortunately, due to the high cost of export requirements we are only able to supply to the UK excluding Northern Ireland. If you are outside the UK, please try the Helpful Links page to find other suppliers and/or societies that may be able to help.
Q
How much is the delivery charge?
A
Our current delivery and packaging charges are:
| Location | Seeds Only | Plant Orders |
|---|---|---|
| UK Mainland | £1.50 | £12.00 |
| Isle of Wight | £1.50 | £19.00 |
| Scottish Islands and Highlands | £1.50 | £27.00 |
| Isle of Man | £1.50 | £32.00 |
| Isles of Scilly | £1.50 | £32.00 |
Q
Can the prices change?
A
Yes, the prices are generally reviewed annually, but are subject to change at any time. The price that you pay, however, is the price that was in force at the time that you confirmed the order.
Q
How soon will I get my order?
A
We will dispatch our plants as soon as possible, but please be aware that extremes of temperature can be damaging to plants and we want you to enjoy them as much as we do, so we will not send deliveries in very hot or frosty weather. If your order is delayed by the weather we will e-mail you to let you know.
Q
My society / club is not listed on the links page. Can you list it?
A
We are always happy to help fellow enthusiasts, so let us know your details and we will add you as soon as we can, subject to approval.
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