Question
i have inherited some cacti and some succulents, also, i am trying to ensure the healthy growth of two newly purchased dracaenas. one is a d. marginata, and one is a tri color.
the two dracaenas have outgrown their pots (4" and 7") with the roots through the bottom of the pots. i've re-potted the 4" into a clay pot with one big drainage hole at the bottom. i heard clay pots made it difficult to maintain the plants requirements without over watering... any ideas/ tips?
lighting? sun? i live in BC, and the days are between 19 - 25 degrees C. ( 66.2 - 77 degrees F)
nights hit lows of 14 C (57.2 F)

i plan on keeping the dracaenas as indoor houseplants, but i have only one window in my basement suite.
The windaw faces north.
i fear that there isn't enough indoor light, and i'm not sure i should put them out in the sun daytime.  or in the shade?  i already killed the 5 foot D. marginata i was in love with, i am currently praying for roots to grow off of the cuttings i made two days ago

the cacti are a different story... i now have 3 cacti in a 2" pot,  two in a 4" pot ( been outside all spring/ summer and looking a little faded... crunchie brown spots, too).

now for succulents...

i also have what i think are two aloe vera plants. 1 in a 2", one overgrown the styrofoam container my mom had her in, along with two other plants i don't know the name of.
One of the succulents are flowering, and the other two are looking okay. however, i lifted one up to see if it was dry, and i noticed that the dirt had kept the shape of the original plastic pot it had come in, and it wasn't growing in the dirt she put in the styrofoam for it!
it appears she didn't have the level of dirt high enough for the plant to sit in.
i expect to find the others the same way.   Also, the one i lifted up is infested with what i call "potato bugs" and my partner calls a "wood bug". they are the bugs that are the size of a childs finger nail, they are grey in colour, and they roll up into a ball when they are disturbed.

My questions..

the Dracaenas, dragon tree and tri color:
How do i not kill the 2 Dracaenas when re-potting them?
watering / lighting in a basement suite without much light.
is by a window okay if we open it for fresh air, even at night?
the cuttings i took of the D. marginata, i put them in a small clay pot in a little water. and have them by the window, too. Opinion on that?


the cacti/ succulents:

what are they?
can i plant them all in a rectangular container, 18" L  X  5" W  X 5" H
watering / lighting in a basement suite without much light.
do they all need the same kind of care?
how do i get rid of the potato bugs? !
the other small cacti do not have them. Should i still plant them all together?
What is the white, hard substance the three  2" cacti growin in? do i plant that with the plant into the dirt, or see if i can break it off?

i have a (i think) jade tree in a 4" pot.
is it a succulent?
can i keep it by the same window?

i know i've asked a lot from you. i plan on buying some gardening books, but there are so many i get confused, and i can't afford more than one or two.
It's also hard to find books specific to Canada or BC.
Thank-you for your time!

Answer
Pippa,

Clay pots are actually better for plants because the roots can breath through the porous sides of the pots. Be very careful not to overwater your dracaena marginatas and do not leave them sit with a drain tray full of water or the roots will rot.  They like bright light with a little sun indoors or mostly shade outdoors. They do not like temperatures outdoor lower than 50 degrees F.

You can grow them indoors in your basement under a 2 tube flourescent light fixture that is about 12 inches above a group of all of your plants that are all directly under the light. Your cacti and succulents can also grow there. The flourescent light can hang from the ceiling on chains so you can adjust the height and you can get one that plugs into an outlet so you can easily move it around.  

The brown spots on your cacti are sunburn spots.

The bugs are roly poly bugs and are harmless but you can water the plants with rubbing alcohol and it will kill the bugs and not the plants.

How do i not kill the 2 Dracaenas when re-potting them? Get new pots with a dimeter 2 inches larger than the diameter of the pot they are in now in and fresh potting soil. Cover the drain hole of the new pot with a small stone and put some new soil in the pot then remove the plant from the old pot. Gently loosen the roots on the outside of the root ball and put the plant in the new pot. put new soil  around the rootballs of the plants and firm it. Water it only when the top incch or 2 of soil is totally  dry. Be very careful not to overtater it.

Without a picture I cannot identify your cacti or succulents.

Cuttings will probably not root in water. You would be better off dipping them in rooting hormone and pputting them in a fresh pot of soil.

I have no idea what the white hard substance is. Styrofoam? Ceramic?

Jade trees are succulents and would also grow under flouresctnt lights. It would get more even light there than by the one basement window.

Good luck.

Darlene