Echinopsis cactus: home care
Echinopsis is the most common cactus that has long settled in houses next to humans. Undemanding and hardy, it pleases with bright colors every year. Charming “hedgehogs” children can be easily planted in painted pots all over the windowsill.
The cactus is very diverse: there are many species of this plant. They differ in the size, shape and length of the spines. Some have very small thorns, no more than a few millimeters, while others reach up to several centimeters. In childhood, all cacti are in the shape of a ball, later they stretch out. They bloom 1-3 days with bright flowers. White, pink, red and yellow inflorescences rise above the long-stemmed cactus.
With good care, Echinopsis pleases with bright colors
These cacti are not entirely lucky with the purity of the genus. Hybrid plants predominate in breeding, but several types can be distinguished:
- Airiesi – These cacti have stiff ribs on which pubescent areoles with tiny needles are located. His flowers are large and white.
- Oksigona is a cactus with large thorns, it grows up to 25 cm in height, the thickness of the stem is up to 5 cm, the flowers are white-pink.
- Subdenudata is a miniature cactus with almost no thorns, which makes it look bald. Flowers can be white or pink.
- Lobivia aurea, or golden cactus, is a representative of a group of plants with bright yellow flowers.
There are about 50 species of this cactus in total, but not all can be grown at home.
You can propagate this cactus with children and seeds. If you remove the baby from the trunk, dry it a little and lower it into a nutritious soil, it will grow. Place a layer of drainage in the pot, add Cactus soil, water and plant the plant. The plant should not be watered for about 5 days after planting.
The seeds must be soaked beforehand. The substrate can be taken ready-made or made from 1 part of leafy soil and 2 parts of turf, add 1 part of sand and crushed coal. Seed germination temperature + 17 … + 20 ° C.
Some cacti bloom during the day, others open at night.
It is necessary to plant a cactus on a lighted windowsill. He is not afraid of direct sunlight. In the summer, you need to take it out to the balcony or veranda. At temperatures above + 22 ° C, the cactus feels quite comfortable. In summer, it is necessary to water it only when the top layer of the earth dries up, fertilize it from March to November with top dressing for cacti and succulents. The cactus needs wintering. In late autumn, transfer it to a cold place with a temperature of + 6 … + 10 ° C. In winter, you do not need to water and feed it.
“Like hedgehogs”, as the name of this group of plants can be literally translated, are suitable for novice cactus growers. “Hedgehogs” are very persistent, it is difficult to kill them even with the wrong care. When kept well, these lovely plants bloom great on home windowsills.