Showing posts with label cactusclub. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cactusclub. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

How I keep my lophophoras happy


 

    It begins with the soil mix which must be coarse and gritty. I usually use small gravel gathered from mountain river beds, perlite, volcanic rocks, granite chippings, coco choir and worm casts - produced in the house. I keep mature specimens in full sun, with no shade, even when temps are above 40ºC. Waterings are done twice a month or so, with rain water only. If kept in the same pot for several years, I usually sprinkle some fresh worm castings on top once a year as seen in the picture above. Other diluted nutrients are used very rarely and only if organic, with low N values and high PK.
    During dormancy I stop watering completely and keep them in a dry and well illuminated environment - natural light only. Temperatures may drop below freezing point with no consequences whatsoever. 

     The specimen in the pictures is the El Huizache variety originally from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, 7 or 8 years old and produced copious amount of seeds the last 3 years - cross pollinated with the same or other SLP varieties only.  
    On a side note, I might have some seeds for trade so don't hesitate to contact me in private if interested.

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Echinocactus grusonii, GM 1216

I like to keep track of the plants I am growing. Knowing the exact species denominations and the original habitat of of your plants is essential in the attempt to keep them alive and happy.
This one is a seedling of Echinocactus grusonii I bought two years ago and slowly acclimatized to thrive outdoor. The long spines are an adaptation to the large quantities of UV it received during the summer. In the dry and cold rest periods, it turns a bit purple.
Field number : GM 1216
Collector : Grzegorz Matuszewski
Locality : Mexicó : Zacatecas (San Juan Capistrano, 1100 m)
I encourage you all to buy only cacti with a field number attached. You'll not only know the name of your plant, but also the specific climate where it came to evolve for so many thousands years.