General features of the echinopsis cactus, the rules for growing a plant in rooms, recommendations for reproduction, the fight against possible pests and diseases, curious notes, species. Echinopsis (Echinopsis) is a plant that is part of one of the oldest flora families on our planet - Cactaceae (Cactaceae). Its native lands extend from the northern regions of Bolivia to southern Argentina, and similar cacti can be found in the regions of Uruguay and southern Brazil. Echinopsis is not uncommon in the valleys and foothills of the Andes, which represent one of the longest mountain systems on the globe. In nature, plants prefer to grow in groups, actively increasing their children (daughter formations on the stem).
The scientific term that refers to this sample of the green world comes from the Greek words that give an idea of the appearance of this cactus: "echinos" meaning "hedgehog" and "opsis", translated as "aspect" or "similar." That is, the plant usually resembles a hedgehog, curled into a ball and exposed multiple thorns. This is how Carl Linnaeus decided to name the extraordinary cactus in 1737, when he was engaged in the classification of all representatives of flora and fauna known at that time.
When the plants are still very young, they have the shape of a ball, but over time, their outlines become elongated, cylindrical or columnar. The stalk is symmetrical; on the surface of adult specimens, sharp ribs appear more and more clearly, but the stalk itself is smooth and glossy. Its color varies from dark to light green. Echinopsis has a rather powerful root system, but it is located under the substrate at a shallow depth, spreading horizontally. The sizes of the cactus are quite different and in conditions of natural growth, they sometimes can reach human growth.
Areoles are formed on the stem at the same distance from each other, and they give rise to hard spines. The length of the thorns varies depending on the type of cactus - they can be as short as they differ in length by a few centimeters. There are down-like hairs around the spines.
The flowers are a real decoration for Echinopsis. They begin to form from areoles located on the lateral surface of the stem in its middle part. The shape of the corolla is funnel-shaped; when fully opened, the diameter of the flower is 15 cm, and its length is almost 30 cm. The corolla is made up of seven rows of petals. The shape of the petals is ovoid or oval, but there is a sharpening at the top. The outer row consists of more elongated petals, which advantageously separate the central portion. Inside the corolla there is a ring of filamentous stamens topped with anthers. The central part is greenish or yellow.
The color of the corollas depends on the type of cactus; it can take on shades from snow-white to pinkish-purple. The number of buds that will open is directly determined by the state and age of echinopsis, but on fairly old plants, the number of simultaneously blossoming flowers reaches 25 units. The duration of the flowering process is short, it is only 1-3 days and is also influenced by the temperature indicators of the air. In some varieties, flowers have a delicate aroma.
After flowering, the fruits ripen, which take the form of egg-shaped berries. Inside these berries grow seeds of black color and with a smooth shiny surface. The seeds do not exceed two millimeters in diameter.
The plant is easy to care for, so it can be recommended to growers who are just starting to get acquainted with the rules for growing cacti.
Echinopsis growing rules, home care
- Lighting and selection of a place for a pot. Since in nature the cactus prefers open areas, but can grow in tall grass or shrub thickets, then when cultivated indoors, the lighting should be bright, but devoid of direct sunlight. In this case, the pot with Echinopsis is placed on the windowsill of the east or west window. You can place the plant in the southern room, but then shading will be necessary on a summer afternoon. When a cactus builds up its green mass, it should be rotated clockwise relative to the light source so that its outline is symmetrical.
- Content temperature. For echinopsis, it is best for the temperature to be 22-27 degrees. As soon as autumn time comes, you should gradually lower the thermometer column to the range of 6-12 units, since the dormant period begins for the cactus. But during this time, the lighting level must remain high. It should be remembered that even with low heat values, drafts are harmful to the plant.
- Air humidity. The plant does not need high levels of humidity, it adapts perfectly to the dry air of living quarters. But occasionally in the summer, it is recommended to wash the stem from accumulated dust. In this case, the soil in the pot must be carefully covered with a plastic bag.
- Watering. They begin to moisten the soil when the cactus comes out of dormancy - this usually happens in early spring and until October. At this time, the soil is rarely watered. In this case, the signal for watering is to dry the substrate in the container by half or even a little more. Water is used only soft (well-separated) and warm. If possible, use distilled or bottled water. Often, flower growers collect rainwater or drown snow in winter, then heating the liquid to 20-24 degrees. The plant should not be watered during the winter months.
- Echinopsis fertilizers. When a cactus begins a period of activation of growth (approximately from the beginning of March) and flowering, before the time of rest comes, it is recommended to make additional food for cacti and succulents. Fertilizers usually need to be used only once a month. With the onset of winter, the plant is not fed.
- Echinopsis transplant and advice on soil selection. For Echinopsis, you need to select a wide, but shallow container, since the cactus root system is located superficially. Due to the low intensity of growth, the transplant is not often performed, usually this operation is performed every 2-3 years. The transplant time is better, so that it falls in the spring. A pot change is only necessary when the Echinopsis has completely filled the pot provided. In the new flowerpot, holes are made in the bottom so that the remaining moisture can flow freely. After the plant has been transplanted, it is not watered for about 6-8 days so that the root system does not start to rot due to possible injuries. A layer of drainage material is laid on the bottom of the flowerpot. Since in nature the cactus prefers to settle on rather loose soils, then when grown in room conditions, the substrate should have good air and water permeability to the roots. Acidity indicators are selected neutral (about pH 6). You can use ready-made soil mixtures for succulents and cacti, but some connoisseurs of cacti prepare them on their own from turfy soil, leafy soil, coarse sand, fine gravel or expanded clay, in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 0. coal - this will save the root system from decay.
- Features of care. Like most members of the Cactaceae family, Echinopsis is also not subject to circumcision. But from time to time it is recommended to carry out the removal of daughter formations (children) from it, due to the fact that the plant begins to spend its energy not on the formation and opening of buds, but on the growth of “offspring”.
Echinopsis breeding recommendations
You can get a "hedgehog cactus" by sowing seeds or separating daughter formations (children) from the stem.
On old stems, new small cacti are formed in large numbers - children, which are suitable for planting after separation. It is recommended to carefully remove the babies from the mother's stem, and then dry them a little, since liquid will ooze from the "wound" for some time - succulent properties also take place here. Then the children are landed in fine sand. When young Echinopsis have taken root, they can be transplanted into a pot with drainage and appropriate soil. The rooting temperature is maintained at room temperature. However, it must be remembered that plants obtained from children will not please with flowering as often as the base species.
When sowing seed material, they wait for spring days and sowing is carried out into a wet substrate. Before that, it is recommended to soak the seeds in warm water. The soil mixture is poured into a pot, and it should consist of leafy soil, coarse sand and charcoal, which is finely crushed. The proportion of the components is maintained in a ratio of 1: 1: 1, 5. Then the container with the seeds is covered with plastic wrap or placed under glass. The recommended germination temperature should be in the range of 17-20 degrees. The place in which the container with crops is located is selected with bright, but diffused lighting. When caring for echinopsis sprouts, it is necessary to carry out daily airing and spraying of the soil when it dries out.
There is a way to rejuvenate echinopsis by rooting the top of an old specimen. With a well-sharpened disinfected knife, it is necessary to cut off the upper part of the cactus stem, powder the cut with crushed activated carbon and dry it for 10 days. Then this part is planted in a pot filled with wet fine sand for rooting. The stump of the "hedgehog cactus" should also be dusted with charcoal powder; over time, young shoots will form on it.
Fight against possible pests and diseases of Echinopsis
This cactus is remarkably resistant to disease, but the scabbard, mealybug or spider mite are isolated from the pests. If pests are identified, they will have to be sprayed with insecticidal and acaricidal agents. However, if the conditions of detention are violated, Echinopsis is affected by rust, late blight, spotting, root rot, dry cactus rot. All these problems arise from a lack of lighting, excess moisture in the air or soil. We'll have to carry out fungicide treatment and transplant to save the affected specimen.
Curious notes about echinopsis, photo of a cactus
To date, some of the genera of cacti, which were considered independent, by the decision of botanists are included in the genus Echinopsis, such as Acantholobivia, Chamaecereus, Lobivia.
The Echinopsis genus are the most common members of the Cactaceae family that growers prefer. On the territory of European countries, the plant became known from the beginning of the 18th century, but it began to be widely cultivated since 1837. Through the efforts of breeders, there are many bred hybrids that differ in a wide variety of flower colors. Such hybrid cultivars, according to some data and studies, are mainly var. eyriesii, similar to zygocactus, are the most common indoor plants in at least the former CIS countries.
Types of echinopsis
Only some of the plant species are described here.
- Echinopsis adolfofriedrichii (Echinopsis adolfofriedrichii). The name of this species was given by a researcher from Austria - Gunter Moser, who decided to perpetuate the name of his fellow scientist Adolfo Friedrich (1897-1987), who emigrated to Paraguay in 1925, and there, near the small town of Paraguari, he found this plant. Most often, these cacti can be found in the area between Asuncion and Encarnocion (southeast of Paraguay). The cactus usually grows singly, only rarely as a bush. The stem has a rounded shape, thickened, with a dark dull green tint. The plant reaches 7–15 cm in height, varying in diameter within the range of 10–20 cm. On the surface of the stem, the number of ribs is from 11 to 13 units. They protrude strongly above the stem and are distinguished by sharp edges. The color of the areoles is whitish or grayish, they are located at a distance of 1, 5–2 cm from each other. In the areoles, gray spines grow, turning brown at the tops. Each areola has 4–7 radial spines and only one or a pair of central spines. During flowering, funnel-shaped buds open, which reach 10-13 cm in diameter, and the flower length is 18-20 cm. Flowering occurs at night. The flowers have a pleasant and rather strong aroma. The fruits have a rounded shape. They are painted from dark emerald to brown. There is pubescence on the surface. The size of the berry does not exceed 3 cm in length with a diameter of about 2.5 cm.
- Echinopsis hook-nosed (Echinopsis ancistrophora). The name of the species comes from the Greek words "angistri" and "phero", meaning "hook" and "carry", respectively. This phrase is a characteristic of the thorns of this cactus. Most often, the plant can be found naturally in western Argentina or in the southern regions of Bolivia. The absolute height of growth is 600–2500 meters, preferring to “settle” where there are meadows, bushes or forests. The stem can be, as in the singular, or take a shrub shape, with spherical squeezed outlines. The stem reaches 6 cm in diameter. On the surface of the stem, you can count up to 20 straight or hilly ribs. The color of epidermal cells takes on a dark green color, the surface is shiny. The shade of the areoles is yellowish, their shape is oval. In them spines grow, divided into 4-10 radial whitish tones, collected in a kind of "bundle" and reaching a length of 1 cm; there may be no central spines or there may be two pairs of them. The length of the central spines is about 2 cm, their color varies from light to dark brown. The flowering process occurs in the daytime. The color of the petals is very diverse, it can take on shades of bright pink, red, snow-white, orange or lavender, lilac. The flower is crowned with a long flower tube, the length of which does not exceed 15 cm. Flowers are devoid of fragrance. Ripening fruits are in the form of oval berries, ranging in color from green to greenish-purple. The fruits are dryish, reaching 16 mm in length with a diameter of 8 mm.
- Echinopsis eriesii (Echinopsis eriesii). This variety among all members of the family has a special appeal in the flowering process. The stem has a dark green tint, the number of ribs on it reaches 18 units. Thin short needles grow from the areoles, but they are hidden in dense fluff. When flowering, the petals in the corolla are painted in a snow-white or light pinkish color scheme.
- Echinopsis mamillosa (Echinopsis mamillosa) differs in the presence of a single round-shaped shoot, on which 13–17 ribs formed by tuberosity are clearly distinguishable. The length of the spines is 1 cm, their color is slightly yellowish. The petals in the flowers have a pink tint, their placement goes in several rows.
