Cacti are considered to be perhaps the most unpretentious and undemanding plants in care. But this is not entirely true. The only thing they need less is watering. The most common member of
the cactus family is the red echinocactus. Sometimes you can hear a name like "golden ball".
Everyone knows that
cacti rarely
bloom with improper care. These plants are very sensitive to soil and watering. They simply can not tolerate abundant amounts of water. After all, their homeland is a hot desert.
Such a plant as echinocactus gruzoni red, care should receive appropriate. It should be watered only after the earth has completely dried in a pot.
This
type of cactus prefers a large amount of heat and sun. In winter, it is advisable for him to provide additional lighting with fluorescent lamps.
Echinocactus gruzoni red blooms very beautifully, but only when the conditions of its existence are most favorable for the plant. It is noteworthy that he gets the red color with food dyes or inks for printing. The latter, of course, are completely useless for the plant, and the former will not do him any harm.
Echinocactus gruzoni red initially has very small dimensions, but over time it grows to quite decent "dimensions".
The plant propagates by seeds. True, to obtain them, it is necessary that it bloom.
Georgian red echinocactus grows best on fertile soils with good drainage properties.
The size of the pot for the plant is chosen based on this calculation: one centimeter is added to the diameter of the cactus. When it grows and fills the tank completely, it is transplanted into a larger pot.
But even if the plant does not grow to the full volume of the pot, it should be replanted every three years, while completely changing the ground.
Be sure to remember: in no case should cacti be filled with water. They very quickly decay and die. Echinocactus Georgian red in the winter is watered no more than once a month.
This plant is very pleasant in direct sunlight. The cactus easily tolerates a drop in temperature, however, if it drops below 5 degrees, spots form on the trunk that spoil its decorative appearance. If the windowsills are cold, then under the pot with a cactus you should definitely put a plank or polystyrene to avoid overcooling of the roots.
Even a plant like a cactus needs periodic top dressing. They are performed approximately once a month, using special fertilizers designed for succulents.
Useful advice: the roots of the cactus are very fragile, therefore, when transplanting, the plant should be handled with extreme care and care.
In addition, its spines are also very fragile. They break quite easily. Cactus with broken thorns, you see, looks completely unaesthetic.
The plant is susceptible to disease and pest attack. The main dangerous insects for him are a
spider mite, a scutellum and a worm. This type of cactus can only be propagated by seed.