Piante grasse cactus spine

Tag: air

How a cactus changes depending on the type of cultivation: the difference made by soil and exposure

When they say that a picture is better than words. In this case, there are three photos, but the concept doesn’t change, and the difference between a cactus grown in a “natural” (or “wild”) way and one with a “garden-style”, based on basic notions and beliefs is quite evident. The plants I’m writing about are Ferocactus latispinus obtained from a 2012 sowing of mine. From that same planting, I’ve got at least forty plants. Over the years, I have given away some of them, but most are still with me and are growing beautifully. It’s important to point out that these are plants born from seeds contained in a single fruit (gift of a dear friend), sown the same day and grown over the years in the same conditions, i.e. in my greenhouse, in standard soil (pumice, lapilli and peat in equal parts), watered and fertilized with the same frequency. This is to say that the starting conditions, including the genetics and the grower’s hand, are the same. And yet, as you can see from the photo above, where the three plants (three at random of the twenty-five or so that I have kept for myself) are side by side, they show remarkable differences, at least to the discerning eye and the grower with a minimum of experience.

So let’s see, in this article, how and why different cultivation regimens, assumed as a whole and not just limited to the soil, affect so much the final result and really make the difference between a cactus grown and cultivated in any garden or generic nursery and a cactus grown by an enthusiast or an expert. (…)

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Spartan cultivation in full sun, and the results can be seen: healthy plants and robust thorns

Temperatures are still above the seasonal averages, but summer has faded and autumn is on its way. Like every year, at the end of September I started preparing my greenhouse for the cold months. Nothing major, just some cleaning work, moving plants from outside to inside, a check on the heating system and two coats of copper oxychloride on plants a preventive measure. The plants themselves will do the rest, dehydrating following the suspension of watering from mid-September (from now on I will water just a few leafy succulents and, sporadically, Copiapoa and Eriosyce until the end of October) and starting to produce their natural “antifreeze” within the plant tissue of stems.

This is a good time to check the state of health of the plants and, in my case, to “draw some sums” on the results of the Spartan cultivation to which I subjected several specimens, as I explain in the following article. (…)

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Diseases and pests of cactus and succulents: how to recognize them and how to prevent their attacks

As much care as we can give to our cacti and succulent plants, some drawbacks with parasites, pests, infections and fungi can always happen. Unfortunately, it must be considered, particularly if you have many plants. With proper cultivation, however, the problem can be significantly reduced and the number of losses caused by animal parasites and bacteria can be considerably reduced. It may seem obvious, but the first and most effective tool for the fight against pathogens and harmful insects is prevention. Prevention is done through a cultivation regime as natural as possible that respects the cycles and times of plants without forcing their growth. Just in this way cacti and succulents grow healthy and robust to the point of being able to cope with adversities on their own. In the last few years, thanks to natural cultivation and treatments based on pesticides reduced to a minimum, I have no longer observed any attack on my plants by animal parasites. Sometimes I may have some losses due to Fusarium, but they are single specimens, never large scale infestations.

In the following article, we will see in detail what consists of prevention; which are the pests and diseases that can affect cacti and succulents; such as the symptoms of their action on plants, and how to carry out treatment and care in case of problems. (…)

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How much light do cactus need to grow well? The importance of sun and air and a summary table

Light is fundamental for every living being, starting with plants. This is obvious, but we cannot ignore it if we want to grow cacti and succulent plants in general. Plants, moreover, that often need many hours of light per day; in some cases direct or non-filtered light, in others not straight but equally intense daylight. In fact, there are succulent plants that, if placed in full sun, slow down growth, burn and even die. On the contrary, many succulent plants and many cacti, if they do not receive the right amount of direct light, will have stunted growth, with weak thorns and elongated stems.

In this article, we see what we need to know about the right exposure of cacti and succulent plants in general. Also, at the end of this article, you find a table summarizing the type of exposure needed by the main families of succulents. (…)

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Succulents and cold: how to care for cactus in winter and the minimum temperatures tolerated

Do cacti resist frost? In winter, do succulent plants have to be kept indoors or can they stay outside? And what are the minimum winter temperatures they can tolerate? Even among experienced growers, the minimum temperatures of cacti and succulents are still debated today. I tackle the topic starting, as always, from my personal experience, which is my only way to have accurate data, found in the field, related to my system and my growing conditions, here in North of Italy. Let’s say right away that during winter I keep most of my plants in the greenhouse. It is a large greenhouse of 60 square meters and with a height, at the top, of 4 meters. These dimensions guarantee a satisfying volume of air, which in turn prevents moisture stagnation, the first real enemy of cacti and succulent plants in winter.

Let’s see, in the following article, the various factors that influence the resistance of cacti and succulents to cold. At the end of the article, you will also find a schedule with the minimum temperatures tolerated by the various families of succulents. (…)

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