Un rinvaso… mostruoso! Come scegliere bene un cactus e cosa fare subito dopo l’acquisto

Non amo particolarmente le succulente crestate, ma al tempo stesso non sono del tutto indifferente al loro fascino e ogni tanto qualche esemplare “mostruoso” finisce nella mia serra. Piccola digressione: se non sapete cosa sia una pianta “crestata” o “mostruosa”, nell’articolo raggiungibile tramite questo link troverete tutte le risposte. Premesso questo, nelle scorse settimane ho acquistato un cactus crestato da un vivaista specializzato in piante succulente. La pianta è in ottima salute e ben formata, ma il substrato, come quasi sempre accade quando si acquistano cactacee, è eccessivamente torboso, quantomeno per il tipo di coltivazione che ho adottato ormai da anni. Ho allora colto l’occasione per descrivere l’operazione di rinvaso di questo Myrtillocactus (in origine l’ho identificato così ma ora, grazie al commento di un lettore, ritengo sia un Cereus peruvianus), così da poter parlare di piante “mostruose”, di rinvasi, di substrati semplici e alla portata di tutti dal punto di vista della realizzazione e di buone pratiche da seguire quando si acquistano nuove piante.

Ecco allora il resoconto – corredato dalle foto dei singoli passaggi – del rinvaso di questo Cereus, con alcune considerazioni utili, per l’appunto, in merito a terricci, nuovi acquisti e cactacee crestate. (…)

Per proseguire nella lettura dell'articolo Accedi o Abbonati
To continue reading the article LogIn or Subscribe

Quanto conta la terra nella coltivazione dei cactus? Dopo 3 anni i risultati di un test su sei Mammillaria

Anche in questo caso, così come in quello del test sugli Echinocactus texensis (trovate il resoconto a questo link) il risultato mi ha stupito e la terra, o meglio il substrato “sperimentale” ha avuto la meglio. E ancora una volta i risultati meno soddisfacenti arrivano dal terriccio “tradizionale”, a ulteriore conferma che con i cactus la sperimentazione – in particolare sui terricci – ha molto da insegnare e quasi sempre restituisce risultati difficilmente prevedibili. Oggetto di questo esperimento che ho avviato tre anni fa sono sei Mammillaria hahniana. Piante comuni ma molto belle, che hanno trascorso questi ultimi tre anni in tre tipologie di substrato molto diverse tra di loro. Le piante, come sempre in questi esperimenti, arrivavano da una identica semina e partivano, in sostanza, “alla pari”. Col tempo gli effetti dei diversi substrati sulla crescita delle piante si sono manifestati e oggi la comparazione rende subito l’idea di quale terriccio abbia lavorato meglio.

Vediamo in dettaglio in cosa è consistito l’esperimento e soprattutto vediamo come si presentavano le piante tre anni fa e oggi (…)

Per proseguire nella lettura dell'articolo Accedi o Abbonati
To continue reading the article LogIn or Subscribe

Un buon terriccio per cactus con materiali facilmente reperibili in ogni vivaio? Ecco come fare

Navigando in Internet si può constatare come sia ormai facile trovare rivenditori di materiali per la coltivazione di piante. Questo vale anche nello specifico di cactus e piante succulente: online, dai vivaisti specializzati alle imprese che trattano unicamente materiali come terricci, vasi, etichette, ecc., è davvero semplice procurarsi tutto l’occorrente per la coltivazione. 

Ma se non vogliamo comprare online? Se abbiamo bisogno di grandi quantitativi di materiale e la spedizione può arrivare solo fino a un certo peso? Se preferiamo provvedere direttamente acquistando il terriccio (ognuno può avere i suoi motivi per questa o quella scelta)? Ci affidiamo ai terricci pronti solitamente proposti da qualsiasi vivaio o garden  ben fornito? O forse è meglio che provvediamo noi stessi, assemblando i vari materiali come torba, pomice, sabbia, sulla base delle nostre esigenze?

In questo articolo e nel video finale vediamo come realizzare un corretto substrato da utilizzare con qualsiasi genere di cactus e, con opportuni correttivi, con le succulente in generale. Lo realizzeremo – ed è questo il senso di questo articolo – con materiali che ormai chiunque può reperire facilmente in qualsiasi città (…).

Per proseguire nella lettura dell'articolo Accedi o Abbonati
To continue reading the article LogIn or Subscribe

Composizioni con le succulente: come scegliere le piante e cosa è bene sapere

Lo chiarisco subito: l’argomento composizioni ha ben poco a che spartire con lo spirito di questo mio sito. Anzi, a ben vedere siamo agli antipodi: da un lato l’approccio spartano che punta a ottenere piante simili a quelle in habitat e che sta alla base del mio metodo di coltivazione; dall’altro la coltivazione ai soli fini estetici, che personalmente non pratico ma che sappiamo bene essere diffusissima. Ma la vita, si sa, non è mai tutta bianca o tutta nera, qualche sfumatura ci deve sempre essere… Così, ecco un articolo corredato da un mio video su come si realizza una semplice composizione di piante succulente. In fondo, un occhio all’estetica non guasta mai e anch’io, che amo le piante “vissute”, simili a quelle in natura, non disdegno una composizione ben fatta, purché senza fronzoli e realizzata nel rispetto delle esigenze delle singole piante. Attenzione: il tema può sembrare scontato e la materia molto semplice, ma non è così e ne capiremo le ragioni nelle prossime righe. (…)

Per proseguire nella lettura dell'articolo Accedi o Abbonati
To continue reading the article LogIn or Subscribe

Come riprodurre i cactus e le piante succulente per talea e in quale periodo dell’anno procedere

Se la riproduzione dei cactus attraverso la semina è la modalità in grado di assicurare le maggiori soddisfazioni, la riproduzione per talea è senz’altro la via più veloce e semplice, oltre a essere quella che consente, all’occorrenza, di salvare piante particolari ottenendo dei perfetti cloni. Della semina ho scritto diverse volte e trovate tutto nell’apposita sezione di questo sito. Della riproduzione per talea scrivo in questa occasione cogliendo l’opportunità dal salvataggio di alcuni polloni che ho effettuato su una pianta prossima a morire.

Vediamo allora in dettaglio tutto quello che c’è da sapere sulla riproduzione per talea, come effettuarla, che substrato usare e soprattutto in quali periodi dell’anno procedere. (…)

Per proseguire nella lettura dell'articolo Accedi o Abbonati
To continue reading the article LogIn or Subscribe

error: Testi e foto coperti da diritto d\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'autore. Vietata la riproduzione.