Scoperta nuova specie di cactus: “Copiapoa invisibilis”! Le eccezionali foto di una pianta… che non esiste più

A scanso di equivoci: il titolo è ironico e qui si parla di marciume, purtroppo. Nessuna nuova Copiapoa è stata scoperta e tantomeno lo è quella che vedete in questa foto e nelle incredibili immagini all’interno di questo articolo. Semplicemente, questo è quel che rimane di una mia Copiapoa cinerea marcita questo inverno senza che nemmeno me ne accorgessi. Quello che vedere altro non è se non l’armatura di spine che la pianta mi ha lasciato. Gli aculei sono talmente compatti e ravvicinati da mantenere perfettamente la forma della pianta (con tanto di fiore secco all’apice). Il fusto, semplicemente, non esiste più. E’ marcito ed è “evaporato”, sparito.

Ecco cosa è successo e, soprattutto, ecco le eccezionali foto di questa pianta, la cui sorte, peraltro, tocca di tanto in tanto anche agli esemplari in habitat, come mi è capitato di vedere in alcune foto online e una volta, direttamente, con un giovane esemplare di Ferocactus in occasione di un mio viaggio in Messico. (…)

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Preparare cactus e succulente all’autunno: ecco tutto quello che c’è da fare

Ultime giornate calde, poi l’autunno entrerà nel vivo. Per chi coltiva cactus e piante succulente questo è un periodo delicato: è infatti necessario sapere esattamente quando sospendere le annaffiature, quali trattamenti fare alle piante e quando cominciare a ricoverarle in luogo riparato in attesa che arrivi l’inverno. Quasi tutti i cactus e molte succulente, infatti, durante i mesi invernali vanno in stasi. In altre parole bloccano la crescita e recuperano le energie per poter affrontare la successiva stagione vegetativa. Il freddo, per queste piante, è un alleato prezioso, in particolare per le fioriture, ma è necessario sapere come gestirlo perché è sufficiente un banale errore di annaffiatura per rischiare il marciume radicale della pianta.

In questo articolo e nel video a corredo dello scritto vediamo cosa fare in questo periodo dell’anno.

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Settembre è un ottimo mese per tutti i cactus, ma attenzione alle giuste cure in vista dell’autunno

Anche al Nord Italia, settembre è solitamente un buon periodo per cactus e piante succulente in generale. Le temperature si abbassano sensibilmente, la luce è ancora abbondante e molte piante riprendono a vegetare dopo il rallentamento o la stasi di agosto, quando le massime sono molto elevate e diverse succulente si fermano per risparmiare energie. Settembre è però un mese importante anche in vista della stagione autunnale e invernale, quando cactus e piante grasse bloccano del tutto la vegetazione e si concedono un lungo periodo di “riposo” in attesa della nuova stagione di crescita. E’ dunque importante accompagnare le piante in questo loro percorso ed effettuare i giusti trattamenti per arrivare all’autunno con esemplari in salute e pronti ai mesi di siccità. Fondamentale, ad esempio, è il regime di irrigazione in questo periodo.

In questo articolo vediamo quello che c’è da fare in questo mese per mantenere cactacee e succulente in perfetta salute e prepararle all’inverno riducendo il rischio di marciumi e perdite.

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Il marciume colpisce il mio Astrophytum di oltre 25 anni: ecco cosa ho fatto per salvarlo

Questa è una di quelle “sorprese” che non vorresti mai ricevere quando fai un salto in serra a controllare le tue piante. Che qualche pianta, specie in primavera, possa essere colpita da marciume radicale è inevitabile, soprattutto quando si coltivano centinaia di piante. Che a marcire sia proprio quell’esemplare che è con te da vent’anni, che hai visto crescere e fiorire ogni anno e che magari ha un valore affettivo particolare (ad esempio perché ti era stato regalato in una determinata occasione)… beh, è sempre dura da mandare giù, anche per il coltivatore più esperto. In questo caso, però, non è ancora detta l’ultima parola: l’Astrophytum myriostigma che vedete nelle foto è una delle piante con me da più tempo, è messo male ma non è ancora spacciato.

Ecco cosa è successo e come sto cercando di salvarlo. (…)

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Cactus e malattie: stop all’ansia, a volte non possiamo far altro che lasciar fare alla Natura

Parliamo di cactus e malattie partendo da una semplice foto. La pianta che ha dato spunto a questo articolo, e che vedete qui in alto, è (o meglio, era) un Ancistrocactus (=Glandulicactus) mathssonii. Avevo ottenuto questo esemplare con una mia semina circa dieci anni fa e fortunatamente altri otto o nove “fratelli” di questa pianta sono ancora in perfetta salute, crescono e fioriscono regolarmente. Questa particolare pianta, pur trattata esattamente come gli altri esemplari di quella semina e piantata nello stesso tipo di substrato in cui vivono i miei altri mathssonii (terra di campo, poca marna e un 60% di inerti) un paio di anni fa si è presa qualche “fungo” e nel giro di poche settimane è morta. Credo si trattasse di fusarium, ma ad oggi poco importa, perché la malattia ha fatto il suo corso e quel che resta è… l’armatura di questo cactus, ossia un bellissimo intreccio di spine che abbraccia il vuoto lasciato dal fusto che, con il tempo, si è seccato fino a decomporsi e a sparire del tutto. 

L’osservazione di quel che rimane di questa pianta, che da un paio di anni tengo lungo un muretto non distante dalla serra, dove di solito sposto le piante malate (per malattie, in questo caso, intendo genericamente patogeni e parassiti) per evitare che possano contagiare altri esemplari, mi ha portato ad alcune considerazioni sulla coltivazione e sul trattamento delle malattie delle piante. Considerazioni che ho condensato nell’articolo che segue. (…)

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