| Description: |
Stems globose, tubercles spiraling with hair-like spines. Flowers are a deep red-orange. |
| Environment: |
Suitable for the home or a greenhouse |
| Growing Ease: |
Requires a little extra care |
| Lighting Needs: |
Does best in full sunlight coming from the South/East/West |
| Soil Type: |
Never use ordinary potting compost or garden soil, there are general purpose cactus mixes available. If you want to mix your own take:
2 parts garden soil, 2 parts coarse sand or perlite, 1 part crushed rock, 1 part humus (leaf mold) and 1 part peat.
Always use a pot with a hole.
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| Watering: |
Drench the soil and let it become barely moist between waterings. Reduce watering during the winter. If you use rainwater, be careful as it could be acidic and water after sunset with warm water |
| Fertilizer: |
Feed once a year during the spring with a water soluble fertilizer diluted by half. |
| Plant Pests: |
Prone to mealy bugs, spider mites and scale. Always inspect any new plant for pests before introducing it to your home or greenhouse. |
| Propagation: |
Seeds/ offsets
in the spring through summer.
Plant seeds evenly about in their normal growing medium, pat it down and cover with a fine layer of sand. Saturate the soil and cover with a piece of cardboard, treat with a fungicide when leaves appear and move it to a sunny location. Offsets should be planted in barely moist soil or sand, kept in the shade and misted lightly. Water very little until you're sure they've rooted.
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| Gardening Tips & Care: |
" Keep cool in the winter and cover the last 1"" (2.5cm) of soil with gravel to avoid stem rot and avoid over-watering at all costs. Good drainage is a necessity."
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