Ferocactus

Ferocactus (Ferocactus) is a cactus from the desert and hot corners of Mexico. This representative of the cactus family is also found in the southwestern regions of North America. The roots of this type of plants are poorly developed and go not in depth, but in breadth. Their depth varies only from 3 to 20 cm.

In the homeland of ferocactus, these plants are widely used by local residents for household needs. The pulp is extracted from the cactus, which goes to feed the livestock, and the stem itself is thoroughly dried and used as a storage vat. The hooked thorns turn into tackle for fishing, and the sharp ones are used as an awl.

The cylindrical ferocactus has another interesting ability: it can become a living compass. The stems of this plant are always slightly inclined towards the sunny south side.

Description and characteristics of ferocactus

The genus ferocactus includes over 30 different species, differing in the shape of the stems. Some of these cacti can be spherical, resemble a candle, or be slightly flattened. The sizes of the representatives of the genus vary from medium to gigantic four meters. There are ferocactuses with single stems, but among them there are also plants that form many children or even create entire colonies from their own shoots.

Ferocactus with straight, thickened triangular ribs is considered the most common. Despite the large size and pubescence of the areoles, there is no down on its top. These cacti are also remarkable for their thorns: they can have an impressive size of up to 13 cm, bends and bright colors. The shape of the spines may vary depending on the species.

Cactus flowers are located on a short scaly tube. Several flowers can open at the same time, the period of their appearance usually falls on the summer. After flowering, oval fruits with black seeds appear. But only adult specimens, whose height reaches at least 25 cm, will be able to please the owner with flowers. Due to the slow growth rates of such cacti, flower growers will have to be patient.

Caring for ferocactus at home

Ferocactus is one of the unpretentious plants that are easy to care for.

Lighting

For ferocactus, a very bright place is required; a southern window sill is well suited. Some species may require light shading on hot sunny days. In the summer, when the heat is finally established on the street, you can transfer the pot to the open air: to the balcony or even to the garden.

The lack of light will have a bad effect on the appearance of the cactus: its thorns will become smaller and pale, and sometimes even fall off.

Temperature

Heat-loving ferocactus prefers temperatures up to 35 degrees in summer. The lower threshold is +20 degrees.In winter, the temperature of the content is reduced by almost 2 times: in a room with a cactus it should be 10-15 degrees. In dry ground, cacti are able to withstand temperature drops of up to +5 degrees. But a colder room can destroy the flower.

The supply of fresh air is very important for the normal development of the cactus. It is necessary to air the room with it regularly, but the plant should be protected from cold drafts.

Watering mode

Ferocactus is rarely watered: for this it is necessary to wait until the earthen coma is completely dry. For irrigation, slightly warm and well-settled water is suitable.

If during the dormant period the cactus is in a cool room, from the end of autumn to the beginning of spring, watering is completely stopped. If it is warm in the room with him, you need to water the plant in the same way as in the summer.

When watering, you should try to direct the water towards the sides of the pot. In order not to flood the root part of the cactus, you need to overlay the plant with a drainage layer. For this, pebbles or gravel are suitable.

Humidity level

Dry room air is not terrible for ferocactus: it tolerates such conditions very well. But dust can accumulate on the plant. To remove it, the cactus can be periodically given a warm shower, or cleaned with a small brush or a brush with soft fibers.

Planting soil

The natural habitats of ferocactus are rocky or calcareous. The same soil must be chosen for him and at home. Ideal soil for a cactus will be fairly acidic (pH 7-8). Usually sand and small pebbles or broken brick are added to the mixture of turf and leafy earth. This will provide the plant with the necessary drainage and air flow to the roots. To prevent them from rotting, you need to add a little charcoal to the soil.

For planting, you can also use specialized soil for cacti. Drainage elements and sand are also added to it. This will prevent moisture from stagnating in the ground.

Top dressing

Ferocactus does not need a lot of fertilizer: it usually grows on poor, barren land. To maintain the health of the potted plant, you can feed it only once a month during the period of active growth. To do this, apply half the dose of a standard liquid fertilizer for cacti or succulents. If the cactus is already growing in soil rich in trace elements, then it will not need additional fertilizing.

Transfer

The slow growth rate of ferocactus and the small size of its root system eliminate the need for the owner to frequently replant the flower. They do this only if absolutely necessary. This plant does not tolerate moving to a new place and adapts to the pot for a very long time. In addition, the hooked long spines make this procedure especially inconvenient. This cactus is very difficult to pick up or wrap with paper without harming its appearance. If the rhizome has grown, a wide, low pot is selected for the plant.

Reproduction of ferocactus

Ferocactus can be propagated in two ways. The first one is seed-like, it is quite light and simple. The seeds must first be held in warm water for a day. As a substrate, a universal cactus soil mixed with sand is used. After moistening it, seeds are placed at a depth of 0.5 cm. The pot with them is placed under a film and left in a warm and bright place. Every day the film is opened for airing. The sprouts can appear within a month. When they are a few weeks old, the cacti are planted in different pots.

The second way is to separate the “kids”. It is most suitable for cacti that form them in significant quantities. The cut points will need to be sprinkled with ash and the process should be kept in the air for several days. Then it is planted in a slightly damp mixture of sand and charcoal. The planting container can be covered with a jar or bag. As soon as the shoot takes root, they are removed.

Diseases and pests

The main cause of cactus diseases is overflow. Especially often the cause of decay of its roots is frequent watering during cold wintering.

Aphids, mealybugs or spider mites can harm the plant. As soon as a harmful insect has been found, you need to rinse the ferocactus under a warm shower so that water does not fall on the ground. If the procedure does not help, it is necessary to treat the flower with special preparations.

The main types of ferocactus

Wide-spiked ferocactus (Ferocactus latispinus)

The most elegant of all the species of ferocactus presented is also called the "devil's tongue". This cactus is quite compact: the diameter of an adult plant is about 40 cm.

Its stem resembles a slightly flattened ball of greenish-blue color. The number of its ribs can reach 23 pieces. They are quite tall. On large areoles there are up to 4 reddish wide spines up to 8 cm long. Near them there are up to 12 light pink thin radial spines about 2 cm long. The largest spine is bent down and resembles a protruding tongue in shape. It is to her that the plant owes its popular name.

Wide-spined ferocactus has large red or purple flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. They resemble bells in shape.

Ferocactus fordii

Another variety of ferocactus has a similar small size - up to 40 cm. It differs from its wide-spined counterpart in that the central spines of Ford are much thinner and paler. The flowers of this cactus are 1 cm larger and have a light yellow color.

Ferocactus powerful (Ferocactus robustus)

Due to the abundance of basal "babies", this cactus is able to form large cushion colonies. With a meter height of individual plants together, they can reach 5 meters in width. The stems of the powerful ferocactus are spherical, with clearly marked 8 ribs. They have a dark green hue. The flat spines are brown and vary in length. Light yellow-orange flowers up to 4 cm in size.

Ferocactus rectispinus

The cylindrical stem of this species can grow up to a meter in height. In diameter, it usually does not exceed 35 cm. A distinctive feature of such a ferocactus is the most impressive spines up to 25 cm long. They are yellowish-brown in color, and at the ends, bent with hooks, are painted in pale pink. The size of its light yellow flowers is about 5 cm.

Ferocactus cylindrical (Ferocactus acanthodes)

Because of the huge number of long curved reddish thorns, the cactus was called "the devil's needle bed". Radial spines of this type can overlap a pair of adjacent edges. Due to their length, they become entangled, almost completely hiding the surface of the cactus itself. The size of the central spines reaches 10 cm.

The cylindrical ferocactus is especially terrifying due to its size. In nature, it can grow up to three meters in height with a width of 60 cm. The color of its stem is dark green. The flowers have a yellow-orange color and a diameter of up to 5 cm.Sometimes such a cactus has lateral offshoots, but it does not form too large colonies.