Echinopsis spachiana

El Echinopsis spachiana it can boast of having some of the largest and most beautiful flowers of its kind. This columnar cactus is a plant that can be found in gardens with a warm or mild climate. But in addition, it is not one of those that grows much, which is why it is very interesting to also grow it in a pot.

Although its growth rate is not very fast, it is not one of the slowest. When all your needs are covered, that is, when you are in the right place and you are not feeling cold or thirsty, the beauty of its flowers will captivate you every season.

Origin and characteristics of Echinopsis spachiana

El Echinopsis spachiana belongs to the genus echinopsis, and is a native of Argentina. It develops green and columnar stems, about 5 centimeters thick by 2 meters high. They have between 10 and 15 ribs with yellow or grayish areoles, from which between 1 and 3 central spines and between 8 and 10 radial spines sprout, all of about 12 millimeters long. It tends to branch from the base, but it is not a cactus that takes up a lot of space.

Blooms towards the end of spring. Its flowers are white, and very large: they measure 15 centimeters in diameter and up to 20 centimeters long. You should know about them that they are nocturnal, that is, they sprout shortly before dawn, and close during the day. Therefore, if you want to see them, you will have to be attentive, since they remain open for very few hours.

As a curiosity, to say that it receives the common names of cardón and golden torch; the latter refers to the color of its spines.

What are their cares?

The care your needs Echinopsis spachiana they are easy to learn. It is not a demanding plant, and in fact it can withstand the cold, so you will not have to worry about it; or not much at least. So without further ado, below we will explain everything you need to know so that you do not lack anything:

Location

Most cacti require direct sun exposure so that they can grow normally. And our protagonist is no exception. But you do have to keep in mind that if you place it in a sunny area without it having acclimatized before, what will happen is that it will burn. These burns appear from one day to the next, and although they may heal, they will never disappear. Fortunately, this can be avoided by exposing the cactus to direct sunlight for a little while each day, increasing the exposure time a little each week.

Another thing that happens quite often is to put the cactus in a place where it does not receive enough light. When it is lacking, its stems will etiolate; that is, they will grow in the direction of a more powerful light (such as that coming through a window, for example). To avoid this, you have to make sure that the same amount of light reaches all its parts, something that you achieve by rotating the pot every day until it can be in a place where the sun shines directly.

Earth

Cacti are very sensitive to waterlogging. Too much water rots the roots and can be fatal to them. A) Yes, it is necessary that the earth be light, and that the water drains very well. 

If you are going to have it in a pot, make sure it has holes through which the water comes out. As a substrate, do not hesitate to use a mixture of universal substrate mixed with 50% perlite, or pumice (on sale No products found.).

Irrigation

When we talk about the irrigation of cacti there is a rule that we recommend to follow a lot: let the substrate (or the soil in the garden) dry completely before watering again. As the Echinopsis spachiana it resists drought, it can spend a few days having dry land.

But sometimes it is not easy to know when that happens, since we can see that the most superficial layer is dry but ... and those that are further inside? The surface will always dry out sooner as it is more exposed, but if we want to know if it is time to water or not we will have to check the humidity of the soil.

And that's easy to do: if you have your potted plant, you simply have to pick it up once it is watered and again after a few days. If we take into account that a dry soil has a lower weight than a moist soil, this will serve as a guide to know when to rehydrate it. If you have it in the garden, dig a little or insert a wooden stick to see how the soil is.

Subscriber

It is advisable to pay it using a fertilizer for cacti (for sale No products found.), in spring and summer. In this way, you will get it to grow a little faster, and to produce a large number of flowers.

Multiplication

It can be multiplied in two different ways: by seeds, or by cuttings. The most suitable time for this is in spring, but it can also be done in autumn if the climate is warm in your area and / or there is never any frost.

Transplant

If you are going to have it in a pot, you have to plant it in a bigger one every 2-3 years in spring.

Rusticity

El Echinopsis spachiana resists weak frosts, up to -2ºC. Hold a little more if it is sheltered, but we do not advise having it outside if the temperatures drop further.

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