Matucana madisonorum

La Matucana madisonorum It is a small cactus ideal for beginners. It is very resistant to drought, but not so resistant to flooding, so it does not have to be watered very frequently.

If we talk about its growth rate, it is quite slow. We can buy a plant in a 5,5 cm diameter pot, plant it in another 8,5 cm and forget about transplanting it more for at least four or five years. But, How is this cactus cared for?

Origin and characteristics of Matucana madisonorum

La Matucana madisonorum It is an endemic cactus of the Peruvian Amazon. It belongs to the Matucana genus and to the Trichocereeae tribe, as it has genetic characteristics very similar to other cacti such as Echinopsis, Espostoa or Rebutia, among others. Its stem is globose, and over the years it becomes a bit columnar but never exceeds 20 centimeters in height or 15 centimeters in diameter..

It has no leaves, like most cacti, but it does have areoles from which up to five whitish or blackish-brown spines sprout. These develop slightly sloping, and are up to 3 centimeters long. The flowers are funnel-shaped, reddish or whitish, and between 4 and 5 centimeters in diameter.. The fruits are spherical and measure 2 centimeters.

It is critically endangered.

What are the care that must be provided?

La Matucana madisonorum It is a plant that almost, you could almost say that it takes care of itself. You do not have to be very aware of her because that is just what can make her sick. Now, from my own experience, it is not as easy to care as a Echinocactus grusonii for example, since our protagonist needs yes or yes that the earth has an excellent drainage.

Its roots do not support waterlogging, even if it is punctual and of short duration, so it is important to try to choose the substrate or the land in which it is going to be cultivated. Let's see this in more detail:

Location

It is highly recommended to have it outside. It has to give it the sun directly, but first it is important that we get used to it little by little to prevent it from burning. During a period of seven days, we will put it 1-2 hours / day in full sun -the early hours of the morning or the late afternoon-. In the coming weeks we will increase this exposure time by half an hour or one hour / seven days.

Another possible option is to grow it indoors, as long as you have a lamp that stimulates the growth of plants, like this one they sell. No products found..

Soil or substrate

• Flower pot: it is important that the substrate is sandy, light, and has very good drainage. It is not necessary that it be rich in nutrients, as these can be provided with a fertilizer. Therefore, you can choose to plant it in 100% pumice (for sale No products found.), or 70% akadama (for sale No products found.) with 30% kiryuzuna (if you can't get akadama, they will serve you well-chopped ceramic bricks or even 1-3mm thick gravel).
• Garden: if you want to have the Matucana madisonorum In the garden, it is recommended that you make a hole of about 40 x 40cm and fill it with some mixture of substrates that we have mentioned before.

Irrigation

Irrigation must be low, but it must be done well. That is, you have to be clear about the difference between watering and pouring water: irrigation is intended to hydrate the plant, and for that it is important that all its roots are hydrated. But if you add just a little bit of water, only the surface of the substrate will be moistened, not the roots that are lower down; whereupon, the cactus could dry out and die.

You also have to avoid the other extreme: overwatering. And this includes putting a plate under it and / or planting it in a pot without holes. The roots do not want to be waterlogged. Every time it is watered, the water that is not absorbed has to come out through the drainage holes, otherwise they will rot.

But how often to water? Every time the substrate dries completely. This means that will be watered an average of 2 times a week during the summer, but every 10-15 days the rest of the year. In winter, irrigations must be more spaced, especially if there are frosts.

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It is necessary to pay the Matucana madisonorum during spring and summer, and more if it is grown in substrates without nutrients or with very little of them. If it only fed on water, it would eventually weaken, and pests and diseases would attack it. To avoid this, it is important to fertilize it with a specific liquid fertilizer for cacti (for sale No products found.). Follow the directions for use so your roots can get the amount of compost they need.

Multiplication

It multiplies by seeds in spring. Some specimens, particularly the older ones, tend to produce stems that can be separated and planted in spring-summer.

Transplant

En spring. If you want to plant in a larger pot, it is convenient to wait until it has rooted well in the one you already have, and transplant it every 3 or 4 years.

Rusticity

From experience, I can tell you that it resists weak and specific frosts of up to -1ºC, which is what is in my area every year sometime in February. Searching the Internet, in some places It is said that it supports up to -3'8ºC.

What did you think of this plant?