Escobaria

Family. Cactaceae.

Origin. South America. 

Description. Escobaria is a small genus of cacti, containing about 23 species. These are low, solitary, but sometimes forming large colonies. The plants have spherical or slightly elongated ovoid stems. The ribs are not pronounced, the shoots are densely covered with rounded tubercles. The spines are strong, straight, light, often very abundantly covering the body of the cactus. The flowers are quite large compared to the size of the plant itself, bright, cream, white, pink, purple or brown. The petals sometimes have a silky sheen.

Height: Grows fairly quickly, but rarely exceeds 20 cm in height.

Care at home

Temperature conditions

Prefers warm conditions at a temperature of 20 - 25° C. In winter, a dormant period occurs and in this state, cacti are kept at a temperature of 6 - 10° C. 

Lighting

Prefers a location with direct sunlight in the morning and evening every day. Light shading is necessary during the daytime.

Care

In indoor culture it blooms readily and frequently. 

Substrate

Escobaria is very sensitive to over-watering and requires very porous soil that allows water and air to pass through. A ready-made mixture for cacti and succulents, to which coarse river sand is added, is suitable. The substrate should have a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. 

Feeding

Feed monthly from spring to autumn with cactus fertilizers at half concentration. No feeding is done in winter. 

Purpose

Miniature attractive cactus. The whole collection can be placed on one windowsill.

Flowering time

Summer, blooms readily with minimal care. 

Air humidity

Does not require spraying. In winter, the air should be especially dry. Provide sufficient air movement without cold drafts.

Soil moisture

In spring and summer, water generously but rarely, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. Excess water from the tray must be drained. In winter, the frequency of watering is reduced even more and they try not to dry out the soil completely. 

Transplantation

The cactus has a long taproot and requires a deep pot with large drainage holes. Mature specimens can go many years without repotting, but it is best to repot them every 2-3 years into fresh soil. After repotting, stop watering for a week.

Reproduction

By seeds sown in spring or by cutting off lateral shoots that sometimes appear at the base of mature plants. The cut site is dried for several days. By grafting.

Pests and diseases

Often rots when there is excess moisture, especially in winter.

Red spider mites, mealybugs, thrips and aphids sometimes appear.