Pseudolobivia

Origin: Bolivia and Argentina.

Description. Pseudolobivia are small spherical cacti with stunning bright flowers. The stems are spherical, 10-25 cm in diameter, dark green. The ribs are vertical or spiral, deep and numerous. The spines are quite short, straight, strong, light in color. Funnel-shaped flowers up to 10 cm in diameter appear in summer at the tops of the stems and can be red, white, pink, yellow or orange. The buds open at night and remain open for about a day. Pseudolobivia are distinguished by a very long flower tube covered with sparse bristles.

Height: Up to 30 cm, grows relatively quickly.

Care at home.

Temperature conditions

Pseudolobivia does not like strong summer heat and grows well at normal room temperature. In the winter months, this cactus requires a cool period of rest at a temperature of 8 - 10 ° C. The plant tolerates short frosts if it is in dry soil.

Lighting

A brightly lit place with plenty of reflected sunlight. Direct sunlight is only allowed in the morning and evening hours. With sufficient lighting, flowering will be more abundant.

Care

Pseudolobivia is easy to grow on its own roots and can only suffer from very serious mistakes in care. This cactus can be recommended to beginner gardeners. During warmer months, place the pot outside in the fresh air, providing shelter from heavy rain and wind.

Priming

It grows in soil with a high content of coarse sand - up to 40 percent of the total volume, provides very good drainage, the soil should have a slightly acidic pH of about 5.6.

Top dressing

Feed only once per growing season with a cactus and succulent fertilizer (high potassium, low nitrogen) diluted to ½ the recommended strength.

Purpose

A small but very impressive flowering cactus.

Flowering time

Pseudolobivia readily blooms indoors in spring and summer. Young seedlings bloom for the first time at the age of 3 years.

Air humidity

It is necessary to ensure very good ventilation of the room where the cactus is kept. Almost all problems arise from insufficient ventilation, especially in cool or very humid weather.

Soil moisture

Cacti are well adapted to very dry soils. Watering should be quite economical even during the growth period; in the winter months, the frequency of watering is reduced to a minimum.

Transfer

A relatively large and deep pot is needed to accommodate the large root system. This species needs to be repotted approximately every 2 to 3 years, before flowering. Use a pot with large drainage holes.

Reproduction

Seeds can be sown in spring in pots with well-drained sandy soil and kept warm. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of sand. Cover the pots with glass or plastic for 1-2 weeks after sowing to maintain high humidity.

Pests and diseases

Cacti rot when overwatered, especially during the cool dormant period.

Pseudolobivia can be affected by spider mites, false scale insects, scale insects, mealybugs, and nematodes.