Echinomastus watering tips

[RichR]

So I have been reading through some of the past threads about growing Echinomastus.

Here is what I've gleaned:

For seedlings, treat pretty much like other cacti. Don't water much in winter (maybe just during warm spells); water normally during growing season, letting soil dry out between waterings.

For mature plants, water lightly in winter, starting in January, tapering off in mid-March. Don't water again until August-September, then trash when they become a smelly mess.

I assume watering lightly means don't saturate the whole root ball, but maybe just the top two or three inches of soil?

These are my plants, which came from Corona, C&D and Mesa, I believe:

Echinomastus dasyacanthus (West Texas)
Echinomastus dasyacanthus (Organ Mtns NM)
Echinomastus durangensis (Durango, MX)
Echinomastus erectocentrus (Pima Co AZ)
Echinomastus johnsonii lutescens (Wickenberg, AZ)
Echinomastus laui
Echinomastus mariposensis (Brewster Co)

Another thing I learned was not to treat them all the same, some are harder to grow than others (erectocentrus and johnsonii) and all like a free-draining mineral soil.

So, do I have this right? If not, suggestions are very welcome.

[iann]

Are these in the ground or in pots?

[peterb]

In my experience, there are two distinct groups of Echinomastus in cultivation. The first group includes intertextus, dasyacanthus, laui, unguispinus, durangensis, mariposensis and warnockii. These are all from fairly standard Chihuahuan Desert habitats and can be treated much like any other Chihuahuan cactus, with drenching waterings in late spring through the end of summer and a cold, dry winter.

The other group is erectocentrus, acunensis, johnsonii, arizonicus. These are adapted to biseasonal rains of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. Periodically soaking, cold, damp conditions in winter with suddenly warmer days and complete drying. Periodic thunderstorms in very hot conditions in summer. Usually pretty much bone dry fall and spring. Additionally, these plants are fairly narrowly adapted to highly mineral, low organic soil and live completely exposed, in full sun, in very quick drying situations.

The best results I have gotten with the second group is to plant in clay in mineral mix, water with rain or acidified water and observe the precipitation cycle of their natural habitat. Not sure how important winter water is, but I do know that any significant amount of H2O in spring or fall is highly risky. By comparison, although "touchy," the Chihuahuan group is much easier. All Echinomastus do well with as much fresh air as possible, no peat and a quick drying mix. Elevate the bases of the plants above the soil. Don't use any top dressing.

For a sense of the biseasonal rain patterns for the second group, go to weather.com, navigate to the "averages" display and check out a few locales such as Benson, AZ., Wickenburg AZ, Death Valley, CA., Bouse, AZ., Meadview, AZ. etc.

peterb

[iann]

Mine are still in the greenhouse, but I'm treating them like it is autumn since they haven't been frozen yet. So they are completely dry and quite shrunken. Cold sunny weather is finally due later this week and I'll certainly be watering the Pediocactus, probably some others too.

[RichR]

Are these in the ground or in pots?

They are all in pots.

[RichR]

Mine are still in the greenhouse, but I'm treating them like it is autumn since they haven't been frozen yet. So they are completely dry and quite shrunken. Cold sunny weather is finally due later this week and I'll certainly be watering the Pediocactus, probably some others too.

Ian, you they they haven't frozen "yet." Are you going to at some point expose them to freezing weather? If so, is that necessary?

[iann]

I see the pots in the other thread

Certainly they will be frozen. All the US species can take everything an English winter has to offer. Inside a greenhouse! The Mexicans might get a little protection if we get freak cold weather.

The US species will get water when nights are still below freezing, as soon as the days get warmish. The Mexicans a little later but still before it gets baking hot in April or May.

Sclerocactus ss all get watered early, as do Mammillaria tetrancistra, Echinocactus polycephalus, Escobarias, and earliest of all Pediocactus. There might be others, but they aren't coming to mind. Oh wait, Glandulicactus! Strange for plants from so far south and east but they really love water early in the year. In fact they are trying to grow now and are very shrunken because I haven't watered them yet.

Other species like Echinocereus davisii, Echinocereus brandegeei, and almost anything from Baja California, also get watered early, but not when it is freezing at night. The Echinocereus don't really mind being cold and wet but they don't do much until it warms up more.

[iann]

I just dragged out my research notes from when I first got these and I see that most, (not all!) are found on limestone substrates.