Turbinicarpus tips

[gabby c]

Hi

Any tips on growing turbinicarpus would be appreciated! I got a few seedlings last year and I am having trouble getting them rooted well. A few have died from rot.

I have watered once a month after keeping dry in winter since March. Not sure if they want full blown summer before being watered? Night temps are still cool (60-70F) and days are 80F.

If anyone has any links to forum posts or literature that would be awesome, my searches have not had luck.

[Tom in Tucson]

The book published in '05 Knowing, understanding, growing Turbinicarpus - Rapicactus by Donati & Zanovello does a fairly good job of giving some cultivation advice. It comes in 3 language versions.

[keith]

They are kind of tricky plants. I had trouble with too much pumice in my mix I don't use more than 50% now.

[7george]

These pots look too big for plants of this size. If the air is moist there soil will dry too slow and rotting is quite possible. I would use 5 - 6 cm in diameter and not so deep pots. So before to water next time check soil under rocks or weght pot by hand if the soil dried. I also wait for a plant to shrink a bit before next sip.

[greenknight]

60-70F at night is not cool weather, anything above 50F is warm enough - temperatures drop more at night in dry desert air. Humidity is what you should worry about. I agree with 7george on the pot size.

[Aiko]

The book published in '05 Knowing, understanding, growing Turbinicarpus - Rapicactus by Donati & Zanovello does a fairly good job of giving some cultivation advice. It comes in 3 language versions.

That is a nice book, I must say!

[DaveW]

Never had much trouble growing Turbinicarpus in the UK and mine go down to almost freezing in winter. I agree with George your plants look overpotted for their size and so the soil stays wet for longer. Mine are on the top shelf in the greenhouse and get watered when I remember them!

Agree about the Donati Turbinicarpus book. Davide signed my copy at the Cactus Explorers Weekend in the UK when he gave a talk.

Turbinicarpus polaskii

Turbinicarpus polaskii.jpg (83.23 KiB) Viewed 4515 times

Turbinicarpus schmiedickianus rubriflorus

Turbinicarpus schmiedickianus rubriflorus.jpg (81.87 KiB) Viewed 4515 times

[gabby c]

The book published in '05 Knowing, understanding, growing Turbinicarpus - Rapicactus by Donati & Zanovello does a fairly good job of giving some cultivation advice. It comes in 3 language versions.

That looks like a good book but not the easiest to get ahold of! I am going to try since it's being well recommend here.

They are kind of tricky plants. I had trouble with too much pumice in my mix I don't use more than 50% now.

I've been thinking about that. Not sure the gritty mix was all it was cracked up to be for my growing. I started experimenting adding a cocofiber based soil to my mix and it's been good. Some plants that were never well have done much better. But been scared to try with cactus.

60-70F at night is not cool weather, anything above 50F is warm enough - temperatures drop more at night in dry desert air. Humidity is what you should worry about. I agree with 7george on the pot size.

Thank you that is good to know. 60-70F is cool for florida nights ! In june-august it will be 80F at night. But its good to know I can grow them now since I figured those 80F nights and 90F+ days is when they'd "go dormant". I do always have high humidity, many-most mornings it is wet everywhere as if it rained. In the summer it will rain everyday in the afternoons, and turns into a sauna. They are covered with plastic on top to keep rain off but only covered on top, I was thinking to help with air flow. I am always worried about humidity. I talked to someone who was growing beautiful E. horizontalis in florida and he's done fine.

These pots look too big for plants of this size. If the air is moist there soil will dry too slow and rotting is quite possible. I would use 5 - 6 cm in diameter and not so deep pots. So before to water next time check soil under rocks or weght pot by hand if the soil dried. I also wait for a plant to shrink a bit before next sip.

Thank you. That is no problem I can get them in smaller pots. I wasn't sure with the taproot how to size the pots.

[gabby c]

Never had much trouble growing Turbinicarpus in the UK and mine go down to almost freezing in winter. I agree with George your plants look overpotted for their size and so the soil stays wet for longer. Mine are on the top shelf in the greenhouse and get watered when I remember them!

Agree about the Donati Turbinicarpus book. Davide signed my copy at the Cactus Explorers Weekend in the UK when he gave a talk.

Turbinicarpus polaskii


Turbinicarpus polaskii.jpg

Turbinicarpus schmiedickianus rubriflorus


Turbinicarpus schmiedickianus rubriflorus.jpg

Your turbs are grown beautifully

[greenknight]

You should be concerned about heat dormancy when the nights get very warm, anything above about 70F. I just meant you shouldn't worry about the nights being too cool unless they drop below 50F.

Some papery-spined Turbinicarpus species, such as T. schmiedickianus, can absorb water through their spines, so be very cautious about watering when you get that heavy dew.

If the taproot is too long for the smaller pot, one way to deal with that is to use a larger pot but take up some of the volume with stones, leaving a hole down the center for the taproot. Make sure the potting mix gets down between the stones, if they form a distinct layer it interferes with drainage.

[MikeInOz]

I agree with what the others have said about the pot size. IMO they are 4 times too big. In other words, each pot should have 4 plants of that size in it.
Also, the mix looks too bony to me. Especially for tall terra cotta pots which would drain and dry out very quickly. To the mix in your hand, I would be inclined to add 50% sand and good quality organic material to it then plant 4 plants per pot. ( and a little limestone/gypsum if your water does not contain enough) They should do much better with that.

[keith]

in Florida this maybe is too much sandy soil but works well in S CA . I like the deep pots and multiple plants per pot is a good idea. And the spines do absorb water and will grow black mold so be aware of that. Fan may help there. I had that problem so now keep them under plastic to keep am fog off them in Winter and Spring.

[DaveW]

Like many in the USA Gabby you seem hung up on clay pots, whilst most in even damper climates in Europe changed to plastic pots a few generations ago. With the type of free draining mineral mix you use that would suit plastic pots and usually there are many different sizes of those available. Try one in a smaller plastic pot and see if any difference after a year.

In the past a case could be made for clay pots "breathing" and drying out quicker, however many of the newer clay pots are now non poupous having been fired at higher temperatures. If your pot after a time forms the white deposit on the outside it is porous, but if not has been fired at a much higher temperature and no more porous than plastic.

A friend of mine always claims you can grow cacti in anything provided you get the watering right.

If you include Gymnocactus/Rapicactus in Turbinicarpus, which most now do, this is the most extreme type of growth and probably one of the most weird cacti.

https://bcss.org.uk/turbinicarpus-subte ... zimmerman/

http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/CACT ... bterraneus

[gabby c]

Like many in the USA Gabby you seem hung up on clay pots, whilst most in even damper climates in Europe changed to plastic pots a few generations ago. With the type of free draining mineral mix you use that would suit plastic pots and usually there are many different sizes of those available. Try one in a smaller plastic pot and see if any difference after a year.

Most of my plants are in plastic pots it was more of what I had at the time but it is true I feel better in clay when I am stressed about rot. I did order more pots so I can fix the over-potting and they are plastic . When I started growing it was all clay pots but I switched over actually because from what I read here on the forum.

[gabby c]

I did get a flower yesterday