The bizarre "Peruvian old man" is all about growing Espostoa

Espostoa stands out from the entire family with its fluffy, thick “robe”. With its bizarre shapes, the flower will decorate any home, become an exotic addition to the decor and will delight residents and guests of the house for many years. In this article, we learn about the history of cacti from the Espoosta genus, about popular species and varieties, about the rules for cactus care, planting features, the characteristics of growing and breeding on a flower bed, reproduction, as well as about the nuances of flowering, similar types of succulents and the most common pests and problems.

Botanical Description

Espostoa (esposta) refers to the numerous genus of succulents of the cactus family. The Latin name for the cactus is Espostoa Cactus, which bears the funny nickname “fluffy” or “Peruvian old man” for its greyish thick coating. Some botanists consider Espoosta a variety of the genus Cleistocactus (Cleistocactus) (read about Strauss Cleistocactus in this material). Plants can have a tree, columnar or shrub form. The stems may branch out a little or scrub. The genus includes up to 15 varieties of espostoa.

Important! At home, flower growers grow mainly with their own woolly. This variety is more adapted to our climate.

Discovery history, habitat and cactus appearance

The first descriptions of the genus date back to the beginning of the 20th century. The flower is named after Nicholas Esposto, a botanist from Peru, director of a botanical garden in Lima, the capital of Peru. The homeland of exot is considered South Africa, Ecuador, the northern and central regions of Peru. The natural habitat is steep rocky terrain, gentle slopes of mountain valleys. The stems are massive, columnar, can be well branched, have the shape of a candelabrum.

At home, cacti do not branch.

In nature, a cactus grows to 4 - 7 m in height. The diameter of adult shoots is up to 15 cm. The ribs are low, blunt, straight. The number of ribs is 20–30. The spines grow from areoles and grow up to 30–40 pieces. The thorns are thin, straight, 0.5-1 cm long. The color of the thorns can be yellowish, red, gray. The central spines are dense, stiff, dark, 1-3 cm long. Wooly hairs also form in the areoles. The flowers are bell-shaped, appear mainly in the wild.

Thick pubescence prevents overheating and sunburn of the stem. The fruits are juicy, in nature are considered edible. Seeds are matte, black, have a dense coating - pubescence.

Popular types and varieties

Espostoa lanata (woolly, lanata)

For its appearance and funny appearance, this flower is called "Old Peruvian", "cactus is an old man." It is distinguished by decorativeness. The trunk in nature can grow up to 3-5 meters. At home, grows to only 1 m. The stem branches only in adult plants. Ribs are numerous, up to 25 - 30 on the stem. The whole stem is covered with a thick white pubescence through which thorns make their way. Spines are short, numerous, yellowish in color with a red tip. The flowers are white, formed on cephalus. The variety has many hybrid varieties.

Melanostele (black-bellied)

The synonymous name of the plant is Pseudostasis black-columnar, Pseudostasis black-columnar (Pseudoespostoa melanostele). The trunks of adult plants acquire a dark, black hue. The stems grow up to 2 m in height. The tops are tightly braided by a white cocoon of woolly hairs. Ribs straight, up to 25 pieces. Spines are numerous, light or dark in color with a yellow tint. The spines are 2-4 cm long. The flowers are white. They grow in nature on rocky desert areas (read about desert cacti here).

Ritteri (Ritter)

Ritter is one of the most beautiful varieties of fluffy cacti, a variety bred, a hybrid of woolly epostoy (you can learn more about fluffy cacti here). Opened in the 60s of the 20th century in Peru. The stem is dense, tree-like, grows about 4 m in height. Has side shoots. Ribs are low, there are transverse grooves. Areoles have thin white hairs up to 2 - 3 cm in length. Spines are thin, needle-shaped, 1 - 2 cm in length. The color of the thorns can be light yellow, there are sub-grades with reddish-brown thorns (are there cacti without thorns?). The flowers are white, large, up to 5 cm in diameter. In length, flowers grow 7-8 cm.

How to care at home?

Temperature

Between spring and autumn, room temperature is optimal. In winter, the temperature can be reduced by several degrees. In summer, the desert Espoosta can withstand temperatures up to 25 - 30 ° C.

Important! lowering the temperature below 8 ° C is unacceptable.

Watering

An important condition is limited watering throughout the year. In autumn and winter, watering stops, you can moisten the soil 1 time per month. Watering is done as the earthen coma is completely dry. The plant does not require additional spraying.

A flower loves fresh air, in summer, in the heat, you should take out pots on open verandas.

Lighting

Espoosta absorbs a lot of light all year round. Suitable east and west pots. It is better to shade southern windows at noon with a light cover, aggressive sun can damage the flower. After a winter holiday, the flower is taught to the sun gradually.

Priming

The substrate should be light, loose, well allow water and air to pass through. Drainage is required. Marble chips, expanded clay, crushed polystyrene are used as drainage.

Soil composition:

• Sheet land - 1 h.
• Sand - 1 hour
• Sod land - 2 hours
• Brick Chips - 2 hours
• Drainage layer.

Pruning

The procedure is best done with a transplant. Pruning is required only for an adult plant.

Cropping pattern:

• Healthy shoots are cut - stalks for cuttings.
• The tops of overgrown plants are cut off for further rooting of cuttings.
• Also, damaged processes infected with pathogenic bacteria should be cut.
• Sanitary trimming of dry and rotted root fragments is required.

Important! places of cuts are dried and dusted with crushed charcoal or activated carbon.

Top dressing

Fertilizers are applied from May to September in small doses through irrigation. Feeding regimen - 1 time in 3 - 4 weeks. Commonly used special complex fertilizers for cacti and succulents. In spring, the flower needs nitrogen fertilizers. In summer and autumn, it is better to feed the substrate with potassium and phosphorus. Low concentration organic fertilizers can be used.

It is recommended to alternate mineral fertilizers and organics.

Pot

The pot does not have to be very large and deep. When transplanting, use a larger pot 2 cm in diameter. The pot is selected taking into account the volume of the root system. It is better to use ceramic containers that are not glazed. The rough inner surface of the pot contributes to a better strengthening of the root processes.

Be sure to have holes in the pot at the bottom to drain excess water.

Transfer

Flowers are transplanted every year. Adult plants require transplantation once every 5 yearswhen the pot has become small, the roots do not fit into the container.

Important: once every 3 years, the top layer of the substrate should be renewed. When transplanting, damage to the integrity of the root system is unacceptable, this can lead to the death of the plant. The procedure is carried out in early spring.

Transplantation scheme:

1. A drainage layer of 3-4 cm is poured at the bottom of the pot.
2. The soil of the mother bush is soaked.
3. The plant is removed along with an earthen lump.
4. Sanitized and pruned rotten and dry roots.
5. The bush is transplanted by transshipment.
6. A new substrate is poured into the empty spaces of the pot.
7. The soil is slightly rammed on the sides, fixing the seedling.

Important! Watering stops for 3 to 4 days. Pots are installed in a shade for the entire adaptation period.

Wintering

In winter, the plant is at rest. It is necessary to rearrange the pots in a cooler room.

The optimum winter temperature is 14 - 16 ° C. In winter, a short daylight requires artificial lighting with special lamps for several hours a day. Fertilizing a flower during this period is not recommended.

Features of landing in open ground

Espostoa is not a winter-hardy plant. The flower does not tolerate winter and cold damp autumn of a temperate climate. In the summer, you can plant or dig pots on a multi-tiered flower bed among stones. In the open ground for the winter, flowers are transferred to the apartment. Dew, an abundance of rainfall, daily temperature drops, soil water are contraindicated for the plant.

Breeding

Cuttings

Fairly simple way. The procedure is performed in spring or summer.

Cherenkov Scheme:

1. Apical cuttings or lateral processes are cut.
2. Places of cuts are processed by coal.
3. Planting material is dried for 2 days in a shaded place.
4. Rooted cuttings in a peat mixture.
5. The temperature of the content is 18 - 23 ° C.
6. Rooted cuttings are transplanted into small pots for growth.

Seeds

The sowing process is painstaking and lengthy. The procedure is carried out in the spring. Seeds are sown in a mixture of sand and garden soil.

Sowing pattern:

1. Spacious shallow containers accommodate soil.
2. Evenly distribute seeds without deepening.
3. Top sowing slightly sprinkled with sand.
4. Sowing is slightly moistened.
5. Containers are covered with film or glass.
6. The greenhouse is aired daily.
7. Air temperature - up to 27 ° С.
8. As soon as the first shoots break through, the glass is removed.
9. The lighting is bright.
10. Seedlings dive after 3 to 4 weeks in separate containers.

Growing and selection on a flower bed

Espostoa has a small increase, grows slowly, gardeners often plant it on a powerful trunk of cereus and other large succulents. The flower bed uses a nutritious mixture of ordinary garden soil and sand, in a ratio of 2: 1. Drainage is added to each hole - gravel or fragments of brick, marble chips. You can feed the flower with a mullein solution of weak concentration.

Flowering nuances

Flowers emerge from cephalus formed over time at the top of the stem. The flowers are funnel-shaped, quite large, 5 - 8 cm in length. The color of the flowers is pink or white (read about cacti with pink flowers here).

Important! A feature of flowering - the flowers themselves bloom, as a rule, at night.

What if the buds do not appear?

The annual cycle of plant development should be observed. Be sure to observe the rest period, transfer the flower to a cool place. In winter, to stimulate the formation of buds, good lighting and dry maintenance should be provided.

Florists note that Espoosta and her hybrid followers bloom very rarely at home.

Diseases and Pests

1. Rot of the stem occurs due to overflow. Trimming infected stems, replanting a flower, replacing the soil mixture is required.
2. Limescale on the hairline is the result of stale air and high humidity. Watering should be stopped for 7 to 10 days. Pots are rearranged in a lighter and warmer place.
3. Processing the substrate and spraying the stem with a solution of actara or phytoerm will help get rid of the spider mite and mealybug.
4. From aphids, treatment of bushes with biotlin or other fungicides will help.

Similar flora

• Espoosta is amazing (Espostoa mirabilis) grows in a tree-like bush. The stems are light, green with a gray tint. Spines - thin needles.
• Espoosta senile (Espostoa senilis) grows up to 2 m in height. Spines are hairy, white. The flowers are cream, bloom only at night.
• Escobaria dasyacantha var. Chaffeyi also has a fluffy "robe." Thorny needles, up to 2 cm.
• Escobaria Schneda (Escobaria sneedii) grows in groups of stems. The ribs are cylindrical. Spines are white, thick.
• Escobaria thick-thorned (Escobaria dasyacantha). The stem is elongated, up to 7 cm in diameter. The thorns are strong, long, up to 1.5 cm in length. The flowers are pink.

Espostoa is a desert flower, hardy and not capricious. Observing all the rules of care, in a short time you can grow healthy decorative fluffy exotics.

Useful video

We suggest you watch a video about caring for cacti of the genus Espostoa:

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