PECTEN ABORIGINUM

ORIGIN AND CHARACTERISTICS

This plant, also known as Pachycereus Pecten-Aboriginum, belongs to the Cactaceae family, endemic to California and Mexico.

It is a columnar cactus, with a main trunk that branches off, creating a chandelier shape. It can reach 2 meters in height but being slow growing it can take years to reach it. This cactus is characterized by being green in color with columns on its stems, in which we will find the areoles, in which we will find the thorns, which serve as a defense for the plant and also to collect a greater amount of water.

In addition, the Pecten Aboriginum has a pseudocephaly at the tips of the stems, covered with a kind of red wool. In addition, in its flowering season this species produces white flowers and later gives nuts.

DECORATION OF ... EXTERIOR OR INTERIOR?

We can include it both outside and inside, when it is smaller it is perfect to decorate our house as long as we have it in a room where the plant can have access to a large amount of sun during the day and has a draining vase. water properly. If on the contrary we want to have it in our garden, we can plant it alone or in groups of cacti in a rock garden to highlight the beauty of this species.

CARE FOR CACTUS AND SUCCULENTS

They are showy plants, very pretty and that practically do not need much maintenance.

- They prefer places with direct light or that have good lighting, preferably next to a window, on a balcony, a terrace or in your Garden.

- They can withstand low temperatures, around 5ºC.

- It is essential that they have good drainage, both in the soil and in a pot.

- The ideal substrate for cacti has to be combined with sand and gravel, so that they have good drainage, humidity and excess water are not good.

- Irrigation does not have to be excessive. From spring to autumn, which would be its growth period, water every 15 days, abundant watering and wait until the soil is very dry again. In winter do not water or give one watering per month.

- Fertilizer. During the growing season (spring - autumn) you can fertilize them with worm humus. Eggshells are a good homemade fertilizer, they contain (Calcium, Iron, Potassium, magnesium and Phosphorus) these nutrients are very important and favor their growth, you must crush and mix them with the substrate, administer them a couple of times a year.

- Treatment against fungi due to excess humidity, disinfect the area with a copper-based fungicide.

- If you want to transplant them from the pot or the ground, the best time would be from spring.

And don't forget that to work with cacti you have to wear good gloves.