MYRTILLOCACTUS GEOMATRIZANS

ORIGIN AND CHARACTERISTICS

The myrtillocactus geometrizans is a cactus native to Mexico from the states of the central zone. It is a species of plant from the Cactaceae family, commonly known as “Garambullo” or “Blue Candelabra”.

The Garambullo is a branched perennial plant that can reach 4 meters in height in its natural habitat. It is a columnar cactus and its stems grow close together in a bluish-gray color and can reach 10 cm in thickness.

This species consists of 5 to 8 ribs about 2.5cm deep with separate areoles. Each areola can have 5 to 9 spines approximately 10 mm long.

This cactus has to reach 60cm in height for its flowering, its season is between February and April and the duration of its flowers is a single day, giving a dark red edible fruit with a very sweet taste called Garambullo.

DECORATION OF ... EXTERIOR OR INTERIOR?

This plant can be perfect for both outdoors and indoors, when it does not reach a great height we can incorporate it into our home in bright areas, despite resisting low temperatures well and everything we need, if we have it indoors, is a vase with holes in the base for the water to drain well.

And outdoors it is usually a very attractive plant due to its large size, watering it from time to time making sure that the soil is well soaked.

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 10ºC.

- 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 for the soil to be 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.