PACHYCEREUS PRINGLEI

ORIGIN AND CHARACTERISTICS

This cactus from Mexico and the Southwest of the United States, is also known by the common name of "Cardón". With its ramifications, it can reach a height of 7 meters, as well as the central trunk 1 meter wide.

This plant has a vertical growth, where the stems, forming a pattern of ribs, have haloes at their highest point. They also have spines and short wooly. The cactus is grayish green with red touches due to the color of the thorns.

Its flowering comes in warm seasons, such as summer, but only when it has certain characteristics that favor it, such as reaching 4 meters in height. This flowering brings with them a reddish and whitish flowers in its center, which can reach 8 cm, sprouting from the halos. These are funnel-shaped (they are very infrequent in cultivation since they only appear in specimens over 3 m in height.)

DECORATION OF ... EXTERIOR OR INTERIOR?

The Pachycereus Pringley is perfect to plant in our garden since it can reach a large wingspan and can be the center of decoration. We can also plant it in a rockery along with other cacti to highlight their beauty.

When it is still small, we can make a decorative center with several cacti, including the Pachycereus, in order to decorate the interior of our home. We just have to remember to put them on a bright surface with pots that provide good drainage.

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 10 ºC.

- 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 home 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 few 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.