How to grow Pachycereus
How to grow Pachycereus
Pachycereus (Pachycereus (A. Berger) Britton & Rose, 1909) are a genus of succulent plants of the Cactaceae family.
These plants are recognized for having a very branched straight trunk, cylindrical in shape and with some ribs, with spiny areoles.
The first flowering that takes place only at night and in late spring or early summer, takes place after 6 – 15 years of life.
In this card we will see how to grow Pachycereus respecting, as much as possible, the soil and climatic conditions of their natural habitats.
The following species belong to this genus:
– Pachycereus grandis Rose;
– Pachycereus lepidanthus (Eichlam) Britton & Rose;
– Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum (Engelm. Ex S.Watson) Britton & Rose;
– Pachycereus pringlei (S.Watson) Britton & Rose;
– Pachycereus tepamo Gama & S.Arias;
– Pachycereus weberi (J.M.Coult.) Backeb.
In order to cultivate one of the following species it is necessary to start from the creation of a suitable substrate which consists in preparing a fertilized soil with the addition of coarse sand to obtain good drainage.
These plants can be grown both in pots or in open ground, outdoors, but only in areas with climates where temperatures do not occur that fall below 7 ° C or that, however, fall below only for very short periods .
In these climates the pachycereus can be grown outside in a sunny position, with irrigations that will be carried out in the summer only when the earth is dry. In winter the irrigations must be suspended completely.
Fertilization must be carried out differently if the plants are grown outdoors or in pots. Outdoors, fertilization should be carried out in the early spring period with well-ripened organic matter, to be mixed with the first layers of soil without disturbing the collar of the plants. In pot the fertilization must be carried out by the vegetative restart with liquid fertilizers for succulent plants once a month.
The multiplication of Pachycereus occurs almost exclusively by cuttings since the growth is too slow for seed. The cuttings are prepared by removing a branch which is then left to root in sand; it is necessary that the point of the cut is made to dry well before the implant, until forming a protective patina.