How to grow Denmoza
How to grow Denmoza
Denmoza is a genus of succulent plants of the Cactaceae family, native to Argentina; these plants are recognized for having a globose-cylindrical stem and with undulating ribs covered with numerous curved and robust spines.
The name Denmoza seems to be the anagram of Mendoza, the main city of central-western Argentina, the area of origin of this genus of cactaceae.
Within this genus we mention the two species:
– Denmoza erythrocephala – plant with an unbranched stem that at the beginning is round but extends with growth taking on a cylindrical shape. Along the trunk run about twenty ribs all sprinkled with thorns, the flowers are red;
– Denmoza rhodacantha – plant similar to D. erythrocephala but which differs only in the lower number of ribs and for the spines which are first red and then rust colored. The flowers are red.
In this card we will see how to grow Denmoza taking into account its soil and climatic needs.
Denmoza are robust, slow-growing, easy-to-grow cacti, but care must be taken to grow them in areas where the temperature is not too low. In fact, around 10 ° C it is good to make sure that the plant is in a very dry environment and when the temperature drops below 4 ° C it must be placed in a shelter.
As for the substrate, the Demnoza is not demanding in terms of land; however it is necessary to choose or create a substrate that has a good draining capacity.
The optimal substrate is a very porous soil composed of fertilized earth, sand and a part of gravel.
Exposure can be in full sun or in the sun. The important thing is that it is a well ventilated environment especially if you choose a sunny location with many hours of sunshine per day.
As mentioned the temperature must not fall below 4 ° C: it is therefore recommended to place the plants in a shelter when the cold winter temperatures begin to approach. In any case, even at temperatures below 10 ° C it is recommended to avoid soils or damp environments.
For the water supplies it is good to water the Demnoza every 3-4 days, in the summer period, being careful to let the soil dry between one wetting and another and then decreasing the frequency when it arrives to the autumn, up to totally suspend the irrigation in the winter period.
Being a slow-growing plant, fertilizations must be scarce. Once every 20 days or so, it is sufficient, or, if grown outdoors in warm environments, providing an organic fertilizer at the base of the plants at the beginning of the spring vegetative growth.
For plants grown in pots it may be necessary to repot the plant every 2-3 years, no longer often. The plant will be repotted every three years at the beginning of spring. The vase to choose must be rather deep.
We see multiplication and propagation of Denmoza.
For this technique, only seeds are used, since it is not possible to take cuttings and, even by cutting part of the stem, this does not germinate. For sowing it is necessary to use a very sandy soil to wet often to keep it constantly moist. Until the new plants have sprouted, keep at a temperature of about 20 – 22 ° C.