How to grow Lobivia

How to grow Lobivia

Lobivia is a genus of plants belonging to the Cactaceae family and whose name is an anagram of Bolivia, a country where this genus is more widespread.
The Lobivia are succulent plants, with globular or cylindrical shapes, dwarf and very similar to Echinopsis.
These plants have a ribbed, thorny structure and an abundant and colorful bloom. The flowers are very large and showy.
The genus includes the following species:
– Lobivia albipectinata (Rausch) Neirinck;
– Lobivia arachnacantha Buining & F. Ritter;
– Lobivia boedekeriana (Harden ex Boed.) J. Ullmann;
– Lobivia brachiantha Wessner;
– Lobivia bruchii Britton & Rose;
– Lobivia caineana Cárdenas;
– Lobivia carminantha Backeb .;
– Lobivia claeysiana Backeb .;
– Lobivia crassicaulis R. Kiesling;
– Lobivia densispina Werderm. ex Backeb. & F.M. Knuth;
– Lobivia drijveriana Backeb .;
– Lobivia einsteinii (Frič) Rausch;
– Lobivia euanthema Backeb .;
– Lobivia eucaliptana Backeb .;
– Lobivia famatinensis (Speg.) Britton & Rose;
– Lobivia glaucescens F. Ritter;
– Lobivia gonjianii (R. Kiesling) R. Kiesling;
– Lobivia higginsiana Backeb .;
– Lobivia johnsoniana Backeb .;
– Lobivia kieslingii (Rausch) Rausch;
– Lobivia krahn-juckeri Diers;
– Lobivia leucorhodon Backeb .;
– Lobivia leucoviolacea Backeb .;
– Lobivia nigricans Wessner;
– Lobivia pectinata Backeb .;
– Lobivia pygmaea (R.E. Fr.) Backeb .;
– Lobivia raphidacantha Backeb .;
– Lobivia rauschii Zecher;
– Lobivia sanguiniflora Backeb .;
– Lobivia schieliana Backeb .;
– Lobivia schneideriana Backeb .;
– Lobivia steinmannii (Solms) Backeb .;
– Lobivia taratensis Cárdenas;
– Wessner Lobivia tiegeliana;
– Lobivia titicacensis (Cárdenas) J. Ullmann;
– Lobivia varians Backeb .;
– Lobivia walteri R. Kiesling;
– Lobivia wegheiana Backeb ..

In this card we will see how to cultivate the Lobivia following its climatic and pedological needs.
The first aspect to pay attention to is the choice of the substrate which must be composed of gravel, with a little peaty soil.
Once the substrate has been chosen or made, it is necessary to choose an exposure in full sun and, if grown at home, it must always receive a lot of light.
It must be remembered that during the winter rest it must remain in a cool and dry place, always receiving plenty of light. The temperature must never drop to temperatures below 5 ° C, although some species can withstand 3 ° / 4 ° below 0 ° C, if kept with a dry substrate.
For the water supply it is necessary to wet regularly during the flowering period, waiting for the soil to dry completely between one watering and the other. The waterings will then be suspended in the winter period.
For the fertilization it is enough to dilute a fertilizer with low nitrogen content in the water of the waterings during spring and summer, if the plant is cultivated in pot. For plants grown in the open ground you can also use the very mature manure, to be distributed and planted in early spring before the vegetative restart.
The Lobivia can reproduce by taking the side shoots, often present, and placing them directly in the growing medium.
For repotting, this should be done when the size of the plant has cluttered the entire vase in the spring period.