Strombocactus disciformis, Strombocactus, rare cacti, rare cactus for sale, rare cacti for sale, rare cactus plants,

How To Grow Strombocactus disciformis – RARE CACTUS

Hi Guys,

In this Article I will be talking about the wonderful and unique Strombocactus disciformis Cactus and how you can care for it.

I have made a special care video on Strombocactus disciformis for my Cactus and Succulent You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon and you can watch this video by clicking HERE

A little bit about Strombocactus disciformis 

Strombocactus disciformis is a unique and rare species of cactus that comes from Mexico, there is only one species in the Strombocactus genus and that is Strombocactus disciformis, but there are two sub species varieties of Strombocactus disciformis: Strombocactus disciformis that has cream coloured flowers and Strombocactus disciformis ssp. esperanzae that has deep pink coloured flowers.

Strombocactus has a turnip like taproot similar to Ariocarpus and Lophophora cacti, they are globular and have tubercle like ribs almost resembling a small pine cone in appearance, they are very small growing and due to this many are often sold grafted to help to speed up their growth, sadly in their natural habitats in Mexico Strombocactus are at threat to the illegal collection of rare cacti for the commercial plant trade.

HOW TO GROW STROMBOCACTUS

Strombocactus, Strombocactus disciformis, Strombocactus for sale, rare cacti for sale, rare cactus, rare cacti, rare cactus plants,
My Strombocactus disciformis, grown from seed. Strombocactus have tubercle like ribs almost resembling a little Pine cone in their appearance.

Light: 

Strombocactus like a sunny position and a south facing window indoors or sunny position in the greenhouse is ideal, avoid north facing windows or a position that doesn’t get much sun because these cacti need strong sunshine to thrive, if you only have a window or position that doesn’t get much sun during their active growing period ( Spring and Summer ) then a special full spectrum Plant LED Grow light can be used to replicate the full light spectrum these beauties need to grow and flower.

Grow Lights for plants
Full spectrum LED Grow Lights especially made for Plants can be used if more sunshine is needed.

Temperature: 

These cacti can take very high summer temperatures as long as they have plenty of ventilation, make sure windows and doors are open and cool fan/s are running during hot stuffy days.

In Winter keep these cacti at a minimum winter temperature of 5c / 41F with no water to be given to them at all over the winter period, if you live in an area where temperatures can fall lower than 5c /41F bring your Strombocactus indoors into a dry and bright window or location for the winter months.

Watering: 

Water sparingly from Spring to the end of Summer ( April to September )  and only water once the soil has totally dried out in their pots, these cacti can go a lot longer in between watering’s than many other types of cacti due to their large turnip like taproots, these cacti store water in their tuberous root and if the soil stays too damp for too long they can be very prone to rot, I give my Strombocactus a light watering about once a month from April until mid September when I stop watering completely until the following Spring.

These Cacti need a totally dry overwintering with no water to be given at all from mid Sept until April.

Fertilizing:

Fertilise Strombocactus with half the strength of Cactus feed in Spring and Summer, I usually give my Strombocactus a feed after the second watering in May and then again when I water in July, because these cacti are extremely slow growing feeding is not an absolute necessity, but it can help to encourage better growth and more chance of flowers, especially because these Cacti are often left to grow in the same pot for a good few years due to their slow growth.

Soil Mix: 

Strombocactus need an extremely well draining gritty cactus mix and are very prone to rotting if they are planted in a normal house plant soil, a good quality well draining cactus soil that drains freely and dries out fast is an absolute must, I use a mix of 3 equal parts of loam ( John innes number 2 ) grit and Horticultural sharp sand, but every grower has their own preferences for cactus soil, the most important thing is that it is very well draining and dries out fast within a day or two after watering.

If you want to know How I make my own Cactus soil and How you can too then check out the video I have made for my Cactus and Succulent You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon on How To Make your own Cactus & Succulent Soil, and you can watch this video below:

Repotting: 

Repotting is always best done in the Spring and Summer months but avoid repotting when the cactus is coming into bud or bloom, repot into just the next size pot up and do not be tempted to pot up into a much bigger pot thinking your Strombocactus will grow faster and larger because these Cacti have their Turnip like taproots that are very sensitive to excess moisture that can hang around if these cacti are planted up into too large a pot, I am often being asked why I say to under rather than overpot a cactus when in their natural habitats Cacti are growing with plenty of space to grow their roots, but the difference is in their natural habitats cacti often grow in crevices and in very dry arid landscapes where any rainfall dries out within hours and so does the substrate they are growing in and the air humidity around them, but in cultivation its a very different story.

When repotted keep the cactus dry with no water for at least 2 weeks to allow any roots to heal and for the cactus to settle into its new soil and pot.

Flowering :

Strombocactus disciformis produces cream flowers from spring to summer, and Strombocactus disciformis ssp esperansae produces bright pink flowers from spring to summer, the flowers are about 3-4 cm in width and grow from the apex of the Cactus. Sorry I don’t have any photos to show you of their flowers as I am still waiting for my Strombocactus to flower and I can’t use others photos online, but do have a little ‘google’ at ‘Stombocactus Flowers’ online and you will see how beautiful Strombocactus flowers can be.

Propagation:

Strombocactus is propagated from seeds in early Spring and although very rewarding to do, a lot of patience is needed as they are extremely slow growing, these cacti will often flower from 10 years old when grown from seed.

If you would like to grow Strombocactus or any other Cactus from seed then I have made a special video for my Cactus and Succulent You Tube Channel  called Desert Plants of Avalon on How To Grow Cacti from Seed’ and you can watch this video below:

Pests & Diseases:

Like all Cacti Strombocactus can be prone to Mealy Bugs and Spider mites, both these pesky beasts can be treated with rubbing / Isopropyl alcohol by dabbing any beasts and their woolly nests with a small brush like an Artists paint brush dipped in rubbing/Isopropyl alcohol, Spider mites can be treated by spraying the cactus with with rubbing / Isopropyl alcohol in a hand held mist sprayer, Horticultural Neem oil mixed with Horticultural soap is also very effective both as a preventative and as a treatment for beasts on cacti, both rubbing alcohol and Neem oil treatments need to be repeated a number of times over a couple of weeks to completely eliminate all traces of beasts and their eggs, its also very important to treat all cacti and succulents and other plants you have in your collection at the same time.

Mealy bugs, mealybugs, mealybug on cactus, mealybugs on cactus, cactus mealybug, how to get rid of mealybug on cactus,
A Mealybug infestation on a Cactus. Mealybug is a very common Pest for every type of cactus, Horticultural Neem oil or Rubbing /Isopropyl alcohol helps to keep these beasts under control.

The most common form of disease with Strombocactus is root or base rot, these Cacti need a very well draining gritty cactus mix due to their turnip tuberous roots, very careful watering in spring and summer and a totally dry overwintering should prevent any chances of rot.

I have made a special care video on Strombocactus disciformis for my Cactus and Succulent You Tube Channel called Desert Plants of Avalon and you can watch this video below:

Thanks so much for reading and Happy Growing to you all.

 

 

 

How to Grow Cacti & Succulents from Seed

In this Blog I will be talking about how you can grow cacti and Succulent plants from Seed and talking about the method I like to use to grow my cacti and succulent plants from seed and I have had great success throughout the years using this method.

how to grow cacti from seed
Photo: My Homalocephala texensis ‘Horse crippler cactus’ cactus seedlings just over a year old

Although there are many different ways to grow cacti and succulents from seed and there is no right or wrong way, In this Blog I will be showing you how to grow cacti and succulents from seed using the bag method.

I have included videos I have made for my Cacti & Succulent Plant You Tube channel called Desert Plants of Avalon that include step by step instructions on growing Cacti and Succulents from seed as well as a video on how to care for seedlings during their first Winter.

Why grow from Seed ? 

Growing from seed can be very rewarding as you get to see your plants grow from seedlings to mature plants over the years and although it can be very time consuming, knowing that you have grown your cacti and succulents from seed is a real buzz.

When is the best time to grow from seeds ? 

Cacti and Succulent seeds are best sown in late Winter, Spring or early Summer, this is because the days are longer and the temperatures are warmer, but if you have grow lights and additional heating then you can still sow seeds in Autumn and Winter too, the most important thing is that the seeds /seedlings are kept at a minimum temperature of 70 Fahrenheit  /21 Celsius.

cactus seedlings, how to grow cactus from seed
                                                        Photo:  My Rebutia muscala cactus seedlings at 8 months old.

What do I need to grow from Seed ? 

You will need :

Seeds, plant pots, transparent zip lock bags, a pen, plant labels or white sticky labels, 2 parts loam based seed sowing soil ( or any well draining soil ) 1 part grit or perlite and 1 part horticultural sand.

I have found that the clear fruit pots that you commonly see cherry tomatoes or strawberries sold in are perfect sizes to use as small seed pots and they fit perfect in the bags too as well being a great way to us as recycling,  just make sure that you thoroughly clean them first before using them for seed sowing.

How do I grow Cacti and Succulents from Seed ? 

If you want to watch a step by step video on How to Grow cacti and Succulents from seed then check out my video I have made for my You Tube channel called Desert Plants of Avalon below: 

Thoroughly mix up the 2 parts seed sowing soil with the 1 part perlite OR grit with the 1 part Horticultural sand. You can use the amount of soil mix to the amount you need depending on the size of your seed pots.

If the soil you are using has stones or lumps of bark chippings in it etc its best to remove these by running the soil through a gardening sieve first.

thoroughly mix up the seed sowing soil with the perlite or grit and the horticultural sand, you can remove any hard stones or bark chippings etc by running the soil through a gardening sieve first before mixing.

Once you have thoroughly mixed up all the soil with the perlite or grit and sand then its best to sterilise the soil by either microwaving it or heating it in the oven, this is optional but its something I like to do as it helps to reduce fungus and bacterial attacks on the young seedlings after they have germinated.

If you are sterilising the soil in the microwave then put all of the soil mix into the microwave on high setting for 3 minutes stopping half way through to thoroughly sir the soil mix with a clean spoon, its important that the soil mix is extremely hot as this is what will kill any pathogens and to sterilise your soil.

If you are sterilising your soil mix in the oven bake the soil mix at 180-200 F. /82-93 C for at least 30 minutes, or when the temperature of the soil mix reaches 180 F. (82 C. you can test the temperature of the soil by using a cake thermometer. 

Allow the soil mix to cool down before putting into the seed pot/s.

Once the soil mix has cooled down put the soil mix into the seed pots and place the seed pots in a tray or trays filled with 2-3 inches of clean water, if using rainwater it may be best to boil the water first and allow to cool down so any pathogens that could be in the water are reduced.

Leave the pots in the water until the soil mix in the pots is completely soaked with the water, this can take up to an hour or more but its important to be patient so the soil mix is thoroughly moist all the way through the soil.

Write the name /s of the seeds you will be sowing on the Plant labels / white sticky labels that you will be putting on the bags, and also the date you are sowing the seeds.

Make sure your hands are thoroughly clean then sow the seeds evenly across the surface of the plant pot/s. If the seeds are very small its best to sprinkle them on like pepper as evenly apart as possible but with larger seeds such as Opuntia or Aloe seeds you can place them onto the surface individually and gently press them down. 

Once you have sown the seeds you can very lightly sprinkle some horticultural sand on the top of the soil but make sure the sand is moist. By using sand this can help to minimise moss that often likes to grow on the soil that the young seedlings are growing in due to the soil always needing to be kept moist.

Place the seed pots into the clear plastic bags and make sure to release all the air inside the bags first before sealing the bags. 

Place the bags in a bright well lit location that receives some sun but not intense sun or intense heat.

Keep the seedlings inside their clear bag/s for a minimum of 3 months but you can keep them in the bags for longer than this if the seedlings are still small, I have kept seedlings in the bags for up to 10 months if they are still small and the soil inside the bags is still moist.

echinopsis subdenudata seedlings, cactus seedlings, domino cactus seedlings, sea urchin cactus seedlings,
My Echinopsis subdenudata cactus seedlings commonly known as The Sea Urchin Cactus or Domino Cactus. These seedlings are one year old.

After Care: 

NEVER open the bag/s until after a minimum of 3 months this is to continue to keep the seedlings and soil sterile, however if you notice your seedlings have fungus or any other problems sometimes opening the bag/s may be inevitable.

The young seedlings should not dry out in the bags for up to 3 months, this is because the clear bags act like a mini greenhouse and there is no room for the excess water inside to evaporate, and young seedlings do not take up large amounts of water, however if you notice the soil inside of the bag/s looks like it i drying out then you will have to open the bag/s to water before the 3 months.

After 3 months you can gradually unzip the clear bags over a few days to allow the seedlings inside the bag to acclimatise to the drier air outside of their bag/s in their new environment after a few days you can then take them out of their bag/s completely.

If after the 3 months your seedlings are still small then they can still stay in the bag/s for many more weeks or months if the soil inside the bag/s is still moist, sometimes I will leave my seedlings up to 9 months in the bag/s if there is no need for them to come out of them.

cactus seedlings
A selection of my cacti and succulent seedlings all grown by using the bag method.

How do I care for young cacti and succulent seedlings during their first Winter ? 

This can be confusing to many people because we are told as cacti and succulent growers to keep our plants cool and dry over Winter, but what do we do with young seedlings especially during their first winter ? because a cold and especially dry period could kill them off as the are still so young and their roots will still be fine and developing.

I strongly recommend that you overwinter your young cacti and succulent seedlings indoors at a minimum temperature of around 15 C/ 60 F for their first Winter. I would also still continue to water them lightly just enough to stop the delicate root hairs from drying out.

In their natural habitats in Winter young cacti and succulents would be growing under the shade of larger plants and vegetation where they would naturally be receiving more humidity and warmth than their mature parents that are  more exposed to the elements, therefore in nature in their natural habitats in dry arid deserts even in the Winter young seedlings would still be receiving moisture from the humidity on the lower grounds of the vegetation for their young developing root systems. 

After their first year you can continue to treat them as you would more mature cacti and succulents depending on their size and what type of cactus or succulent they are.

Here is a video I have made for my You Tube channel called Desert Plants of Avalon on How to care for Cacti and Succulent plant seedlings during their first Winter and you can watch this video below : 

If you have watched my video on How to Grow Cacti from Seed that I have made for my You Tube channel called Desert Plants of Avalon then check out the video below I have made on the update : 

Good luck with growing from seed Guys and more importantly HAVE FUN 😀