Notocactus SCOPA

Notocactus SCOPA - Silver ball cactus, Broom notocactus, Notocactus scopa, Parodia.

Notocactus is a genus of plants in the cactus family (Cactaceae), which modern taxonomy has entirely included in the genus Parodia. The name Notocactus remains in wide use, however, and seeds are almost always sold under it.

In nature, these cacti grow on highlands and in the foothills of Paraguay, Southern Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. Their stem is solitary, short-cylindrical or globose, up to 1 m (3.3 ft) high in adult specimens, dark green, with well-defined ribs. Most species do not form branches or offsets. On the crests of the ribs sit numerous small tubercles with pubescent areoles, from which emerge clusters of spines: from 1 to 5 brownish-red central and up to 40 short yellow radial ones.

Notocacti bloom early and very abundantly, with flowers large relative to the size of the plant. They form in the upper part of the stem or right at the apex. The flower is polypetalous, bell-shaped or funnel-shaped, and the thick short fleshy floral tube is densely covered with spines and bristles. The coloration can be yellow, orange, or red, petal bases are usually contrasting or more saturated, and stigmas are more often reddish. An open flower lasts about a week.

Silver ball cactus is a species with a bluish cylindrical stem up to 30 cm (12 in) high and 10 cm (4 in) across, branching from the base. Numerous ribs are densely set with short pure white spine-bristles, 30-40 in each areole, among which stand out 3-4 central ones, more robust and brightly colored. In different forms of the species they are dark red, almost black, bright yellow, or cream, and the cactus looks like an elegant contrasting fine-bristled ball.

The flowers are diurnal, numerous, lemon-yellow, 3.5 cm (1.4 in) long and up to 5 cm (2 in) across, with a red pistil, blooming at the apex of the stem. The floral tube is short, covered with fine hairs and bristles. This species is often grafted onto a tall rootstock.

Notocactus seeds are small, dark, ripening in dry fruits at the apex of the stem. Before sowing, they are disinfected by soaking in a weak pink solution of potassium permanganate for 24 hours. Scarification and stratification are not required.

Sowing is carried out in a substrate of completely rotted leaf mold, coarse sand, and charcoal in a ratio of 1:1:0.5. The soil and seed dishes must be sanitized beforehand. The substrate is not compacted; seeds are spread across the surface and lightly dusted with sand. Moistening can be done by bottom watering or from a spray bottle with a growth stimulant solution: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminosol, Epin, or Zircon. The dish is covered with glass or placed in a propagator and set in a bright warm place, but not in direct sun, maintaining a temperature of 25-27 °C (77-81 °F).

Under favorable conditions, the first sprouts appear within 10 days, main germination is completed in 10-15 days, while individual seeds may delay longer. Sowings are continuously ventilated and misted. After emergence, the daytime temperature is maintained not lower than 28 °C (82 °F), and at night fluctuations within 3-5 °C (5-9 °F) are permissible.

The first pricking out is carried out after one and a half to two months, into sterile substrate and a sterile container. The second - when seedlings begin to form spines or crowd each other, into a sterile loose mixture slightly more nutritious than the sowing mix. The third pricking out, which under favorable conditions occurs approximately in a month to a month and a half, is carried out differently: seedlings are dried for a few days, specimens with weak roots are transplanted as usual, while for those that have developed long sturdy roots, these roots are shortened by approximately half and planted into a dry mixture.

Containers with pricked-out seedlings are kept open for two to three days, then placed under transparent lids or in plastic bags and set in a propagator or on a windowsill well warmed by the sun. In this state, seedlings are kept without watering for another one to two weeks: in warmth and dryness, wounds on the roots quickly heal and new rootlets form. The first watering is done with a weak solution of a root-forming stimulant, and after just a couple of days the seedlings start growing. The fourth pricking out is done the same as the third, and two to three weeks after the first watering, part of the seedlings is transferred to more austere conditions and gradually acclimated to room humidity, removing the cover first temporarily and then completely.

Pricking out is carried out carefully, with tweezers or a specially prepared stick, and the pricked-out sowing is watered only after a few days with boiled water. All the time while seeds germinate and seedlings grow, sowings must be inspected daily: this helps notice rot in time. For the first two years, small plants are gradually accustomed to lighting, watered without over-drying the root ball, and kept warmer in autumn and winter than adult specimens.

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Notocacti prefer bright light, but they are introduced to spring sun gradually, and shaded during the hottest hours in summer.

The optimal temperature is moderate or warm, around 22-23 °C (72-73 °F). In winter, the plant is given a dormant period at a temperature of 10-12 °C (50-54 °F), minimum 10 °C (50 °F), and strictly under dry conditions.

Like all cacti, notocacti have a great need for fresh air, so for the summer it is best to take them out into the garden or onto the balcony and leave them there until autumn. Round-the-clock stay in fresh air hardens the plants and increases their resistance to diseases and pests. In spring and summer, watering is generous, reduced from autumn, and in winter reduced to rare moistening of the substrate. Notocacti are resistant to dry air.

The substrate is made up of 1 part turf loam, 1 part leaf mold, 1 part peat soil, 1 part sand and crushed brick, and for adult and old plants the proportion of turf loam is doubled. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot.

Fertilizer is applied from late spring to mid-summer, using a specialized fertilizer for cacti.

Young plants are repotted annually or every other year, older ones every one to two years.