Aylostera CAJASENSIS

Aylostera CAJASENSIS - Cajas aylostera, Aylostera cajasensis, Rebutia, Aylostera HELIOSA 'CAJASENSIS'.

Aylostera is a genus of plants in the cactus family (Cactaceae), comprising, according to various data, from 10 to 30 species. In nature, they grow high in the mountains, in crevices and hollows of rocky slopes, and are accustomed to sharp diurnal temperature drops.

The genus is very close to rebutias, but differs from them in cylindrical stems in adult plants, bristles on the floral tube, and a style fused with the tube for half its length. Some authors consider Aylostera a subgenus of Rebutia altogether, so in catalogs the same plants are found under both names.

The plants are small, up to 6 cm (2.4 in) across, ovoid or cylindrical, densely covered with thin spines and profusely forming lateral shoots. There are 11-25 ribs, divided into small tubercles. The spines are white, thin, bristle-like, about 0.5 cm (0.2 in) long, with central ones longer, up to 2 cm (0.8 in). The flowers are solitary, funnel-shaped, orange or red, up to 4 cm (1.6 in) across.

Cajas aylostera is a plant found at the Cajas Pass northwest of Tarija in Bolivia, at an altitude of about 2,500 m (8,200 ft) above sea level, hence its name. Many authors consider it not an independent species, but a form of Aylostera heliosa.

The stem is gray-green, completely covered with glassy silvery spines radiating like a comb from coppery-colored areoles. In nature, the plant is described as solitary, but in cultivation it branches quickly and irregularly, forming a dense clump with age. The flowers are funnel-shaped, orange-red to red, up to 5 cm (2 in) long and 4 cm (1.6 in) across, emerging low at the base of the stems and appearing in spring in such numbers that the plants literally hide beneath them.

Aylostera seeds are very fine, dark, ripening in small dry fruits at the base of the stem. Before sowing, they are disinfected by soaking for 10 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and dried in air. Scarification and stratification are not required.

Sowing is carried out on the surface into a sterilized substrate of completely rotted leaf mold, washed river sand, and finely crushed charcoal in a ratio of 1:1:0.5, with mandatory good drainage. The sowing is moistened from a spray bottle with a growth stimulant solution: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminosol, Epin, or Zircon, covered with plastic film or placed in a propagator, and germinated in light, but not in direct sun, at a temperature of 15-20 °C (59-68 °F).

Under favorable conditions, the first sprouts appear as early as 7 days, main germination is completed in 7-14 days, while individual seeds may delay longer than 30 days. Sowings are regularly ventilated; waterlogging and drying out are unacceptable. Pricking out is carried out after the appearance of 2-3 true spines into pots sized to the seedlings, with the next repotting already the following year. Caring for a seedling like an adult plant is possible only from two years of age, and one must acclimate it to such a regimen gradually. Young plants need good lighting, but direct sunlight should be avoided.

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Aylostera needs good lighting and fresh air. It prefers bright direct light without shading and feels best on southeastern and southern balconies and windows, somewhat worse on eastern and western ones. On a north window, the plant loses its natural appearance, stretches, and does not bloom, so artificial lighting is needed there.

In summer, the plant is kept at 25-35 °C (77-95 °F), preferably outdoors, or if this is not possible, with regular ventilation of the room. If there were few sunny days in autumn and winter, in spring the plant is introduced to direct rays gradually, otherwise it will get sunburned. In autumn, the temperature is gradually lowered, preparing the cactus for the dormant period.

During dormancy, a cool, dry, and bright room is needed, optimally 6-10 °C (43-50 °F). At higher temperatures, plants stretch, become overgrown with numerous offsets, and bloom poorly. Observing the autumn-winter temperature regime is especially important here: warm air combined with lack of light prevents the cactus from entering dormancy and leads to stem deformation.

In summer, watering is regular as soon as the substrate in the pot dries out. Water should be well-settled and preferably acidified with citric acid at a rate of half a teaspoon per 7 liters (1.8 gallons). From mid-September to mid-May, watering is stopped completely, watering only young plants less than 1 cm (0.4 in) across. Watering is resumed when daytime temperatures establish above 20 °C (68 °F).

The substrate needs to be nutritious, water- and air-permeable: for example, 1 part coarse river sand, 1 part peat, and 3 parts leaf mold, with a particle size of 3-5 mm (0.1-0.2 in). Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot.

Fertilizer is applied with the start of vegetation once a month using a specialized cactus fertilizer, and is not used during the dormant period. Nitrogen in the fertilizer should be less than the other elements: its excess provokes root rot. The approximate ratio is nitrogen 9, phosphorus 18, potassium 24.

The exact time for repotting is impossible to state: it depends on climate, where the collection is situated, and even window orientation. The moment must be caught on one's own - when the plants plump up and begin to grow. Early-flowering species are repotted after flowering. Young specimens are repotted annually only if necessary, adult ones every 3-4 years, strictly from dry substrate into dry substrate, and the first watering is given only after 5-7 days, keeping the cactus in a shaded place all that time. In addition to seeds, Aylostera is propagated by rooting lateral shoots - offsets.