Ferocactus PILOSUS

Ferocactus PILOSUS - Mexican lime cactus, Ferocactus pilosus, Ferocactus PILIFERUS.

Ferocactus is a genus of cacti in the family Cactaceae, comprising about 30 species native to arid regions of North and Central America.

The genus is represented by large globular and barrel-shaped cacti with prominent ribs and large areoles. The main distinction is powerful spines, often colored red, yellow, or white. The spines are rigid, straight, or hooked. Many species show a tendency to grow in height with age, transitioning into a columnar shape.

Flowering occurs in summer. The flowers are large, usually reddish, yellow, or pink, forming at the top of the plant. The fruits are oblong, fleshy, and become dry upon ripening. The seeds are small, black or brown, rounded in shape with a shiny surface.

Mexican lime cactus is a shrubby cactus with a stem that is initially spherical and later cylindrical. In nature, it reaches 60 cm (23.6 in) in diameter and over 3 m (9.8 ft) in height. The dark green stem has 15-20 fairly tall ribs bearing pubescent areoles with 4 central spines up to 4 cm (1.6 in) long and 6-8 lateral spines up to 2 cm (0.8 in) long. All spines are flattened or hook-shaped, reddish or orange in color. In the upper part of the stem in summer, diurnal bell-shaped orange or yellow flowers up to 4 cm (1.6 in) long bloom. It stands out by the presence of thin white hairs in the areoles.

Seeds are sown on the surface of a moistened mineral substrate with the addition of fine sand. The sowings are covered with a transparent dome. Daily ventilation and maintaining a temperature in the range of 22-26 °C (72-79 °F) are required.

Seedlings appear after 7-20 days. In rare cases, germination is delayed up to 30-40 days. Pricking out is carried out after the appearance of the first spines, while the seedlings are carefully transplanted into individual containers and kept under diffused lighting.

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Ferocactus is successfully grown at home. It is placed in a bright sunny spot, preferably a south-facing window or a greenhouse. When grown in an apartment, maximum illumination and regular ventilation are provided.

In summer, the temperature is maintained at 22-30 °C (72-86 °F); in winter, keeping at 8-12 °C (46-54 °F) in conditions of complete dormancy is preferable. Watering is carried out after the soil dries out completely, using soft water. During the cold period, watering is stopped to avoid rotting.

A coarse-grained mineral substrate with the addition of sand, brick chips, and perlite is used. Preference is given to deep pots with mandatory drainage. Repotting is carried out in spring as needed. During the growing season, mineral fertilizers for cacti are applied once every 3-4 weeks. From mid-autumn, feeding is discontinued. Nitrogen fertilizers are not used.

Pruning and shaping are not carried out. Propagation is carried out primarily by seeds, as the plant grows slowly and rarely produces offsets. The plant is recommended for experienced and novice cactus growers.