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Echinopsis
Echinopsis spp.
Care level: Easy
Echinopsis is a group of South American cacti, from the hills of Peru, Brazil and Argentina, best known in cultivation as small, ribbed, dark green globes that pup freely around the base. They would be unremarkable if it were not for the flowers: huge funnels of white, pink, orange or red on long, woolly tubes, often scented and often larger than the plant that carries them. They are among the toughest and most forgiving cacti to grow, and with sun in summer and a cool, dry winter they flower every year.
Full sun. In very hot climates or behind glass in a heatwave, a little afternoon shade helps.
Water
Water thoroughly in growth, then let the compost dry out. Keep it dry in winter.
Humidity
Dry air suits it. Never mist.
Soil
A free-draining cactus compost with added grit or coarse sand, in a pot with drainage holes.
Temperature
Keep it frost free. A cool, bright, dry winter rest encourages flowering.
Size
Globe-shaped kinds reach 10-30cm across; the genus also includes tall columnar species.
?Pet safety not confirmed
As a precaution, keep it out of reach of children and pets.
Signature feature
Each flower opens in the late evening and lasts about a day. The buds grow slowly for weeks as grey, hairy knobs on the side of the plant, then the tube lengthens in a few days and the flower opens overnight. A mature plant produces several flushes in a summer.
Care by Season
Spring
Resume watering as growth starts. Hairy flower buds appear on the sides of the plant.
Summer
Flowers open in flushes. Water when dry, feed a few times and stand the pot outdoors in sun.
Autumn
Reduce watering and stop by mid-autumn. Bring the pot in before the first frost.
Winter
Keep it cool, bright and dry until spring.
Growing & Maintenance
Repotting
Repot every two or three years in spring into a slightly larger pot of dry cactus compost with added grit. Wait a week before watering.
Fertilising
Feed monthly from spring to late summer with a cactus fertiliser, or a tomato fertiliser at half strength. Do not feed in autumn or winter.
Propagation
By offsets, twisted off, dried for a few days and set on gritty compost, by stem cuttings of the columnar and finger-stemmed kinds, or by seed.
Pests & Diseases
Common problems
No flowers
Most likely cause: A warm or watered winter, too little sun or a young plant.
What to do: Give full sun, a cool, dry rest and time.
Many offsets and no buds
Most likely cause: Energy going into pups, often with rich feeding.
What to do: Remove most of the offsets and feed less nitrogen.
Buds dry up and drop
Most likely cause: A sudden change of position, or dry compost while the buds were forming.
What to do: Do not move or turn the plant once buds show, and water regularly in growth.
Yellow or brown scorched patches
Most likely cause: Sunburn after a sudden move into strong sun.
What to do: Harden off gradually; the scars remain.
Soft, brown base
Most likely cause: Rot from wet compost.
What to do: Keep drier and re-root healthy parts in gritty mix.
Narrow, pale new growth at the top
Most likely cause: Too little light.
What to do: Move to full sun gradually.
Pests & Diseases
Mealybugs
Signs: White, woolly tufts between the ribs, at the base and on the roots.
Treatment: Dab them off with a cotton bud dipped in alcohol and repeat weekly; wash and repot if the roots are affected. Check the undersides of the leaves and the crevices where the leaf stem meets the main stalk.
Red spider mite
Signs: Rusty brown, corky scarring that spreads over the skin in hot, dry, still air.
Treatment: Increase ventilation and rinse the plant; new growth comes clean. Check the undersides of the leaves and the crevices where the leaf stem meets the main stalk.
Rot
Signs: The base turns soft and brown, or the whole body collapses, in wet compost.
Treatment: Cut back to firm, healthy tissue, dry the cut for a week and re-root; discard a plant that is soft throughout.
FAQ
Why does my Echinopsis not flower?
It needs full sun in summer and a cool, dry, bright rest in winter. A plant kept warm and watered all year grows offsets and no buds. It also needs to be a few years old, about the size of a tennis ball or larger.
How long do the flowers last?
About a day. They open in the evening, are at their best overnight and the next morning, and wilt in the heat of the following day. Cool weather stretches that a little.
Should I remove the offsets?
You can. A plant crowded with pups puts its energy into them. Leave a few for a clump, and twist the others off in spring or summer to pot up separately.
How often should I water it?
In spring and summer water thoroughly and let the compost dry out before watering again. From mid-autumn to early spring keep it dry.
Can it stand outside in summer?
Yes, and it flowers better for it. Move it out after the last frost, get it used to direct sun over a week or two and bring it in before the first frost.
Why is the plant turning yellow or brown on one side?
Sunburn, usually after a sudden move from indoors into strong sun. The marks are permanent but harmless; harden plants off gradually.
