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Habitat:
Northern Argentina, Bolivia.
Description: a dwarf genus with short ribless stems, spiny tubercles,
beetroot-like roots. Flowers are borne from April to September. In the wild
they grow in fissures among rocks and other humid sites. They
self-pollinate.
Soil: basic mix or 60% sandy soil, 20% agriperlite, 20% pumice stone.
Location: choose a bright, warm site with indirect light.
Temperature: grafted plants are able to withstand a minimum of 6°C
(43°F).
Water:
average; increase the frequency during the
growing season. Spray with water in the warm summer evenings.
Cultivation tips: seeds are very difficult to germinate; they’re
slow-growing plants. It’s a frequent practice to graft them on Myrtillocacus
geometrizans or Hylocereus undatus, although the latter has a tendency to
become swollen thus spoiling its appearance which is compensated for by a
good seed production. They’re prone to mealy bug and spider mite. Seedlings
usually need protection against the larvae of the sciara fly (tiny white
worms) that hatch out in humus-rich soil if not previously sterilized.
Main
species: B.
liliputana, sin.
Parodia l.; B. fescheri; B. minima.
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