- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossom
- fruit
- use
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- multiply Mammillaria
- sowing
- Potted Mammillaria
- balcony
- Water Mammillaria
- Fertilize Mammillaria properly
- How do I plant correctly?
- hibernate
- pests
- sorts
Mammillaria cacti have won the hearts of many succulent lovers. They are particularly robust and require little maintenance. Nevertheless, you should know the requirements of these species so that you can enjoy a lush bloom every year.
Mammillaria is a pretty variety of cactus
Table of Contents
Show all- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossom
- fruit
- use
- Which location is suitable?
- What soil does the plant need?
- multiply Mammillaria
- sowing
- Potted Mammillaria
- balcony
- Water Mammillaria
- Fertilize Mammillaria properly
- How do I plant correctly?
- hibernate
- pests
- sorts
- protect against excessive evaporation
- make it difficult for animals to eat plant parts
- repel direct sunlight
- pH in the acidic or neutral range
- good nutrient availability
- coarse structure for high water permeability
- Place outside in a shady spot for one to two weeks
- Morning and evening sun does not harm the plants
- then place in the final location in the sun
- at the base of the plant
- alternatively place the pot in a bowl filled with water
- Remove the planter as soon as the top layer of soil appears damp
- drain excess water.
- Mammillaria vetula: Abundantly sprouting, globular shoots, grey-green. Flowers lemon yellow, up to 18 millimeters. fruits whitish-yellow. Up to ten centimeters tall.
- Mammillaria elongata: Elongated shoots, cylindrical. White to golden yellow thorns. Flowers pink to pale yellow, later red.
- Mammillaria spinosissima: Cylindrical growth, blue-green. Densely covered with thorns. Outer petals brownish with pink edge, inner petals carmine. Up to 30 centimeters high and seven centimeters wide.
origin
With 180 species, the genus Mammillaria belongs to the cactus family. Their name indicates the warty structure of the shoots. A distribution focus of the genus extends across Mexico. Mammillaria species are found in the southwestern United States, Venezuela, and Colombia. Some representatives have discovered niches on the Caribbean islands for themselves.
growth
The succulent plants develop oblong to spherical growth forms. Their shoots stand upright individually or develop side shoots that give the cactus a cushion-like shape. Unlike other cacti, Mammillaria species develop warts instead of the typical ridges that dot the surface. Based on the number of warts, a clear identification of the species is possible. Woolly hairs or bristles can sit in the depressions between the warts. In some species these areas are completely bare.
leaves
Typical for cacti are strongly reduced leaves. They appear as thorns, the shape and number of which differ depending on the species. They can appear straight or curved. Some of the thorns are reminiscent of the shape of a hook. These reduced leaves arise on top of the warts. They may appear smooth or rough to finely hairy, coarse and bristly, or softly hairy.
Thorns are useful structures:
blossom
Mammillaria cacti develop lateral flowers that arise in the older wart interstices. They are hermaphroditic and can be tubular, bell-shaped or wheel-shaped. In some species, the flowers reach a diameter of between four and seven centimeters.
The succulent plants develop flowers with numerous bracts that shine in a wide variety of colors. They range from white to yellow to different shades of red. The flowers are in full bloom from spring through to autumn.
fruit
When the flowers have withered, the fruits are pushed out on the spaces between the warts. The green or red fruits are only visible when they are fully ripe. The yellowish to black seeds are surrounded by a juicy pericarp.
use
Mammillaria species are cultivated in pots. They beautify greenhouses (77.12€) and, as robust and easy-care cacti, are also suitable for beginners in succulent cultivation. The prickly plants feel comfortable on the windowsill.
Which location is suitable?
Mammillaria feel particularly comfortable in a full sun location. Green species are an exception because they prefer a bright location without direct sunlight. Warm temperatures between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius favor healthy growth. With year-round sunshine, the cacti develop aesthetically colored thorns. The flowers show up in lush splendor when there is sufficient light.
During the summer months, the succulent plants enjoy an outdoor location. If you do not have the opportunity for outdoor cultivation, you can easily place mammillaria in the room. They like a spot on the south-facing windowsill. Avoid frequent changes of location as the plant is sensitive to changing conditions.
What soil does the plant need?
A suitable substrate consists of one part sharp-grained sand and two parts compost. As an alternative to sand, you can use perlite. Pumice gravel and lava rock improve permeability and increase the mineral content in the substrate. Make sure you use a lime-free mixture, as the plants do not tolerate lime. Special soils for cacti and succulents are optimally tailored to the requirements of the plants. They provide them with all the important materials.
Substrate properties:
multiply Mammillaria
Some species develop young plants at their base, which can be used for vegetative propagation. These Kindel are fully developed and have enough roots of their own to survive on their own.
Use a sharp knife to separate the buds from the mother plant and allow the wound to dry for two to three days. Put the cut side of the young plant in a pot with fresh substrate. Species that do not develop children can be propagated by seeds.
sowing
If berries appear on the cacti in autumn, you can pick them for seed production. Squeeze the pulp with the seeds onto an absorbent cloth and allow the pulp to air dry for a few days. Collect the seeds and store in a cool, dry place until sowing next spring.
Potted Mammillaria
Mammillaria are cultivated in pots. Species that tend to form groups due to side shoots are planted in a wide bowl. Here the plants can spread unhindered. Tightly upright growing species that develop little or no side shoots feel at home in a deep planter. A cactus with a diameter of five centimeters needs a pot with a diameter of four centimetres.
balcony
Mammillaria enjoy a sunny spot on the balcony during the warm summer months. Gradually acclimate the plant to outside temperatures. A sudden change of location from the living room to the balcony can cause damage. The shoots must develop a protective layer against the UV radiation in order not to burn. Damage caused by excessive exposure to the sun shows up as irregular brown spots.
How to habituate mammillaria:
Water Mammillaria
The water requirement of Mammillaria is moderate. As succulent plants, they store water in the fleshy, thickened shoots. During the growth phase between spring and autumn, the cacti enjoy regular watering. Give the plants fresh water once the top layer of soil has dried out.
Water sparingly to avoid waterlogging. The robust plants survive periods of drought without any problems. They'll forgive you if you forget to water. The substrate should not dry out during the winter months.
How to water correctly:
Fertilize Mammillaria properly
When the cacti are growing, they need a complete fertilizer rich in potassium every four weeks. You can use a cactus fertilizer because it supplies the plants with important nutrients. Fertilize until fall. Then stop the nutrient supply completely.
How do I plant correctly?
As soon as the succulents have completely rooted through the substrate and the first roots are growing out of the drainage holes, you should transplant your Mammillaria. The ideal time for this measure is early spring, before the start of the new growing season. Use a pair of cucumber tongs to avoid injuring yourself on the prickly thorns. Special care should be taken with Mammillaria with hooked thorns. Once the hooks have become embedded in the skin, they are difficult to remove without injuring the sensitive warts.
Completely remove the old substrate from the root ball. You can gently shake and tap the plant to loosen soil residue. Fill a larger planter with fresh substrate and place the cactus in the middle of the ground. Fill in gaps and water the crop.
hibernate
The cacti need a dormant period of at least 16 weeks to develop flowers. Winter is perfect for that needed break. Place the planter in a cool room with temperatures between six and ten degrees Celsius. If the plants are overwintered at room temperatures, they will continue to grow and require more water than when dormant. Under these conditions, there will be no flowering the next year.
Frost-free basements and garages with north-facing windows are suitable as winter quarters. Since the plants also need light in winter, you should hang up plant lamps in dark rooms. Fluorescent tubes are also suitable. Make sure there is a distance of 20 centimeters between the light source and the plant.
pests
Mammillaria are considered hardy plants that are rarely attacked by pests. Mealybugs and spider mites are among the most common unwanted guests.
Mealybug
These pests are often observed on Mammillaria. They leave flaky excretions resembling cotton balls. If the infestation is very advanced, the affected plants will show stunted growth. You can fight a pest infestation with beneficial insects such as ladybugs, parasitic wasps (€22.99) and bedbugs. The thorns make it difficult to get rid of the lice. For targeted control, you can spray the plant with oil-based preparations. Heavily affected and visibly weakened shoots should be cut off.
spider mites
These pests appear as bright spots on the plant parts. They damage the plant, so that the shoots are covered with light gray spots after a heavy infestation. Spray solutions with rapeseed oil fight the insects. The oil film traps the spider mites so they suffocate. The natural enemies of the pests are predatory mites, ground beetles and predatory bugs.
tips
Mammillaria awaken the passion for collecting. Combine different flowering species in a disused aquarium. In combination with figures you create a miniature desert world.