Echinocactus texensis blooms

[Ordphien]

Thank you!
Here it is with it's flower. If you need any specific shots let me know.
It wasn't a seller who argued. Just an avid cacti enthusiast.


Ok. So it blooms 2 to 4 times a year. The flower is close to 9" long.
They last for 3 days each. The fragrance is wafting. Hard to describe. Bubblegum and jasmine. But also very fresh and unlike both those scents.
The pups do not produce fragrance when they bloom. Only the mother plant. Maybe it's an age thing?

[smweaver]

It is an echinopsis, probably a hybrid (but perhaps a species, although someone who's more familiar with the genus can give a more definitive answer). They're quite popular for their ability to produce multiple blooms over a long season. And yes, some are nicely fragrant. There are many, many hybrids of echinopsis, so why another grower would be adamantly insistent about fragrance (one way or the other) is beyond me.

You have a nice clump, and plants of this genus tend to clump a lot, which should give you a great colony of flowering plants one day. I don't think that they enjoy full blazing sun all day long, but they're generally considered easy to grow and bloom. Congratulations on your plant. It's quite attractive.

[Ordphien]

Thank you!
That was the ID he gave until I said it was fragrant.

I did not know these were part sun. Which is great because that's exactly where mine is.
Do you have any repotting tips?
To be honest I inherited this plant from my grandparents, and it's taken a couple years to get that clump back up to size.
It was pretty big when I was little and pretty small when I got it lol.
I'm looking for a soil mix and possibly what size pot to go up to.
I'm terrified. The last two times I repotted a cactus I killed them.

[smweaver]

I would repot it now (spring is usually the time when many cacti will start to form new roots) into a slightly larger pot. Shallow plain terra cota (not glazed) pots are preferable to the taller azalea types. I basically use a commercial cactus mix and modify it by adding pumice, small-grade fir bark and pea gravel so that the ratio of all these ingredients is 4:2:1:1. But this is just what works for me, so don't be afraid to experiment. You can add a layer of large-grade gravel at the bottom of the pot to assist with drainage if you want to. After it's repotted, avoid watering the plant for a couple of weeks to allow any broken roots to heal, and then start watering it lightly for a couple more weeks.

I think echinopsis hybrids are rather forgiving plants. Contrary to what's often assumed, cacti do appreciate regular watering during the warm and sunny summer months. Just let your plant dry out completely between waterings and then give it another good soaking. During the winter cold period many of them go dormant, and water should be avoided at that time. Cool temperatures, respecting the plant's dormancy (i.e. keeping it dry), and maximizing sunlight will promote flowering in the spring.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by Ordphien

Do you have any repotting tips?

In southern California you can repot Echinopsis anytime during warm weather. Use a garden hose to spray off all the old soil. There may not be many roots. Use a new container with 1" to 2" of space all around between the plant and the container. Your garden soil is probably better than using cactus mix. Lots of people incorporate peat moss and mulch into their cactus mixes but I don't like doing that. I water newly-repotted cacti right away. You can too, since you have low humidity. People in high-humidity areas are better off waiting a day or so to water.

You can pull off the heads and root them easily. Most will bloom the next year. The more you fertilize during warm weather, the more it will bloom.

You can plant them in the garden. Put them on a mound so they don't stay soaked all winter if rains a lot in the future.

[Tindomul]

[FONT="Palatino linotype"}Great Cactus, I would be afraid of loosing my balance and falling head first on it while trying to sniff it.[/FONT]