Breeding exotic plants is a hobby for millions of people around the world.
Cacti on this background stand out particularly - it hurts them to have an unusual appearance.
One of the most popular types of cacti for breeding at home is Gruchinoni echinocactus (Echinocactus grusonii).
Botanical description
Under natural conditions, this type of cactus grows in the central part of Mexico. The young plant is distinguished by a dark green spherical stem with sharp edges. Over time, the stem is transformed from a ball into a barrel, while its height can reach one meter. 
The ribs of the stem (in adult plants there are up to 40 of them) are decorated with densely sitting, fluffy buds (areoles), merging at the top of the cactus into a golden cap.
In each areola, needles develop: radial (there can be up to 10 of them) and central (4 of them). The length of the radial spines can reach 3 cm, and the central - 5 cm.
Important! On sale you can see unusual cacti with colored needles - red, purple or pink - and the name Gruzonii echinocactus (usually the word corresponding to the color of the needles is added to the name, for example, "red"). However, it is known that in nature, Echinocactus needles can be either golden or white. Other needles colors are achieved with the help of ordinary food dyes, which are mixed into the water for irrigation. How to care for such a red copy? Yes, as in the usual uhginocactus gruzoni. But if you stop using dyes, the color of the needles of the plant quickly returns to normal.Blossom Gruzoni echinocactus begins in late May or early June. At the same time, plants that have overstepped twenty years of age are capable of flowering. Flowers bloom alternately at the top of the stem. They are pale yellow, looks like bells. The diameter of the flower reaches 6 cm.
Growing conditions
Creating optimal conditions for growing cactus will allow you to have a beautiful healthy plant, pleasing others with its appearance.
Did you know? Echinocactus Gruzonie is a real long-liver. The age of some specimens is estimated at 600 years.
Temperature and humidity
It is important to remember that at temperatures above +30 ° C, the growth of this type of cactus slows down or may even stop. For the period from October to February, Echinocactus is desirable to keep the room cooler. The optimum temperature for it during this period is +12 ° C.
Like Gruzoni echinocactus, succulents are attributed to the stocks, mammyllaria, echeveria, lithops, hatior, havortiyu.The plant is not demanding on the humidity of the air, the conditions of a typical city apartment are quite acceptable for him. This type of cactus does not need additional hydration.
Lighting
For the normal development of Georgian echinocactus, direct sunlight is necessary. In the summer it can be carried out in the open sun. Under insufficient light, the plant loses the spines.
If echinocactus is always turned to the light by one side, then the shaded side gradually shrinks, the appearance of the cactus deteriorates. In order to avoid this, a pot with cactus should be periodically turned in the same direction, for example, in a clockwise direction.
Important! You can prepare your own soil. To do this, take the turf ground (two parts), leaf ground (one part), coarse sand (one part) and half of the fine gravel (can be replaced with brick dust).
The soil
It is reasonable to use ready-made soil for cacti, which is sold in flower shops, as a soil for Gruzony echinocactus. In this case, it is desirable to add fine gravel or brick chips to this soil. 
Planting cactus
This procedure is not difficult. Bruise echinocactus can multiply in a vegetative way (by children), and by seeds.
You will be interested to learn about such methods of reproduction of cacti, as vegetative and seed.
Children
Shoots, shoots, or "kids" in this type of cactus appear very rarely. The stem begins to branch (release children) in case of mechanical damage to the apex, or when the plant is on the verge of death.
When breeding children, it is important to carefully separate the process from the parent stem. Rooting of the separated process in the prepared substrate, as a rule, occurs quickly. 
Seeds
Seeds are used much more often for reproduction of echinocactus. The best time for this is the middle of spring. Seeds are soaked for several hours in warm water.
Immediately before planting, they are placed for ten minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate to avoid putrid mold, then sown in the prepared soil without deepening, sprinkled on top with a thin (1-2 mm) soil layer.
Shoots appear in 10-30 days. 
Care rules
Echinocactus Gruzoni unpretentious, but improper care for him can cause a deterioration in the appearance of the plant, and even lead to his death.
Watering
For watering cactus water is used, settled for 3-4 days at room temperature. During the period of active growing season (spring-summer), the plant is watered infrequently, waiting for the soil to dry out completely in the pot. From mid-autumn, watering is reduced, and in winter, as a rule, they do without watering.
Top dressing
As fertilizer of Echinocactus Gruzoni use special fertilizers for cacti, any other fertilizers can do more harm than good. For example, cactus is absolutely contraindicated in any organic matter. 
Top dressing is made once a month and only in the spring and summer period, starting from the middle of spring and ending at the beginning of autumn.
Transfer
As they grow, the plant is transplanted into larger pots. The size of a pot is defined as the diameter of a cactus plus one to two centimeters. Transplantation of a cactus is associated with certain difficulties due to the numerous needles.
Did you know? In 1956, a resident of Brazil managed to gather 267 cactus needles with his body in 15 seconds. This record is still not broken.To gently remove echinocactus from the ground, use heavy gloves or special wire grip. When transplanting it is necessary to take into account that the roots of this plant are very fragile.
The plant extracted from the pot should be examined and, if necessary, removed the rotten or dried roots. Cactus can be watered no earlier than 2-3 days after transplantation. 
Diseases and pests of the plant
Echinocactus Gruzoni can root root rot, which is most often caused by excessive watering. For the prevention of this disease, a small amount of crushed activated carbon is mixed into the soil.
Learn more about the diseases and pests of cacti.Plant blight can be cured only in the early stages of the disease. At the same time, the areas damaged by the disease are cut off, the cut points are treated with chalk or activated charcoal, the echinocactus is transplanted into a new pot with a complete replacement of the soil.
When a cactus shield appears, it is necessary to treat insect shells with alcohol or vinegar. After 2-3 hours, the pests are removed, and the plant is washed in the shower. At the time of these procedures, the ground should be covered with a film. 
Mealybugs are struggling with spraying with soap suds (soap is used), not forgetting to cover the soil with foil. After about an hour, the plant needs a warm shower.
To combat the red spider mite, spraying is used with any alcoholic tincture or simply ethyl alcohol. 15 minutes after spraying, echinocactus is washed in the shower. As in the previous cases, the soil in the pot must be protected with a film.
In addition to all of the above, in the fight against pests, you can use insecticide preparations.
Due to its spectacular appearance and unpretentiousness to care at home, Echinocactus Gruzoni gained great popularity among fans of exotic plants. In addition, life expectancy, measured in hundreds of years, over time makes it a kind of living monument to past eras.
