Cultivation:
Not easy, because of the mountain environment in which the plants live,
they need as much direct sun light as possible to encourage the heaviest
spines an wool formation, plants in shaded positions grows etiolated and
fail to produce the typical hairy covering. They need to be kept in a
cool place during the winter rest (at 0 to -10°C) this is important for
the flowers as well as for their health.
They are quite winter hardy and
can be cultivated outdoor, if adequately protected from the rain and
kept perfectly dry. Needs good drainage, water sparingly
(rot prone).
Propagation: Seeds
are seldom available and extremely difficult to
germinate, best reproduced by
cutting that frequently doesn't succeed to produce roots or
roots very slowly and unpredictably. For this reason this plant is often
grafted. |