Echinopsis seminudus

Echinopsis seminudus (subdenudata)

I learnt my gardening skills from my mother and through the local village farmers. Much later I acquired some basic knowledge and practical tips to grow from small (2-4 inch) cuttings from the faculty of a horticultural department. But in the beginning my practical knowledge base was mostly confined to tropical flowering plants, tropical vegetables, a few local cacti, and succulents. Till pre-university (i.e., twelfth grade) I accompanied my mother and grand mother in the routine gardening chores around the house. As an avid gardener I learnt slowly and gradually through purely practical lessons gained from dirt filled finger nails. One learns a lot through meager resources - through hard work and struggles; knowledge acquired through self experience is very valuable, it is the most authentic, though acquired at a slow pace. Yet it is time tested. No amount of dry bookish reading can equal such profound practical knowledge (this is true in any field – from art, music, to applied sciences) and diligent observations (cf. Mendel). Some good natured professors, master gardeners, and farmers can help the beginners. Yet coming across such genuinely nice people in real life is rare – almost like meeting a faithful sweetheart!

My friends and I used to see in the wild and roadside lots of opuntia and cacti bushes along the outskirts of coastal Andhra and dry regions of Tamil Nadu. The local dwellers would use the columnar cacti bushes as a barrier fence around the house; certainly the thorny fence deters stray animals and snakes from entering the premises. We used to pluck ripe cactus fruits and taste ’em right next to the thorny bush. Often I wondered at the vigorous thriving flat opuntia and the carefree spreading fences of columnar cactus. Once I brought into home a few cut pieces of cactus and tried planting in wet sand. I failed in my first attempts, the samples would simply rot and die. Later I understood the reason. The root system of cacti (particularly that of Echinopsis subdenudata) is very delicate. It needs loose soil and plenty of space to breathe and dry out completely after watering (or rain fall). We had one Opuntia microdasys overgrown in a container for several years but I lost it due to negligence. Tiny needles are always painful – though the big thorns can be easily pulled out with a forceps.

In an earlier blog (at Sulekha) I gave details about potting soil for succulents and cacti. Those instructions were gathered from several sources: books, horticultural department cacti collections, and personal experience. I prepared such soils for my own potting. For both aloe vera and Echinopsis, I make the soil loose, free flowing. This is accomplished by mixing the soil with fine sand (or grit) and a bit of lime. Most of the time I prefer clay pots for all cacti. During cold winters the clay pots tend to be too cool. But if you take proper care, you can give ample protection to the cactus plant, particularly to its sensitive root system. The clay pots with good drainage (using broken stones, charcoal, brick pieces) provide breathing space for the roots. Like any gardener, I too lost some precious cactus plants – but it is mostly due to willful (I mean accidental) negligence, due to lack of time and care. Generally cacti demand very little: just a bit of water once a month in winter, plenty of light, and repotting when the plant becomes root bound. In summer times (or when the plant is growing) cacti need more frequent watering. Other non-desert climate plants (ex: hibiscus, crossandra, etc.) can withstand extended periods of water logging; their feet can stay wet for a few days. But not this delicate cactus. It likes a quick shower and fast drying.

Many years back one of my friends (vs) gifted me this cactus plant. It was a small ball like plant sitting in a tiny clay pot. He brought it from Albuquerque (New Mexico). Then it was shriveled, languishing due to neglect. Since then it has gradually grown into an 18” tall  columnar cactus. Although the plant gives numerous flowers during summer season, it has no pups growing on the side. Perhaps one day it will produce a baby. The flowers drop off after several days and they do not produce any seed here in the northeast indoors. Once it settles in a roomy well fertilized soil, the plant continues to grow nicely without any pests or diseases. My rules for watering the plant are strict: Give weekly or biweekly watering to cacti during their vigorous growth period in spring and summer seasons. Reduce watering frequency in the fall. In winter, the cactus plant goes through a period of dormancy. It does not need any water as there is no growth. But once a month I water all the cactus and succulent plants during winter months (December through February). If they are totally neglected they will dry and may end up dying due to the low indoor humidity and heat. If needed, I also spray the plants with clean distilled water (from refrigerator ice cubes, fresh snow, or rain water) in the dry season. It washes the cactus free of dust and keeps the exterior shiny green and wrinkle free. Compared to other (indoor) plants cacti mostly care for themselves. When they are accidentally exposed to rain, particularly to heavy downpours, I bring them inside. I let the plant sit in front of a fan for a quick drying. Or you can use a hair blower. Excess water as well as prolonged exposure to dryness (winter indoor heating, no watering for months) can kill the cactus.

Sample Soil

Equal parts of loam, leaf mold, and sand.  Add a little fertilizer containing almost entirely phosphates (ex: bone meal). This unique plant inspired me to pen a poem titled, "Snapana".
http://creative.sulekha.com/snapana-ablutions_609431_blog
Copyright by the author 2018

Snapana (Ablutions)

Snapana  (Ablutions)

There are some things -

Things, which are unique

Certain things we buy, barter, acquire

Some things, we just receive ’em

Through pure luck

They come into our homes

No, we may not have asked for them

But they arrive at our doorstep

They come into our midst

On their own, they enter our abodes

Several such things are with us

The one-of-a-kind cactus is

One of them

Till very recently

I simply considered it to be

Just a plant, rather a succulent one

But a plant is Siva too

So says: The Yajur-veda

So proclaims the white Morinda

In Srisailam

Once I was giving

A misting, to its lustrous green stem

And gentle watering to its roots

Always I try to use

Cool, clean water sans the minerals

Either directly from rainwater or

The basement dehumidifier

Its dark green succulent exterior

Would hold not even a droplet

Not even a tiny one

Everything just rolls down

Like the water we pour over a

Siva-linga

Throughout the 365 days

Through all the phases of moon

Through the twenty-four hours

Through all time

This cactus shows no external signs

Of life, it is wrapped into itself

Lost in some

Deep meditation -  like a sthanuh

Yet

It is full of life

And you can observe it

If you watch very carefully

If a stray twig hits it

Pricks it by accident – it gets bruised easily

Leaving a scar

During summer

When I leave it on the deck

I often notice -

Invariably it gets wounded  with

Wind tossed branches from the

Big maple, walnut overhanging trees

With a cut here and a nick there

It bears all such abuse with calm demeanor

Not once, never in its entire life

Did it complain of any abuse

Water or no water, light or no light

Food or no food

More than twenty years

It has stayed with us like a

Very obedient Indian daughter

When it came to us

Barely it was a two inch ball cactus

Now

A green fluted column

Of fifteen inches

Resembling the Linga of

Daksharama, near Kakinada

What I give it – is very minimal

A peach colored clay pot

And a handful of dirt

I repot with utmost care

And of course infinite love

It has no thorns, only remnants of

Long gone needle bases,

(Like long forgotten personal grudges)

I mix loose soil, perlite

Sand, and at times a bit of bone meal

At times with a pinch of lime

And then, I just leave it to

Soak in the sun, near the south facing glass door

That’s it, that’s all. Then it does not ask

For anything, neither water nor fertilizer

Like our thirsty tropical flowering hibiscus

Weeks, even months would go by

Without a drop of water, even without a glance

From its caring gardener

In early spring

I see its awakening

Waking from dormancy

I witness fresh growth on its crown

The glistening freshly formed soft

Green succulent tissue, and of course

Several flower buds too sprout

Then suddenly on cool summer nights

It gifts us delicately fragrant white

Trumpet like flowers

It is as if Siva Himself

Is in our midst

With a cool shiny crescent moon

Effusing sweet aroma all around

It came to us

From far away south America

Via Albuquerque

Through a friend

In a shriveled sunken state

They call it – Echinopsis seminudus

Unasked, it came into our home

It brought us hope, happiness

I learnt more about life

About religion and meditation

From it, than through any number of

Books and tedious discussions

It taught me patience

“Be content with whatever

you’ve, be devoted

and a miracle may happen”

Copyright by the author  2013