GROWING TRICHOCEREUS SPECIES
CULTIVATION AND CARE OF ECHINOPSIS SPECIES
(= TRICHOCEREUS SPECIES)
Taking care of San Pedro Cacti is easy and takes little time and effort.
San Pedro Cacti are strong Cacti that can grow quickly in many conditions.
This guide is intended for all psychoactive Echinopsis (Trichocereus) species, and all their forms and varieties.
So these growing tips apply to all species, forms and varieties of San Pedro Cacti.
After all, San Pedro is the Spanish name for all psychoactive Huachuma Cacti of South America.
0. INTRODUCTION
The main mind-altering San Pedro Cactus species are:
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Wetenschappelijke naam
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Vroegere wetenschappelijke naam
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Nederlandse naam
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1. Echinopsis pachanoi
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Trichocereus pachanoi
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San Pedro Cactus.
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2. Echinopsis scopulicola
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Trichocereus scopulicola
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Kale San Pedro Cactus
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3. Echinopsis peruviana
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Trichocereus peruvianus
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Peruvian Torch
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4. Echinopsis lageniformis
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Trichocereus bridgesii
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Bolivian Torch, Achuma Cactus
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5. Echinopsis cuzcoensis
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Trichocereus cuzcoensis
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Cuzco Cactus
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1. CULTIVATION FACTORS OF SAN PEDRO CACTI
The main cultivation factors of San Pedro Cacti are:
1. light (duration, intensity).
Temperature (height, duration, variety).
3. water (quantity, frequency).
4. nutrients (concentration, composition).
5. ventilation (intensity, duration)
6. substrate (properties of the soil in which a Cactus takes root).
Optimal conditions for good growth and flowering for San Pedro Cacti
For optimal growth and flowering, it is important to properly coordinate all cultivation components.
For example:
With little light, a San Pedro Cactus will continue to grow thinner and limper.
If you then give extra nitrogen (which stimulates longitudinal growth), your Mescaline Cactus will become even thinner and flabbier.
But if you don't give any more nitrogen, the growth will become (slightly) thicker.
And with more light, the San Pedro Cactus will also grow thicker.
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2. FULL SUN FOR SAN PEDRO CACTUS SPECIES !
Sunlight is very important for all San Pedro Cacti !
Some 3 - 4 hours of sunlight a day is sufficient, but preferably more.
Put the San Pedro Cacti preferably in front of a south-facing window, or in a greenhouse.
A north-facing window is too dark, the Cactus will then grow elongated and thin.
Location of the San Pedro Cactus
Preferably put the San Pedro Cactus in a warm place with a lot of direct sun.
In the house, preferably in front of a south-facing window.
Or on a terrace in warm weather (in summer).
Make sure the temperature in the sun does not exceed 50 - 60 degrees Celsius.
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Growth with insufficient sunlight
With insufficient light, a San Pedro Cactus will turn a light green to white colour.
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 White-green coloured top of a San Pedro offshoot.
A few days of light cause the cutting to produce chlorophyll
(chlorophyll), colouring the top a little light green.
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 These green San Pedro Cactus cuttings have been in the dark for a long time.
Offshoots developed, which, due to the lack of light, grew all white
continued to grow.
(Photo provided by ‘Tripper’)
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 Dark-grown San Pedro Cactus cuttings.
(Photo provided by Natas)
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 Dark-grown San Pedro Cactus cuttings.
(Photo provided by Natas)
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3. TEMPERATURE FOR SAN PEDRO CACTI
Overheating
Avoid overheating above 50 to 60 degrees Celsius in hot and sunny weather.
These excessive temperatures can be caused by insufficient air circulation.
The heat in the air cannot escape as heat radiation through glass or plastic windows (panes).
So in hot weather, ensure adequate ventilation and cooling by:
1. opening windows.
2. screening with newspapers or with netting that provides shade.
Temperature for the San Pedro Cactus
The San Pedro Cactus copes well with high and low temperatures.
The San Pedro Cactus species grow well at day temperatures of around 25 to 30 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature in winter may be around minus 5 to minus 10 degrees Celsius.
Keep the maximum temperature in the sun below 60 degrees Celsius.
Screen against direct sunlight
Shield the San Pedro Cactus from too high temperatures:
1. by placing a piece of newspaper over the plant, for example.
2. by ventilating more (open windows and doors).
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4. WATERING SAN PEDRO CACTUS SPECIES
San Pedro Cacti should be watered regularly during the growing season from 1 March to 1 October (spring, summer and autumn).
During the growing season, water the pot every fortnight.
Give a little fertiliser with the pouring water every 2nd pouring.
For more info on care and cultivation, see the ‘Trichocereus Species Cultivation’ section under ‘Additional Info’ .
Fill the pot of the San Pedro Cactus with water every fortnight.
Drain the excess pouring water after a few hours.
Give a little fertiliser with the pouring water every 2nd pouring.
DO NOT WATER DURING HIBERNATION
The San Pedro Cactus can also tolerate drought periods well.
Winter rest for San Pedro Cacti: no watering
During winter time, San Pedro Cacti in the Netherlands should have a rest period in which they should not grow.
There is too little light in wintertime, which would cause the growth of San Pedro plants to become too thin (narrow) and limp.
This dormant period in winter is called winter dormancy.
Enforcing winter rest
You enforce this winter dormancy by not watering during the winter months (from 1 October to 1 March).
This stops the growth of all San Pedro Cacti (San Pedro, Peruvian Torch Bolivian Torch, Bald San Pedro).
This hibernation does not cause any damage to the San Pedro Cacti.
Because San Pedro Cacti can survive drought periods just like other Cacti.
Therefore, do not water San Pedro Cacti from 1 October onwards, which causes the plants to stop growing.
Only from about 1 March onwards should all San Pedro Cacti be watered again !
Winter drying out of San Pedro Cacti
San Pedro Cacti can dry out slightly in winter when temperatures are high.
This can cause shallow indentations due to the shrinking of the Cactus tissue.
After watering about twice in spring, those grooves will have disappeared again.
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5. NUTRIENTS FOR SAN PEDRO CACTI
FERTILISING SAN PEDRO SPECIES
Why give Cactus fertiliser to San Pedro Cactus plants ?
The nutrients in cactus soil are slowly depleted.
The Cactus absorbs these nutrients with its roots.
Therefore, you should regularly fertilise each Cactus so that the amount of nutrients in the soil:
-- is replenished,
-- remains sufficient.
Insufficient fertilization of San Pedro Cactus species
Due to insufficient fertilisation of a Trichocereus Cacti:
1. the Cactus grows more slowly.
2. flowering is not as good.
3. the production (synthesis) of constituents is less, so also less formation of Mescaline.
4. resistance to adverse conditions is lower.
Give cactus fertiliser !
Trichocereus species, like other Cacti, need little fertiliser, especially low nitrogen (N).
Fertilise monthly with a special Cactus fertiliser containing relatively little N (nitrogen).
The concentration of constituents of the Trichocereus Cactus increases with Cactus fertiliser.
Flowering and resistance to adverse conditions is also much better then.
Optionally, you can give more nitrogen (N) with calcium nitrate fertiliser for slightly faster growth.
See also the section: Cactus fertiliser
Composition of cactus fertiliser
With the right Cactus fertiliser, Trichocereus species continue to grow stocky, strong and green to grey-blue.
With too much nitrogen (N), a Trichocereus peruvianus Cactus grows elongated and flabby.
Fertilise with an N-P-K-Mg fertiliser of about 5-11-25-3 .
Note an extra addition of Magnesium (Mg), which is lacking in most N-P-K fertilisers.
Total fertiliser contains all the necessary nutrients !
It is best to give a good total fertiliser containing all the necessary nutrients.
Then you can be sure that all the important nutrients and trace elements are sufficiently present.
Our Cactus fertiliser is a total fertiliser with little Nitrogen, extra Magnesium (3% Mg), Iron (Fe) and all trace elements.
Calcium nitrate fertiliser
Calcium nitrate fertiliser is a nitrogen (N) fertiliser that helps Cacti grow faster, longer and more sluggishly.
With too much nitrogen (N) in the fertiliser, a columnar Trichocereus will continue to grow elongated, narrow (thin), limp and shiny green.
This elongated and limp growth eventually makes the stem of a columnar Trichocereus Cactus break and fall over.
So give no or little calcium nitrate fertiliser !
Dosage of cactus fertiliser
Give a maximum of 1 gram of fertiliser per litre of water (= 0.1%).
Give to seedlings and for calm growth 1/2 gram per litre of water (0.05%).
Frequency of fertilisation
You can fertilise every Trichocereus Cactus with additional nutrients every 4 weeks.
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6. VENTILATION IN SAN PEDRO CACTI
Ventilation allows San Pedro Cacti to absorb more carbon dioxide (CO2).
Allowing San Pedro Cacti to make more energy.
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7. CULTIVATION SUBSTRATE FOR SAN PEDRO CACTI
Soil for San Pedro Cacti species
Trichocereus Cacti grow well on different kinds of soil.
However, the roots of Trichocereus plants must be able to root well in the cactus soil.
Each soil type has certain properties, which can be advantageous or disadvantageous:
1. in certain conditions.
2. with certain fertilisers.
See also the section: Cactus soil
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8. GROWTH OF SAN PEDRO CACTI
All columnar San Pedro Cacti are easy to cultivate and grow quickly.
Growth rate of a well-rooted San Pedro Cactus
In a large pot, a well-rooted San Pedro Cactus can grow at least 30 cm per year.
Growth of a freshly rooted San Pedro cutting
A newly rooted Trichocereus cutting can grow about 10 centimetres in the first year.
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9.SAFE HANDLING OF PLANTS AND CUTTINGS OF SAN PEDRO CACTI
Handle San Pedro Cactus plants with care !
1. Be careful with all San Pedro Cacti and with their thorns, spines, needles, stimuli.
2. Always wear thick garden gloves.
3. Do everything thoughtfully, consider beforehand what you want to do, and how.
4. Do everything slowly, so that thorns will sting less.
5. Make sure all large and heavy San Pedro species are stable (or lying stable) in a low spot.
6. Do not hold Cacti with thorns near your head, or the head of others.
7. Keep children and pets away from (large) San Pedro Cacti.
Moving long and large San Pedro Cactus plants
1. Fold 4 unfolded newspaper pages into a thick strip 6 cm wide.
2. Preferably put on two thick garden gloves.
3. Fold the strip of newspaper pages around the top of the San Pedro Cactus, about 15 cm below the top.
Make sure both ends point to the right.
4. Hold both ends of the strip close to the vertical stem with your right hand.
5. With your left hand, grasp the pot by the top edge on a light San Pedro Cactus,
or hold the pot at the bottom in the case of a heavy San Pedro Cactus.
6. Now you can easily move the San Pedro Cactus, using your :
-- left hand lifting the San Pedro Cactus.
-- right hand makes sure the plant stays vertical and does not fall over.
Transporting cuttings and plants of the San Pedro Cactus
Plants and cuttings of San Pedro Cacti are best transported horizontally.
Place the San Pedro Cactus on a soft surface, on Styrofoam, bubble wrap, cardboard, newspapers, or foam rubber.
You can put more Cacti in a pot next to each other with the pot against the top of the neighbouring Cactus.
If necessary, put another wad of newspaper between each pot and each Cactus end.
Between several long San Pedro Cacti cuttings (cuttings) you can put crumbs of paper or Styrofoam.
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10. PROBLEMS WHEN CULTIVATING SAN PEDRO CACTI
Failure of a San Pedro Cactus to flower
Poor conditions can prevent a tall San Pedro Cactus from flowering.
Improving this inferior situation will cause the San Pedro Cactus to bloom anyway.
For example by more sunlight (more energy), sufficient nutrition (more nutrients), sufficient water.
DISADVANTAGES OF SOWN SAN PEDRO CACTI
Moderate quality of sown San Pedro Cacti
A sown San Pedro Cactus often grows up the first few years under protected conditions.
They are often shielded from sunlight, usually kept warm, and protected with pesticides.
These so-called ‘greenhouse plants’ are thinner, longer, waterier, less strong, and have thinner and lighter thorns.
These ‘greenhouse plants’ are therefore more susceptible to less optimal conditions.
Young seedlings of San Pedro cacti are difficult to recognise
Young seedlings of a San Pedro Cactus often do not resemble older plants of the same species.
Young seedlings of different species of San Pedro Cactus often look similar in the first few years.
So in both cases it is not clear which species of San Pedro Cactus the seedling belongs to.
Therefore, we supply all San Pedro Cactus species as :
-- thick strong cutting of known origin.
-- well-rooted plant in a pot.
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11. PROPAGATION OF THE SAN PEDRO CACTUS
The San Pedro Cactus is easily propagated by cutting or sowing.
2.1 Propagation by cutting
By cutting off offshoots and side branches of the San Pedro Cactus, you can quickly make new San Pedro Cacti.
Let the cuttings dry for a few weeks, then pot them up.
2.2 Propagation by sowing (seeds)
By sowing seeds you can make many new San Pedro Cacti.
Cultivating sown San Pedro Cacti (seedlings) takes a lot of time and effort.
You only know after several years whether the sown species is really the right one, or perhaps another Trichocereus species.
2.3 Propagation by grafting
Propagation by grafting of a San Pedro Cactus hardly ever happens.
The San Pedro Cactus grows very well by itself, so grafting is of no advantage.
The San Pedro Cactus is used as a rootstock to graft another special Cactus.
The Peyote Cactus is sometimes grafted with a San Pedro Cactus as rootstock.
2.4 Propagation by tissue culture
The tissue of a San Pedro Cactus can be cut into many small pieces.
The cut cells are grown on an artificial culture medium under sterile conditions.
For more info on propagation, see the section ‘Propagating Trichocereus species’ under ‘Additional Info’.
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