Matucana Polzii

Matucana Polzii Care

Matucana Aurantiaca Subs. Polzii

What is the plant

Matucana aurantiaca subs. polzii (Matucana polzii) is a relatively small clustering cactus with a strange squat stems up to 5 cm tall, up to 8-10 cm in diameter. It offsets strongly, with even small heads covered with numerous pups reaching only 2-5 cm across. In age forms huge cushion up to 30-40 cm in diameter whit hundreds of heads. The spines are short, pectinate and widely spaced.Derivation of specific name: This member of the Cactaceae family was given this name by Frank Polz (fl. 1986), German cactus and succulent plant enthusiast in München.Flower is Zygomorphic but seldom seen and is produced only in large fully developed stems. It is a very proliferous plant that tends to grow many small offsets at the expense of flowers, some recommend taking a few offsets of to grow at least one head large enough to flower before letting them cluster.

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Humidity

Dry

Lighting

Full Sun

Difficulty

Medium

How to Care for the Plant

Water
No water should ever be allowed to stand around the roots. Keep almost completely dry in winter. However this spurge will tolerate dryness and can even thrives in poor, dry soils, but do better when grown in nutrient-rich soils with regular watering.
Fertilizer
Need a perfect fertilizer diet in summer. Use preferably a cacti and succulents fertilizer with high potassium content including all micro nutrients and trace elements or slow release fertilizer.
Sunlight
This plant need full sun but tolerate moderate shade, and a plant that has been growing in shade should be slowly hardened off before placing it in full sun as the plant will be severely scorched if moved too suddenly from shade into sun.

Disease diagnosis

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Soil
needs a very airy potting medium very permeable to water which mainly consists of non organic material such us clay, pumice, lava grit, expanded slate and only a little peat or leaf-mould, slightly acid, pH-value between 4,5–6.
Temperature
Tender. It can be difficult to get it to look its best without a good amount of heat. In winter keep completely dry at temperatures of 10-12 ° C. However it can take a short period of light frost if very dry. It can be grown outdoors in frost-free climates.
Container
It likes deep pot with generous drain holes to accommodate its tap root