Cultivation of Turbinicarpus species

FEEDING--PESTS--DISEASES

Feeding

Do not overfeed!! Overfeeding and indeed over watering will produce bloated unnatural looking plants looking nothing like the species in habitat. Remember these are miniature plants and should therefore remain so. I endeavour to grow my plant to closely mimic their appearance in habitat and not to get the biggest plants. One liquid feed per year using a general cactus fertiliser applied during the spring is probably all that is needed.

Pests & Diseases

Pests- From my experience Turbinicarpus species do not seem to be that susceptible to pests. However , I have experienced 'Red Spider Mite' and 'Mealy bug' over the years. I have found the best method for keeping the collection clean is to use 'Provado' systemic insecticide spray. This however has to be the concentrate form rather than the ready mixed or aerosol sprays that are available. The concentrate when diluted is the only form of 'Provado' that is affective against 'Red Spider Mite'. The insecticide should be administered every 6-8 weeks as directed on the label to ensure plants maintain their systemic protection.

Diseases- The one disease that all Turbinicarpus species are susceptible to is rot, which can easily kill any plant within just a few days. By the time you spot the disease it is probably too late and the plant will probably die. Prevention is far easier than the cure, so to avoid this problem adopt very careful watering and ensure good ventilation is maintained.