Ferocactus johnstonianus: Care and Propagation Guide

The Ferocactus johnstonianus is popularly also called Johnston’s barrel cactus. This plant is endemic to Angel de la Guardia Island in Baja California in Mexico. The stem of this plant grows singularly and has a barrel-like shape along with 20-30 smooth ribs.

The ribs produce several white to brown spines that often cover the entire stem, with yellow and red flowers often forming at the tips of the stem.

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How to Care For Ferocactus johnstonianus

If you also love the shape and size of this cactus and want to bring it home, invest in learning more about the Ferocactus johnstonianus because that will enable you to care for it well and keep it happy in the long run.

Light

Ferocactus johnstonianus loves its time in the sun. You would need to ensure a steady supply of sunlight for the cactus because it will not thrive otherwise. Though the partial shade is not life-threatening, you need to keep the rest of its environment warm.

During the winter months, when there is no sunlight, you would have to make alternate arrangements such as grow lights while also protecting the plant from frost and mist.

Watering

A young Ferocactus johnstonianus will need a little more water and care as opposed to an old plant. Ferocactus johnstonianus, in general, does not require a lot of water. Thanks to the shape of its leaves, the cactus is efficient in storing water and can go on for prolonged periods sans any addition.

Water them regularly during the growing season i.e. between spring and fall. In the winter months when the temperatures are falling, its watering needs reduce drastically.

As a rule of thumb, you should only water the plant when the topsoil layer has completely dried out. Otherwise, the soil may get soggy and too moist and this can be harmful to Ferocactus johnstonianus.

Soil

Well-drained soil is the best companion of the Ferocactus johnstonianus. The container you are planting it in should have ample drainage holes at the bottom to allow water to pass. Regular cacti mix should work well for this and if you want to create your soil, take 45% pumice, 40-45% compost and sand together to make a healthy potting mix.

While you are at it, you could also add some decomposed granite and pebbles around the pot to mimic its natural habitat. It is also pleasing to the eye.

Climate

Since it is a desert cactus, Ferocactus johnstonianus enjoys dry, arid climates. It is frost-sensitive and doesn’t take well to cold temperatures. In short, if you want to bring this home, you need to create desert-like conditions for it to thrive.

Fertilizing

Ferocactus johnstonianus grows well in areas that aren’t very fertile and are low on nutrients. This makes it desirable because there ain’t a lot of maintenance required.

This means there aren’t aggressive fertilizer needs that you need to meet should you get this cactus home. However, you can go for one cycle of fertilizing before the growing season to aid its growth. A fertilizer that is low in hydrogen once a year will work just fine.

How to Propagate Ferocactus johnstonianus

Propagating Ferocactus johnstonianus is fairly easy. Once you have done the hard work, you can simply sit back and relax because Ferocactus johnstonianus doesn’t have a lot of maintenance needs.

• Step 1: Prepare the soil at home by taking sand, perlite and compost so that the soil is well-draining. Alternatively, you can even go with a cacti potting mix. Add a very small amount of fertilizer but don’t go overboard.
• Step 2: Take a small cutting from the main stem and place it in the potting mix.
• Step 3: Keep the soil moist and let the Ferocactus johnstonianus grow. You will need to be patient because these are slow-growing cacti.

Once you have propagated the cuttings, do not water the container for at least a week or two. This is to give the cactus a near-native growing environment. Also, do not expose the container to harsh sunlight at the very outset. Partial shade or bright (not scorching) sunlight is ideal.

Sometimes people also propagate it with seeds but cuttings work better.