Common name(s): Silver Torch, Wooly Torch

Silver Torch Cactus: Silver Torch Cactus (Cleistocactus strausii)

scientific name of the ornamental cactus is the silver Torch cactus (Cleistocactus):

Cleistocactus strausii

Botanical description of the Silver

Torch Cactus (Cleistocactus strausii)
The flowers of the silver torch cactus (cleistocactus strausii) do not open, but remain closed. When the flower buds first appear, they resemble a small, round ball. As the flower grows, it elongates and begins to resemble a tube or a torch. The threads that emerge from the flower are the stamens, which are the male reproductive organs of the plant. These stamens are red in color. The female reproductive organ, which consists of the pistil, is also present in the flower. The pistil is red in color and consists of a long, narrow tube that ends in a star-shaped stigma. The closed mouth-like appearance of the flower, combined with the red stamens and pistil, makes it a unique and striking feature of this cactus.

Silver torch cactus temperature

can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, but it prefers warm temperatures above 60°F (15°C).

Silver Torch Cactus (Cleistocactus strausii) propagation

The process of propagating the ornamental cactus of the Silver Torch Cactus (Cleistocactus strausii) is carried out by stem cuttings during the summer, where we grow cuttings in sandy, well-drained soil, free of harmful salts.

A suitable fungicide is added to combat soil rot, and the cuttings are treated with an intellectual pesticide to combat root rot, as well as the indole butyric hormone that stimulates the roots (according to the recommended recommendations).
Silver torch cactus Cleistocactus strausii, can reproduce through stem cuttings or seeds. Here’s how to propagate them through stem cuttings:

1. Choose a healthy stem of the silver torch cactus, at least 6 inches long, and cut it with a sharp, sterilized knife. Make sure the cutting is straight and without any damage.

2. Let the cutting sit for a few days in a dry, shaded spot before planting it. This will allow the wound to dry and prevent rotting.

3. Prepare the potting medium by mixing coarse sand and cactus potting mix in equal parts. Use a well-draining pot, with drainage holes at the bottom.

4. Plant the cutting in the potting mix, burying about one-third of its length. Firmly press the soil around the cutting.

5. Water the soil sparingly, just enough to moisten it. Don’t water again until the soil has almost completely dried out.

6. Place the cutting in a spot with bright, indirect sunlight and warm temperatures, around 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. With proper care, the cutting will develop roots in a few weeks and start growing into a new silver torch cactus

Silver Torch Cactus (Cleistocactus strausii) fertilizer

Silver Torch Cactus (Cleistocactus strausii), fertilized using the mineral (chemical) fertilizer neutral NPK 10: 10 10 of the major elements nitrogen – phosphorus – potassium at a rate of 400 g / plant from 3-7 years of age.

Provided that the process of adding mineral fertilizer takes place in two equal batches, the first batch during the month of March and the second batch during the month of August.
Environmentally friendly biological fertilization of silver flame cactus (Cleistocactus):

The silver torch cactus plant (Cleistocactus) is fertilized using environmentally friendly bio-fertilizer instead of using mineral (chemical) fertilizer that pollutes the environment. Among the most important bio-fertilizers used are the following:

1- The use of bacteria that fix atmospheric nitrogen, such as Azotobacter or Ososperbellum.

2- Using the water-soaked compost known as compost tea.

3- Using the Trichoderma fungus, which helps plants to absorb rock phosphate in the soil.

4- Using active dry brewer’s yeast during the spring season at a rate of 20 g/plant at all ages.

5- Using humic acid, which helps the soil retain water instead of losing it through leaching.

Humic acid also helps plants to absorb microelements in the soil, such as magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, calcium, and the rest of the microelements in the soil.
Irrigation process for ornamental cactus silver flame (Cleistocactus):
It should not be extravagant in irrigating the ornamental cactus, the silver flame, so that the irrigation is without drowning or thirst, but the irrigation is done according to the plant’s need for irrigation, which depends on the nature of the soil and the environmental conditions in the region.

Light requirements of the silver Torch cactus (Cleistocactus):

The silver Torch cactus (Cleistocactus) is one of the cacti that must be grown in sunny, well-lit places, in order for the plants to grow well.

Where it is known that light is important for the process of photosynthesis, in which plants use the energy from the light that reaches the mechanism in the representation of carbon dioxide + water in building carbohydrates, from which the rest of the other nutrients necessary for plant growth are created well.

suitable soil for the silver Torch cactus (Cleistocactus)

The silver Torch cactus (Cleistocactus) likes to be cultivated in a light sandy, well-drained soil free of harmful salts, as the plant is very sensitive to salinity, whether soil salinity or watering salinity.

The silver Torch Cactus must also be grown in soil that is neutral in acidity and alkalinity, as the soil PH must be between 5.5-6.5 in order for the plant to grow well.

Silver Torch Cactus (Cleistocactus strausii) uses