Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var. friedrichii a.k.a. the Ruby Ball, Rose Plaid, or Moon Cactus

Hi there! As promised, I'm back with a garden post...

From the research that I've done, this beautiful little cactus is called Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var. friedrichii, a.k.a. Ruby Ball, Moon Cactus, or Rose Plaid Cactus. Personally, I like Ruby Ball the best!  If I'm wrong about this name and anyone out there knows differently, please let me know in the comment section. Apparently, its close family member is Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var. hibotan, which is the same cactus that took my breath away while browsing the famous Amsterdam Flower Market - check it out in this post!

I first bought this little guy back in April of 2010, when I was living in Downtown Miami, seen here and here.  I missed the first time it flowered because I was in Amsterdam, though my sweet boyfriend did remember to send me a photo of it so I wouldn't miss it.  Then, it bloomed again in 2011, but I'm pretty sure I forgot to blog about it.  It's just as well though, because this cactus is now doing better than ever since I planted him in a big round terra-cotta bowl planter.  He went through many months of looking shriveled and dark green (when I had him in my to-be-planted cactus pileup), but after some sun and water he got his groove, err succulence, back and put out some amazing little pinkish purple flowers!

Miss Mihanovichii Friedrichii, as she is now called, is about the size of a lime and can range in color, from dark green, to brown, to dark purplish fushchia, to the beautiful mauve pink color shown in this post.  For me, it has grown better in bright direct sun with afternoon shade, than in just shade alone.  I usually let mother nature water it naturally, unless we have many hot sunny days and I see the soil around it is hard and dry.  Every now and then I will fertilize it with Schultz 2-7-7 Cactus Plus Liquid Plant Food but sources (see below for more information) say to fertilize every two months.

Okay, no more rambling, scroll on to see progress photos from when the two flower buds first sprouted, to when they eventually bloomed a week or two later! Nature rocks...

Catherine

xoxo

Here are some more of my recent garden posts:

Decorative Owl and Mushroom Garden Planter Stakes

A Moroccan Garden Planter Starring the Lovely Echeveria Perle Von Nürnberg Succulent

A Long Nature Walk

Flowers Flowers Everywhere

Garden Update:  December - January

You can also visit the following links for all garden posts:

My Garden

My Mother's Garden

My Grandmother's Garden

Garden Tours

Specific garden inspiration posts (not my garden):

Garden Potting Benches, Sinks, and Tools
Unique Garden Planters and Displays
Garden Inspiration Part I
Garden Inspiration Part II
Stoneface Creations Garden Planters
Outdoor Dining & Parties Part I
Outdoor Dining & Parties Part II
Dreamy Outdoor Spaces Part I
Dreamy Outdoor Spaces Part II
Sunrooms, Bungalows and Patios Oh Sigh!
My Garden Update

This is the terra-cotta planter bowl that I planted Miss Friedrichii in, I bought it at Home Depot.  I always buy my planters at TJMaxx, Ross, and Marshalls because they are so affordable, and Home Depot is way overpriced in the planter department, but this time I made an exception because it was only $9!  

Here are some tips for growing Gymnocalycium Mihanovichii Friedrichii: 

• Family: Cactaceae (kak-TAY-see-ee) (Info)
• Genus: Gymnocalycium (jim-no-kal-LISS-ee-um) (Info)
• Species: mihanovichii (me-han-oh-VIK-ee-eye) (Info)
• Cultivar: Hibotan
• Names:
• Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var. friedrichii

• Common names:
• Ruby Ball
• Moon Cactus
• Rose Plaid Cactus
• Plaid Cactus
• Light: Very bright light/full sun works for me, but bright shade or a sunny window facing S/E/W will do
• Temperature: 65° to 90°F (18° to 32°C) - during winter, maintain 55° to 65°F (13° to 18°C) if possible
• Water: Only water thoroughly when dry, do not overwater!  Allow soil to dry out completely before waterings
• Fertilization: Every 2 months with Schultz 2-7-7 Cactus Plus Liquid Plant Food
• Height: 6-12 in. (15-30 cm)
• Spacing: 3-6 in. (7-15 cm), 6-9 in. (15-22 cm)
• Hardiness:
• USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
• USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
• USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
• USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Bloom Time: Mid Spring, Late Spring/Early Summer, Mid Summer
• Propagation: plant does not give seeds, must be grafted onto another cactus, flowers are sterile
• Special Care: Repot every 2 years in well-aerated potting mixture containing 20% to 50% builders sand
• Common Problems: If new stem growth is long and thin, move to higher light

*This information was sourced from the amazing Dave's Garden and here

Do you want this cactus for your garden?  I found it for sale here over on Etsy, or for trade on the Dave's Garden forum!

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So this is what my Ruby Ball Cactus looked like when I finally got around to planting it in something bigger, back in February of this year...

The sweet delicate flower stems sprout right from the top center of the cactus...

Here is how she looked in March...

Up close and personal...

Just on the verge of blooming...

And then, in April, BAM!!!....

There they are!  Gorgeous huh?  :)





So basically, here is how it progressed over three months...





Here are some shots of the other succulents and cacti in the planter, I can't locate their names in my notes at the moment... oops...

(All images in this post are my personal photographs, please do not use them without my written permission - I can be contacted at InspireBohemia(at)gmail.com - thank you!)