Sea urchin cactus provides bright blooms for dreary winter days

The poor street kids in old London were bedraggled, ragged and dirty just like hedgehogs, which were commonly called urchins, so the raggedy street children were 'street urchins.' Another urchin, the sea urchin, is a marine animal with a hard shell and spines made out of calcium carbonate, similar to the shells of starfish.

They can live for up to 200 years in the wild. For us landlubbers, there is a charming houseplant that mimics the spines of the sea urchin, the sea urchin cactus (Echinopsis), sometimes called the hedgehog cactus or Easter lily cactus.

These cacti can bloom with enormous flowers 4-6 inches across. The blooms are often multicolored and stunning. All Echinopsis prize strong light while actively growing in spring and summer. Be sure your sea urchin cactus doesn't scorch if in direct sunlight. During the winter, a bright south-facing window is perfect.

Let the soil become nearly bone dry between waterings. When you do water your cactus, soak it thoroughly until water drains out the bottom of the pot. Like all cactus and succulents, your soil must have good drainage. Use a specialty fast-draining cactus potting soil mix, or add sand and perlite to regular potting soil.

Most cacti do well without fertilizer, but you can feed yours while the plants are actively growing during the spring and summer. Feed them a specially formulated liquid fertilizer meant for cactus. Never fertilize your plants while they are dormant during the winter.

If your sea urchin cactus outgrows its pot, move it to a new container just one size bigger. Do this during warm weather, and let the soil dry out before repotting. Gently tap away the old soil from the roots, being careful to remove any dead or rotted roots. If there are gashes or big cuts, you may want to treat them with a fungicide.

Put your sea urchin cactus in its new pot and fill it with potting soil. Spread the roots out as you go, being careful not to break any. Let the newly potted cactus sit dry for a week or so before you start to water. This dry period will reduce the risk of root rot. Because of the spines, it is best to wear gloves while working with cactus.

There are literally hundreds of varieties of sea urchin-type cactus. Because of hybridization, plants grown from the same seed pod will often have different-colored flowers. You can easily root new plants from offsets – baby plants that appear in clusters around the base of the mother plant.

Cut the offsets close to the stem, at the thinnest possible place. To let the cuttings form a callus or scab and eventually root better, always let them dry out slightly on a paper towel a few days to a few weeks. Once the callus has formed, put your cuttings in a pot of cactus soil. Keep the cutting warm and just barely moist. You will see new roots form in a few weeks.

For a break in winter's dreary days, grow your own sea urchin cactus and enjoy flowers that would make a Charles Dickens street urchin proud.