This is an easy to grow plant for pot culture. It grows well in a very draining mineral potting substrate, but it isn't picky about soil. The area to which this plant is native receives rains in both winter and summer, so it can be watered moderately all year around (except in the coldest month of the winter, as it rots easily, especially if overly wet). During the summer they enjoy average feeding and watering. When dormant in winter, keep it totally dry at or around 4°C, even though it seems to tolerate light frosts well. Mature healthy plants are tough and can also be grown out-of-doors where frost is not too severe, but when left out it is more sensitive to frost. They do need a lot of light to keep their compact growth-form, but different clones vary in their tolerance of full sunshine. But best color if grown in protection in light shade, where the thick purple spines of this low-growing clumping columnar plant have the best color. Sometimes, in really hot full sun all day long, a plant will bleach out a bit
Some of the information in this description has been found at desert-tropicals.com, llifle.com and cactus-art.biz
