Maintenance of the Decembrist at home, reproduction and transplantation

Most indoor plants bloom in spring or summer, only a small part pleases with bright colors on short winter days. The ability to release buds and flower late in the year has made the Decembrist incredibly popular. The variety of varieties of this cactus allows you to choose a plant for every taste. And the simple care of the Decembrist at home and the absence of needles also add extra appeal.

Description and characteristics of the plant

Schlumberger's Zygocactus, better known as Decembrist, is a flower native to the rainforest. The natural habitat of the plant is the trunks and roots of trees. Bushes are branching stems, consisting of jointed shoots. Unlike other cacti, the Decembrist has only faint notches on the edges instead of spines. The buds are located at the ends of the stems and are characterized by a tubular shape.

Petal color:

• Red;
• White;
• Orange;
• pinkish;
• unsaturated purple.

Indoor Decembrist has a weak root system, which is highly dependent on external factors. The situation is neutralized by the presence of aerial roots, which are able to receive the necessary liquid from the air.

Kinds

Over the entire history of breeding, more than 9 main types of Decembrists have been formed, and there are many more individual varieties. Each variety has characteristic differences and advantages.

Truncated

One of the widespread types of the Decembrist is characterized by:

• plant height up to 0.4 m;
• light green color, a reddish tint is possible;
• the size of jointed shoots up to 6 cm;
• on the sides of each segment there are 2-3 notches;
• the 8 cm long flowers have 2 rows of petals;
• buds of white, purple, orange, pink or mixed shades.

Books

Distinguishing Features of Schlumberger's Buckley Zygocactus:

• bush height up to 0.5 m;
• rich dark green color of shoots;
• flowers up to 8 cm;
• early flowering;
• palette of petals ranging from pinkish white to almost cherry.

Russianliana

The peculiar appearance of this species:

• height up to 0.3 m;
• unpretentious to environmental conditions;
• green shoots with a smooth surface;
• the stem tube is green in color;
• the petals are purple red.

Gertner

Characteristics of Gertner's zygocactus:

• pointed shape of the petals;
• flowers are brightly painted in red-orange tones;
• dark shade of green shoots;
• the length of each cactus segment can reach 7 cm.

Opuntia

Schlumberger opuntia is characterized by:

• buds 5-6 cm;
• flowering in spring;
• the plant forms green, round fruits with a ribbed surface.

Decembrist prickly pear segments can stiffen over time, becoming very hard.

How to take care

Most varieties of Decembrist are demanding on growing conditions. Hybrid forms do not react so strongly to changes and take root faster, but they grow and bloom better with special care.

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perfect ground

In nature, zygocactus do not grow in the ground, but on other plants, so it is important to choose the right soil for cultivation. A suitable mixture for the Decembrist combines peat, turf, last year's deciduous humus and sand in equal proportions. The root system of the plant is poorly developed, so a small container is enough for a flower. Be sure to lay a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot.

Light and temperature conditions

Unlike related cacti, Decembrist reacts negatively to direct sunlight. It is recommended to place the flower in partial shade or create light scattering conditions.

Despite its tropical origin, the air temperature between 18 and 22 ° C is suitable for the growth of the bush.

Top dressing and fertilization

To promote growth and promote flowering, the Decembrist can be fed with a complex mineral supplement developed specifically for cacti. The dose should be halved and fertilized monthly from March. In summer, the plant can be fed every 2 weeks. From September to March, it is not necessary to add additional substances to the soil.

watering

The soil mixture for the Decembrist should not experience prolonged drying out. Moist soil guarantees the normal growth of the flower. However, water should be applied strictly at the rate, depending on the season, to avoid root rot.

Bloom

The flowering period differs depending on the variety of zygocactus, but most often falls on the end of November or December. At this time, it is necessary to water the Decembrist in small portions, but quite often, as the soil surface dries out. A rough schedule for adding moisture is once a week, and sometimes more often. It is worth starting a gradual increase in watering from mid-autumn.

Before and after flowering

During the dormant period, the plant is at a low air temperature, so soil water evaporates more slowly. With the end of flowering, you don't need to water the Decembrist as often. The plant is moistened less and less until the interval between waterings reaches 2 weeks.

Hot season

With the onset of summer heat, the soil loses moisture faster, so the number of irrigations should be increased. On average, it is enough to irrigate the zygocactus 2 times a week, it all depends on the air temperature and the rate of water evaporation.

Size

Shortening the shoots of Decembrist is aimed at forming a compact bush, and also has a sanitary character. Extra segments and dry parts are cut from the plant. The healthy parts of the shoots can then be used for zygocactus propagation.

After flowering

After all the buds have bloomed, the Decembrist can be removed to a place with a thicker shade. During the dormant period, the plant can be kept in a room with an air temperature of 5-25 ° C. At this time, watering is carried out only as needed, and no additional fertilizing is applied.

Transplantation and selection methods

It is recommended to replant Decembrist every 3-5 years. Fresh soil and a larger container will improve plant health.Reproduction of zygocactus is possible by cuttings, grafting or seeds. Cuttings about 4 segments long are placed in the ground and covered with an impromptu greenhouse when rooting. The second and third methods are laborious, so they are rarely used by flower growers.

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The timing

The spring period is suitable for breeding and transplanting the Decembrist. At this time, the growth of shoots is activated, new segments appear on the plant. Transplantation of young zygocactus is carried out every 2-3 years, and adults - at least 1 time every 5 years.

Selection and preparation of soil and pot

For transplanting, you do not need to take a wide and deep pot, as this will provoke the growth of the root system to the detriment of flowering. It is recommended to use a container with a wide opening and a shallow depth. There should be holes and a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot.

Any soil mixed specifically for growing cacti is suitable for the Decembrist. The soil prepared by hand must be sufficiently loose and nutritious. Soil should be pretreated to eliminate bacteria and fungal spores. To do this, simply place the soil in an oven at a temperature of 200°C for a quarter of an hour or in the freezer for 24 hours.

How to transplant using the transshipment method

After preparing a new pot and suitable soil, replanting the Decembrist is quite simple. The technology of the vegetable transshipment method assumes:

1. Arrange the drainage at the bottom of the pot with a layer of at least 2 cm.
2. Add a small amount of new soil.
3. Remove the zygocactus from the old container and lightly shake the soil off the roots.
4. Place the Decembrist in a pot of potting soil.
5. Cover the space around the roots with potting soil.
6. On the 3rd day, pour warm water.

how to plant

For breeding, a part of a plant with a length of 3-4 segments is unscrewed clockwise or carefully cut off at the junction. When planting a densely growing Decembrist, you need to make sure that the shoots have a sufficient number of roots. Germination can be done directly in the ground or by placing the shoots in water.

In water

The method of obtaining the root system in water consists of:

1. Separate the rod from the Decembrist.
2. Let the planting material dry for 3 hours.
3. Place the lower segment in room temperature water with activated charcoal.
4. Change the liquid daily until the roots appear.

In the ground

The germination of the Decembrist in the ground has the following sequence:

1. Prepare small containers with suitable moist soil.
2. Make imprints up to 3 cm.
3. Place the dried cuttings in the ground on one third of the lower segment.
4. You can cover the containers to maintain humidity and ventilate daily.

Post-transplant care

After placing the Decembrist in a new pot, it is necessary to provide the plant with comfortable conditions:

• maintain the ambient temperature between 17°C in winter and 24°C in summer;
• provide an average level of soil and air humidity;
• spray the shoots weekly in the summer;
• place the plant in partial shade.

Possible problems

Among the typical problems that arise when growing a Decembrist are:

• disease;
• pest attack;
• weak or absent flowering;
• dieback;
• falling segments.

Diseases and pests

Improper care and the negative influence of external factors can lead to infection of the Decembrist with fungal infections and provoke the manifestation of pathologies. Dangerous diseases:

• Fusarium wilt;
• mildew;
• finish.

When placing a flower near windows or other indoor plants, there is a risk of attack by insects, which can cause irreparable damage to the Decembrist.

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cochineal

A symptom of a mealybug infection of a zygocactus is white, large, loose spots between the shoots. You need to manually remove the insects from the Decembrist, then rinse the plant with a soap solution or spray the bushes with chemicals.

Shield

Scale infestation causes brown spots on the plant. If the problem is quickly detected, you can treat the Decembrist with soapy water, in an advanced case, use complex insecticides.

Spider

Signs of the appearance of a spider mite:

• rusty flowering on the shoots;
• thin cobwebs;
• small reddish-brown or yellow insects.

To combat spider mites, the plant should be washed with soapy water and treated with insecticides.Suitable drugs such as Fitoverm, Neoron or Actellik.

Fusarium

A fungal disease causes the shoots to take on an orange hue. Affected segments dry out and dry out. Treatment is possible only by timely treatment with chemical fungicides.

Phytophthora

When the Decembrist becomes covered with a gray bloom, some of the segments fall off, and the root system weakens and rots, this indicates infection with late blight. To eliminate the disease, the bush must be treated with Topaz, Maxim or Vitaros preparations.

To rot

Fungal spores can cause blackening of shoots and the formation of deep rot foci, which are treated with fungicides. The darkening of the segments and the appearance of putrid mucus may indicate the bacterial nature of the disease. If a small part of the plant is damaged, the diseased areas can be removed and destroyed.

When almost the entire plant has been affected, you need to take a healthy stalk for propagation and discard the infected Decembrist.

Lack of flowering

The reason why the Decembrist does not bloom at the right time for the variety may be a violation of the temperature regime. If the air is warmed above 23°C or below 10°C, then bud laying becomes impossible.Under normal conditions, flowering can be activated by pinching off the extreme segments on which flower buds have already formed in the past.

Causes of wilting

The drying out of the plant and the loss of elasticity of the leaves may indicate the placement of the Decembrist near heating devices. In this case, it is necessary to transfer the flower to another place or to carry out daily spraying. Also, the cause may be the death of the root system as a result of hypothermia or infection. You can save the Decembrist by transplanting the healthy part into new soil.

why the leaves are falling

The reasons for the decline of Decembrist segments can be:

• spider mite;
• lack of nutrition;
• low air humidity;
• change the culture medium;
• large temperature fluctuations;
• drafts;
• violation of the timing of the transplant.

Tips & Tricks

Constant high humidity of the soil can lead to the activation of fungal infections, rotting or falling of the petals of the buds.The redness of the initially green shoots of the Decembrist indicates too cold air or direct exposure to the sun. In this case, it is necessary to move to a warmer room and away from strong light.

In order for the Decembrist to bloom more actively, before the formation of buds, watering should be increased, the bush should receive a lot of heat and sun.

And after the appearance of the first flower, the plant cannot be moved and moved even a short distance.