Cacti are beautiful and evergreen plants, the appearance of which almost any person makes amaze, rejoice in the variety of their forms, marvelous colors and the splendor of many copies.
Most cacti are endowed with a huge baggage of healing properties and qualities, and for the inhabitants of desert oases, these plants, or rather, their trunks, have served more than once as reservoirs for water in the form of a syrup to quench thirsty travelers.
Features of growing cacti
It is not difficult to grow a cactus on your own windowsill at home, since cacti, in principle, are unpretentious plants. But certain rules for growing cacti, the individual characteristics of each species must be known and followed, thereby ensuring proper care for their magnificent pets.
• At home in cacti, the growth period begins in the spring.
• From spring to autumn, cacti need watering, preferably morning and with the use of not hard water.
• In the summer, cacti must be fed once, per week using phosphate-potassium fertilizer.
• In winter, cacti need to create conditions for rest during the dormant period - by removing the plants in a cool but dry room.
• In spring, when a cactus shows activity, it is necessary to accustom it to the sun's rays until flower buds appear on it, which subsequently need not be watered, but only sprayed with warm water.
Cacti at home: varieties of exotic plants
Echinopsis (echinopsis) - This type of cactus belongs to the genus of plants, which have a roundish shape and very much resemble a curled prickly hedgehog. Copies of these domestic cacti are popular and loved by gardeners. Unpretentious, multiply with the help of processes (children), which can easily be separated from the stem of the plant. Blossom - with careful and proper care for them.
Cerius - This type of cactus can reach large sizes. It has multi-colored spines. This cactus is similar to its hedgehog relative, but has not one cone on the trunk, but several. Propagated by seeds or cuttings, at home practically does not bloom.
Opuntia robusta (Opuntia robusta) - has an original flat body, similar to cakes. Reaching impressive size, this magnificent representative of the cactus family can, with the elongated bristles on its trunk, cause harm to humans. Therefore, you need to handle this cactus very carefully. This species propagates by cuttings, planting cakes for rooting in fertilized places.
Mammillaria - A species of cacti adapted to dry and hot climates. It has a pale green color, soft spines and in appearance resembles a beautiful and fluffy ball that does not have edges. Blooms at home with pretty flowers in the form of bells.
Phyllocactus (Phullocactus) - A common group of cacti among flower growers. This is a leafy cactus that does not have leaves. With proper care, a cactus with elongated wide stems blooms at home with luxurious flowers.
Cacti at home - growing and reproduction
The first thing to do is to choose the right pot for planting a cactus. Based on the features of the cactus root system, you need to choose a tall pot for planting. Better even if its height is much larger than the width of the pot.
A plastic pot is an ideal container for planting a cactus. Since the pot made of plastic will not allow water to evaporate, and thereby prevent the possibility of salinization of the soil.
Soil and ground
For cacti, it is more advisable to select certain soil mixtures that contain turf, leafy soil, river sand. The composition of the soil must be selected for each type of cactus individually. For young cacti with white prickles, a soil with an admixture of lime is recommended, old specimens need peat soil and nothing more.
Properly selected soil is a guarantee that the root system will not rot and mold. But if suddenly this happened, it is important to clean the rhizome in time and remove from it all the rotten parts.
And so having decided on a pot and soil, it is necessary to proceed to the planting of a cactus. It is better to deal with this process in the spring. At the very bottom of the pot you need to lay a drainage layer consisting of large sand or small expanded clay. Next, in three parts, the pot must be covered with basic soil, and the cactus roots should be lowered into it. The surface layer must be covered with river sand or small pebbles, the soil should not retain a large amount of moisture.
Lighting and temperature
It is also important to remember about lighting. In summer, the cactus must be taken out to an even more illuminated place.
In cities, places with a high dust content, these plants need to be covered with a film, thereby protecting cacti from ultraviolet radiation and rain. If burns suddenly appeared on the plants, then the cacti must be sprayed with a mixture of magnesium sulfate. It is recommended that young cacti be kept in the shade, since if the specimen changes color, then this is a sign of burns.
According to many, cacti are not only adapted to the hot climate, but in general, they love the sun and warmth, but this is not entirely true. It all depends on a particular type of cactus, on the season, but in either case the temperature should not exceed 35 degrees, otherwise the plant will stop its growth and will hurt.
Winter cactus care
In winter, these plants do not need to be watered. It is simply necessary to provide the cacti with cool conditions for better flowering. You also need to provide the cacti with the right lighting using fluorescent lights.
Breeding
Cacti breed at home:
• Cuttings, and plants do not need to be put in water, they are already perfectly rooted. It is preferable in the spring, since at this time the cactus does not get much stress from the process of cuttings.
What you need to do - with a sharp knife you need to cut the stalk. Completely free the lower end from all unnecessary and, using the same knife, sharpen the stalk slightly. After these procedures, the stalk must be left alone for drying and complete adaptation.
Then the cuttings must be rooted in specially selected soil. Rooting is a long process, requiring patience from the grower, in which it is not necessary to water the plant abundantly, in order to avoid the appearance of rot on the root system.
• The process of reproduction with the help of children is quite easy. Since the kids are perfectly rooted and grow quickly. The cactus taken away from the mother plant can be immediately planted in the soil. But with this reproduction (by children), every year the plant will weaken and begin to degenerate.
Bloom
Some especially young cacti often bloom. The first flowers in cacti appear already in the third year of life. And after three years, cacti can begin to bloom annually.
For better flowering, it is recommended to grow cacti in pots close to the plant. In addition, it must be remembered that cacti give flowers only on newly emerged processes of the plant. In this connection, it is necessary to create all the conditions for a plant to have good growth in the spring.
Cacti at home - watering and feeding
For some reason, many people think that cacti should be watered no more than once a month. Such an attitude to the plant can lead, if not to its death, to real stress, that's for sure!
During the growing season, the soil needs to be moistened and its moisture should be monitored using a special indicator or simply visualize this process.
Cacti love soft water, preferably chlorinated, without any impurities. It is best to use rain, melt water or passed through a room temperature filter for watering.
For proper irrigation of cacti it is necessary to use two methods of watering - from above and through the pallet. Moreover, each method carries its own importance and has its own advantages, and possibly disadvantages.
Watering the cactus from above is easy and convenient, all the nuances of irrigation are visible. True, with constant watering from above, nutrients are washed out of the soil, which adversely affects the life of plants.
Watering a cactus through a pan is simple - the soil and the necessary substances are not washed away, but it’s hard to understand how much water the plant needs.
When watering cacti, it is important to know:
• When watering, the water should not fall on the trunk of the plant.
• The cactus must have good soil drainage - it is impossible that the water stagnates.
• Excess water can cause irreparable harm to the cactus.
• Cactus roots do not absorb low temperature water at all. Therefore, it is necessary to water the plant with water at least 12 degrees.
• In the summer season, cacti should be watered in the evening, and at other times of the year it is better to use morning irrigation.
Top dressing
In order for the beloved beauty to bloom, the cactus must be fed with special fertilizers and nutrients. Fertilizing cacti is necessary from the growing season and so on until September, until the plant begins to rest and enters a dormant state. It is more advisable to apply potassium fertilizers with calcium and phosphorus to the fertilizer.
Cactus at home: why does it die?
There are several main reasons for the possible death of cacti:
• Bad mode.
• Incorrect plant care.
• Infection of plants through pests.
• A variety of diseases.
• Inept cactus device for wintering.
Also irreparable harm to cacti can be caused by mold, in connection with which the bottom of the pots and pallets must be regularly cleaned and washed.
Cacti, or rather stomata located on the stem of the plant (cacti breathe through them), need constant spraying with water, as it easily removes dust from existing specimens and allows them to breathe.
Also very often, cacti infect mites and mealybugs. On cacti, ticks can live in large colonies, affect and pierce the stems of plants. With worms that accumulate on cacti, they fight with the help of special means, the most important thing is to see the threat in time.
The root system of cacti must be protected from rot - to choose the right soil for your pet and provide him with appropriate watering.
If you follow all the rules for caring for these plants, you can create a unique collection of luxurious cacti at home that will give mood and delight the eye. And do not forget to wake your pets in the spring with warmth, spraying, but not plentiful watering.
