A beautiful indoor flower, which in the most severe December cold pleases the owners with lush pink bloom, is all called the Decembrist. The real name of the plant is Schlumbergera or Zigocactus. The birthplace of the Decembrist is the tropical rainforests of South America. A plant that is not afraid of winter cold is pretty unpretentious in its care. Nevertheless, in order for the Decembrist to please lush clusters of flowers every year, you should properly water and feed him in time.
Plant description
The plant belongs to the genus of epiphytic cacti that grow in the tropical forests of South America. The stems of the Decembrist are smooth, flattened, consist of several joints. The photograph shows a subequatorial the forest in which the Decembrist grows is the birthplace of the plant. The photo clearly demonstrates how densely plants are located in the tropical world.
The length of the branches of the Decembrist can reach 50 cm. The flowers have a conical shape, forming from the buds at the tips of the drooping shoots. During flowering, a houseplant is densely covered with beautiful delicate flowers, the length of one flower is from 6 to 8 cm. Zigocactuses with flowers of white, yellow, pink and even purple are found. During flowering, the buds tend to open for several days, so that the flowering of a houseplant is quite long.
Pollination
The peculiar structure of the flowers of the Decembrist explains the inability of the plant to self-pollination. The elongated bulbous shape of the flower consists of several joints strung on each other; from the ends of the last flower, there is a pestle framed by stamens. In nature, zigocactus is cross-pollinated with tropical hummingbirds. For this reason, the Decembrist has an elongated form of stems, the birthplace of the plant determines the cross-pollination of birds and insects. After pollination, after some time, oval red fruits are formed at the ends of the branches.
Conditions for regular flowering
In addition to timely watering and top dressing, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for flowering. The flower should feel the approach of cold weather. From mid-October, it is necessary to create conditions in the room where the houseplant is located, corresponding to the cold season. Despite the fact that the birthplace of the Decembrist is indoor - South America, a country with a rather warm climate, the plant tolerates colds fairly steadily. The room must be maintained at a temperature not exceeding 15 degrees. Watering a houseplant should be no more than 1 time per week. The Decembrist is very fond of sunlight, so the pot with the plant should be in the brightest part of the room. In order for the plant to begin to bloom, it is necessary to constantly maintain a cool air temperature in the room. The flower should feel the approach of winter. The fact is that when Russia is winter, at this time in South America the height of summer. The birthplace of the Decembrist (flower) determines the flowering time of this indoor plant.
Basic care recommendations
The florist should know the origin of zygocactus in order to understand why the Decembrist does not bloom, the birthplace of the plant is South America, where summer begins during the winter cold in Russia.
In order for the plant to please its owners every year with beautiful flowering in the winter, a number of simple rules must be observed:
- the plant needs fresh air and diffused sunny color, then beautiful flowering in the winter will be provided;
- should regularly, not more than once a week, water the plants with cool water;
- for the flower to bloom regularly, it is necessary to transplant it annually into a more spacious pot;
- the optimum room temperature in order to create conditions for flowering is considered to be a temperature of no higher than 16 degrees.
If you follow all the recommendations, Decembrist every year in winter will be covered with beautiful clusters of flowers, creating comfort in the room. Florists know how unpretentious the Decembrist (flower), the homeland of the plant is known for its rather harsh, humid climate, in which tropical plants are forced to fight for food and lighting. One should only remember to regularly water the plant during the flowering period.
Homeland of a houseplant
The flower belongs to forest cacti, which in natural conditions take root on the root system or directly on the trunks of tropical trees. In this regard, the roots of the flower are weak, the Decembrist homeland of the plant does not spoil too much. The soil on the upper tiers of the tropical forests of South America is practically absent. Most of the roots of the Decembrist are able to capture the missing moisture directly from the air. The short roots of the plant are constantly in search mode in order to find a favorable nutrient medium and gain a foothold on it. In the presence of any suitable soil, the plant is able to quickly grow a full root system. Due to the high competition in the tropics, the plant, having fallen on favorable soil, begins to grow rapidly in order to occupy space as quickly as possible, preventing other competing plants from entering its territory. Growing on tree trunks in the gloomy forests of the humid tropics, the flower receives a sufficient amount of diffused sunlight.
It should be noted that due to its unpretentiousness, the Decembrist is able to survive even in the most extreme conditions. In addition, this plant is referred to as long-lived flowers. A houseplant is able to live up to 20 years. Decembrist is also resistant to various kinds of diseases.
Transplant soil
To ensure annual flowering in the winter, zigocactus is recommended to be replanted at least once every two years. At the same time, despite his unpretentiousness, it is better to take into account that he loves the Decembrist more. The plant’s homeland, the necessary soil composition of which is characterized by an insufficient amount of water-soluble mineral substances, affects the conditions for full flower growth.
The retail chain stores sell special soil intended for transplanting zygocactus. You can buy a ready-made soil composition, it is also permissible to cook it yourself by mixing in equal proportions leaf compost, garden soil and clean river sand.
As you know, the birthplace of the Decembrist (flower) is humid tropics, this circumstance must be taken into account when transplanting in order to prevent further decay of the root system. The roots of the plant should be moderately moistened, air should freely penetrate to them. Some of the garden soil should be mixed with leaf compost, crushed expanded clay. It is advisable to add small shells of walnuts and some charcoal. At the bottom of a wide, but shallow pot, lay a little drainage expanded clay, then pour a layer of prepared soil, carefully placing the plant on it. Zygocactus is a rather fragile plant, so you must act carefully, otherwise the roots can be damaged. Having filled the pot with soil, it is necessary to water the plant abundantly and place it in that part of the room where direct sunlight does not fall.
Fertilizer
When caring for a plant, you need to know how to fertilize the Decembrist (flower). The birthplace of the plant, where zygocacti lead a parasitic lifestyle, taking root on the trunks of tropical plants, provides flowers with essential wood nutrients. Therefore, the plant is very unpretentious, it is quite enough the usual feeding for cacti, which should be diluted with water for two quarters, so as not to burn the delicate roots of the Decembrist.
Breeding
Many lovers of indoor plants do not know how to breed Decembrists. The homeland of the plant is humid gloomy tropical forests, here most of the plants grow in order to occupy the fertile territory as soon as possible. As for zigocactus, this unpretentious indoor flower is successfully propagated by cuttings. It is necessary to cut small cuttings with a length of not more than 8 cm, dry them slightly in air, and then put in water for several days. As soon as the cuttings take root, they can be planted in the soil. In order for the indoor plant to look more magnificent, it is recommended to plant several harvested cuttings in one flower pot.
Disease
Unfortunately, like any houseplant, zygocactus is susceptible to the diseases that tropical plants reward, the birthplace of the Decembrist houseplant, humid tropics. Most often, plants affect fungal diseases. Weakened by the disease, the plant begins to fade and wither, flower buds begin to fall, mold appears at the base of the stem.
Another disease called the spider mite affects zygocactus when central heating is turned on in the houses. In the axils of plants, webs and even small insects can be found. The plant begins to turn yellow. As you know, the birthplace of the Decembrist is South America, in the natural conditions of the humid tropics, the diseased plant most often dies. At home, the plant is most often saved. In order to rid a flower of a fungal disease, it is enough to water with fungicides. These are special Topaz or Fitosporia liquids.
To get rid of the spider mite, it is necessary to treat the plant with “Apolo” or “Fitoverm” preparations no more than 4 times a week.
What happens to the plant after 15 years
With age, the Decembrist does not look as attractive as it happens when the plant is still young. The trunk at the base acquires an ugly curved appearance, the branches of the plant become like a cork. It is necessary to make some efforts so that the Decembrist always looks well-groomed. The birthplace of the plant somehow affects the life cycle of the flower. Too old plants should be replaced with new ones. The breeding season is most successful in the spring, the months of April or May are preferred. To do this, cut several cuttings and place them in wet sand or soil. For new seedlings, choose spacious, but shallow pots, on the bottom of which it is imperative to lay a layer of drainage in order to prevent decay of the root system.