Cacti are amazing creatures of nature that can create a special atmosphere in an apartment or office. The variety of their forms, the gentle beauty of their buds, the healing properties of many of them and the unpretentiousness of care - all this is a wonderful occasion to start a cactus in the house.
Varieties of cacti
The homeland of cacti is the arid regions of Africa, Canada and America. They are divided into forest and desert, and on the windowsills they both take root perfectly. Although there is a popular belief that these succulents are unpretentious, but before you make a prickly “friend”, you should know that a cactus can suffer from a particular disease, it has enemies in the face of pests, and it needs the same attention , like other representatives of the flora.
Forest species include:
- Ripsalidopsis Gartner is a plant that blooms densely with beautiful large flowers from pink to brick red.
- Phyllocactus Akerman has long stems slightly wavy at the edges. Blooms in large flowers in May-June.
- Schlumberger Buckley cactus is better known among flower growers as the “Decembrist." It has arched stems of curved shape, which are divided into small segments. It blooms from November to January with pink, white, purple or red flowers.
These are the most popular varieties of those found in homes. Similar cacti on the window look spectacular, as they have unusual stalk shape for these plants. This is due to the fact that they grow in tropical forests on tree trunks. Their main advantage is beautiful flowers. To achieve their flowering, you should know some of the nuances of caring for them, but in general they are not very whimsical.
Representatives of the desert
Their desert "brothers" are more often found on window sills, and the most popular among them are:
- Ariocarpus - have a low and flattened stem covered with fluff. Bloom beautiful white buds.
- Astrophytums have a round shape with a rare ribbing. Sometimes there are specimens of this genus in the shape of a star.
- Azteciums - this genus has only 2 species of cacti, having a rounded shape with pronounced ribs and almost without thorns.
- Gymnocalyciums are the most numerous species of cacti that have a common resemblance: their flower tube is devoid of hairs.
- Cleistocactus comes from a mountainous hot area. They have cylindrical stems densely covered with small spines. Give abundant flowering.
- Parodies are a type of miniature cacti, characterized by a large number of buds. They remind you of little fluffy balls.
- Echinopsis - the most frequent “guests” on the windows of flower growers. They can be either rounded or elongated, blooming in large, incredibly beautiful flowers.
This is not all types of cacti, and usually, one of them appears on the windowsill, you want to get another, but a different shape, and then the next and so on. This is due to the fact that growing cacti is a real hobby, which brings special pleasure when plants thankful for love and care respond with flowering.
Cactus Care: Lighting and Watering
Before you start growing cacti, you should be aware of the features that are inherent in most representatives of this type of plant.
- In domestic cacti, growth time begins in the spring.
- From March to the end of October, these plants need morning watering.
- In the summer, they need additional nutrition, which should be carried out once a week with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
- In winter, plants need rest, so it is recommended that they be cleaned in a dry but cooler room.
Before planting a cactus, you should choose a suitable place for it or create artificial lighting, on which the well-being of this plant largely depends.
Cacti love well-lit places, but it is also necessary to ensure that plants do not get burns with ultraviolet light. This is especially true for young animals. If the cactus began to change its color, it should immediately be removed in the shade, and the affected areas should be sprayed with a solution of magnesium sulfate.
Although the desert species of succulents are used to a hot climate, much depends on the type of cactus. For most of them, the best summer temperature is +35 degrees, so you should not keep them in the sun.
In winter, these flowers need additional lighting, for which you can use fluorescent lamps.
Watering should also meet the needs of the plant depending on its type, but most often it is more frequent in the summer and limited to 1-2 per month in the winter. Cacti prefer soft defended, boiled or filtered water.
Watering can be carried out from above and through the pan, and on especially hot days it is recommended to spray the “pet” additionally.
Transplanting prickly “friend”
Cactus transplantation at home should begin with the choice of capacity, soil preparation and mandatory inspection of the plant itself. It is believed that they can be transplanted at any time, but it is better to wait for the growing season, for example, May-June or August-September.
The need for this procedure arises if the capacity has become small or any disease has appeared. For example, a cactus has stopped growing, its epidermis has faded and lost its elasticity, and the roots are trying to “escape” from the pot, which means that the time has come. Depending on the variety, this can happen in 2-6 years.
Before starting the “operation”, you must remember the safety precautions and protect your hands from its needles.
For this, thick gauntlets, rolled up in several layers of paper or a couple of pieces of foam rubber are suitable. Experienced flower growers use special forceps, which can be purchased at a flower shop.
It is important to know: you can not pull a cactus from a pot! Holding the plant, the container should be turned over and gently shake it out. If necessary, the pot can be tapped.
Procedure for transplanting succulents
Cactus transplantation at home goes through the following steps:
- Clear the roots of the plant from the ground and remove all diseased or dead processes.
- Leave it in an empty container for a couple of days without soil, so that the wounds take root.
- To protect the plant from possible diseases of the root system, it is possible to arrange a hot bath for it. To do this, you need to cut the stand out of cardboard on the shape of the container, making a hole for the roots in it. Pour water in the bath + 50-55 degrees and lower the roots into it, threading them into the hole and placing the cactus on the stand. The procedure lasts about 20 minutes, after which the plant needs to be allowed to dry, which may take 2-3 days.
- Ready soil for cacti or your own preparation (mix coarse sand with universal soil and fine gravel 1: 1: 1) pour into a pot over a layer of expanded clay.
- Carefully put the plant in a container, straighten the roots and fill it with soil.
It is important to know: when planting, you need to tamp the ground well with your hands or by tapping the pot. If the plant is tall, then until it takes root in a new place, it needs to be supported.
During transplantation, cactus babies, if any, are separated and planted in separate containers. It is important not to damage their young roots.
How to choose a container for cactus
Choosing pots for cacti, it is necessary to focus on the fact that the new "houses" should be 3-4 cm more than the previous ones. Plastic is considered the best material due to its low cost, a large selection of colors and light weight. Those who prefer natural materials buy ceramics, but plastic containers have a wider choice of shapes, which is very important for this type of plant. Depending on the root of the cactus, you can buy a tall and narrow pot (for a thick base) or low, but wide (with long and thin roots).
If the cactus is injured
Sometimes a cactus gets illness due to mechanical injury. For example, it can be obtained from exposure to ultraviolet radiation, with an improper transplant or when a pot with a plant falls on the floor.
In this case, such "symptoms" will indicate violations in his health:
- redness that occurs when exposed to direct sunlight;
- the shriveled surface of the plant indicates its hypothermia;
- Brown spots appeared on the surface, which means that the soil for cacti is oversaturated with fertilizers, or it is in a very moist environment;
- stunting of the bud indicates that the plant is watered with cold water for it.
In case of mechanical damage, it is enough to change the conditions of the cactus or treat its wound with a disinfectant solution.
Diseases with physiological disorders
Cactus diseases can get due to metabolic disorders. Such deviations include:
- etiolation - occurs with a lack of lighting and manifests itself in the form of bleeding of the epidermis and stretching in height;
- with a lack of macro - and microelements, diseases appear in the form of:
- growth inhibition, which causes a lack of nitrogen;
- the color of the cactus changes with fluoride deficiency, without which nitrogen absorption is impossible;
- the formation of reddish spots causes a lack of sulfur;
- the root stops growing when there is little calcium;
- if the flowering of a plant is delayed, then it needs magnesium;
- excessive kidding may be caused by a lack of zinc;
- the plant stops growing if it lacks copper, boron, molybdenum, iodine and chlorine.
These are the health problems that cacti can have. Diseases and treatment of these plants most often depend on the level of care for them, which includes timely top dressing, compliance with the temperature regime, lighting and watering standards, and soil composition.
Fungal infections
Before planting a cactus, it is better to calcine the earth to avoid possible infectious diseases caused by fungi, bacteria or viruses. This category of diseases includes:
- Late blight is a fungal disease from which the root system of the plant and the base of the stem are damaged. Cactus spores can come from neighboring plants, vegetables, and fruits. The treatment is carried out with the help of fungicides by treating damaged areas every 3-4 hours. It is useful to keep the plant on dry soldering during treatment. The lack of moisture will prevent the fungus from spreading, and the damaged areas themselves will disappear.
It is important to know: the advanced state of the disease leads to the death of the plant. In this case, it must be destroyed along with the soil, and the container thoroughly washed and disinfected.
- Fusarium rot is a fungus that occurs when the plant is excessively watered or when it is in a very humid environment. Externally, the disease manifests itself in the form of wrinkling of the stem and its fall. At first it turns yellow, then acquires a brown color at the root neck, and in a neglected state, black “fruits” form on the cactus body. For prevention, it is possible to carry out treatment with foundationazole, monitor the quality of irrigation and prevent water stagnation. Treatment is carried out in the form of removal of damaged areas and treatment of wounds with green, sulfur or charcoal.
- Gray rot is another fungus that affects the sides of the stem or the place where the vaccinations were made. In this case, the affected areas become porridge-like and become covered with a gray coating. Excessive soil moisture should be avoided, and damaged areas should be removed and wounds sprinkled with nystatin or sulfur.
- Alternariosis (black rot) - this fungal disease manifests itself in the form of wet black spots and shiny brown streaks on the body of the plant. Treatment exclusively by removing all damaged areas up to healthy tissues that need to be treated with sulfur.
This is not all fungal diseases of cacti, but most often the cause of their occurrence is the strong moistening of the soil and air in the room where the plant stands. To avoid problems, it is better to water the cactus with fungicide from time to time and make sure that the land between the irrigations is completely dry.
Pests and parasites
Oddly enough, but cacti can be affected by parasites, like other types of indoor plants. The cause of their disease can be:
- Mealybug - leaves noticeable white lumps that look like cotton wool. When it appears, you should remove the uninvited “guest” with tweezers or a brush, and then treat the surface of the flower with an alcoholic solution of garlic. After this, the plant should not be exposed to the sun for a month. If the defeat is very large, then the use of Fufanon and Actellik will be required.
- The spider mite is less noticeable, but appears on the cactus if the air in the room is too dry. In the literal sense of the word, it sucks all the juices out of the plant, while its stem turns yellow. You can fight with a soapy solution.
- Nematode is an extremely unpleasant type of worm that can be difficult to cope with. If a nematode is found, all damaged roots should be removed, and plants should be transplanted into new soil and cactus pots.
These are the main parasites that can harm a prickly pet. It is important to detect the problem in time and eliminate it before the plant is exposed to serious danger.