Flowers in the house are held by many. However, usually people prefer to decorate their window sills with deciduous plants - they believe that they are more decorative. Say, trunks and thorns are not too aesthetic. With this attitude, people can be said to offend cacti - their varieties are very diverse. There are species that are not at all prickly, plants of unusual, exotic forms are found, and even there are formations resembling leaves. So picking up cacti whose varieties will satisfy you aesthetically is by no means a problem. Moreover, most of the bred indoor species are very beautiful and magnificent bloom.
General principles of content
The persistent misconception that these plants do not need care at all, leads to their death as a result and gives rise again to the cacti flowers. So that you do not suffer a similar disappointment, remember that these plants come from different climatic zones. Accordingly, the conditions they need to create close to familiar. Two types of cacti are distinguished:
- Desert . They need a very bright light (southern windows are perfect) and limited watering. In winter, they do without water at all - it is thanks to these species that common “cactus” stereotypes have developed among people. Desert cacti - varieties with the names Echinopsis, Cereus, Echinocerius, Espola, Aporocactus, Chamecereus, Echinocactus, Capricorn Astrophytum, Opuntia, Notocactus - those that are most often found among lovers of prickly plants;
- Forest . Moreover, their homeland is by no means the groves of the middle strip, but humid tropical forests. They are not accustomed to bright lighting, they will be more comfortable on the northern and eastern windowsills. Such cacti must be protected from direct rays, watered often, albeit not generously, and even in winter - even more poorly. Decembrists (aka zygocactus), ripsalidopsis and epiphyllum belong to this type.
If you find out which variety your new pet belongs to, it will delight you for a long time with its existence - and flowering!
Most popular type
The best of all plants of this genus unanimously recognized cactus epiphyllum. One of its main advantages is endurance. The second plus for many is the leaf-like form - thanks to it the plant looks more magnificent. And the third advantage is a very beautiful flowering. Moreover, the flowers on it can be of a very different shade, although thick red, pure white and red-purple are most often found.
However, in order to feel all the delights of finding an epiphyllum in your house, you need to provide him with the appropriate conditions. As already mentioned, it belongs to forest cacti and prefers to dwell on the eastern or western windows - in the south it is necessary to be puzzled by its shading. In summer you can “walk” it on the balcony or in the garden, but do not forget to put the pot in the shade. In the spring, when new shoots grow intensively, and buds bloom on the old ones, watering should be regular; however, between them the earth must have time to dry. Since June, the amount of water is gradually decreasing, and by winter it remains in a volume sufficient to moisturize. In addition, in the summer, the epiphyllum responds very well to spraying. From the beginning of flowering (and it first occurs in 3-4 years of life), plants require increased attention. Until the flowering is over, cactus flowers can not only be transplanted, but also transferred to another place and even rotated. Adult plants move to a new container only if necessary - a close pot stimulates bud formation.
For cacti to bloom
Buying a new plant, the future owner primarily expects to see beautiful flowers. Cacti, however, often deceive these expectations. It is unlikely that anyone will want to sell an adult plant to you (or ask for that kind of money ...), so first you’ll have to wait until the newcomer “ripens” to the right age. The second factor that will contribute to the emergence of buds is the maximum approximation to the living conditions of the cactus in his homeland. The third we have already mentioned - a cramped pot. And the fourth: providing the plant with proper summer care and the right degree of winter dormancy. Then, at the time of flowering, a fresh growth will appear, and flowers will grow on last year's processes.
Changing of the living place
Cactus transplantation is a very responsible matter and is somewhat different from the process of moving other plants. First of all, the size of the pot. In the case of relatively resistant species (cereus, myrtillocactus, prickly pear), the advice to take a container a couple of centimeters wider in diameter is fair. However, lophophora or astrophytum grow slowly and are susceptible to rot. Their weak root system will not have time to "process" the volume of incoming water. As a result, cacti can die. They are transplanted into a pot, except perhaps a centimeter. If the roots of the plant are superficial, you need to take a low, but wide pot.
The frequency of transplantation depends on the age of the cactus. While he is young and growing rapidly, capacity changes annually. In adults, this procedure is carried out only if the pot is clearly cramped; for spherical cacti, a reliable sign can be the achievement of their diameter in the size of the pot.
Travel Rules
Cactus transplantation is complicated by two factors: their pricklyness (therefore, increased injury hazard) and fragility - they do not have a trunk in the strict sense, and the bark cannot protect them from breaking. The first problem is easier to handle: the plant turns into newspapers or a soft, lint-free cloth (clinging to the threads, cacti can break the thorns) and gently fall out of the pot. Before transplanting, it must not be watered: dry soil can be removed more easily. Fragility can be defeated only by the greatest caution. The most difficult to relocate cacti, whose varieties are tall. Here you need an assistant who will hold the plant during the manipulation.
All the colors of the rainbow
Often, almost professional amateurs find violet, blue or red cacti in their collections. Many observers gasp and admire, thinking that this is some rare species. It happened that an inexperienced florist bought such colorful plants - and soon became discouraged, or even angry, soon finding a very ordinary kind of purchase. However, an attentive person will pay attention to the fact that in front of him are cacti, varieties of which he saw in the usual form, with white spines. The secret is very simple: when transplanting or planting a baby, the soil is mixed with food coloring. When watering, it dissolves, penetrates the cactus and stains its thorns in the intended color. When the dye is washed, the plant will take on a natural look. Such “coloring” does not bring harm to the cactus (if it is food coloring that is used, and not, say, ink or stamp ink). Caring for a plant does not need correction - after all, its variety has not changed due to the eccentricities of the owner.