Cacti

Cactus taxonomy is undoubtedly much needed. Determining the belonging of a cactus to a certain genus and species gives not only a beautiful name, it allows you to find out the conditions of detention, which are very different. Some need cold wintering with a completely dry substrate, others need moist air and regular watering. There are varieties of flowering domestic cacti, there are species that never bloom, but are unusually spectacular, such as Echinocactus georgoni. Peresky cacti are completely unique - similar to leaf prickly shrubs.

What to plant a cactus is a serious question. The choice of pot and soil for cacti depends on the correctness of watering, the health of the roots. The size of the pot should match the root system of the cactus, avoid the most common mistake in growing cacti - too spacious pots. Transplantation of a cactus bought in a store is especially important: you need to examine the roots, remove sick, rotten or dried out, check if there is a root worm, prepare well-drained soil.

The best time to transplant cacti is late March, April, early May, i.e. when the plants are just starting to grow. But if cacti grow very vigorously, you can transfer to a larger pot during the summer. Choose the right dimensions of the cactus pot: the old pot should freely enter the new one, leaving 5 mm between the walls for a small plant and up to 1 cm for a large one. If, during the transplant, decayed or dead roots were found, they must be carefully removed with manicure scissors, the root system must be reduced and the pot in this case must be taken a little less than the old one or planted in the same pot, but drainage must be added.

All cacti prefer watering with chlorine-free water, the water should not contain any impurities or salts (for example, fluoride or heavy metals). Ideally, you need to use rainwater or melt water, but to get it, you need to have a fair amount of patience, so you can use water that has been kept for at least a day, boiled or filtered using household water filters.

There are many different points of view about fertilizing cacti. This is a rather controversial issue and, as a rule, it is based on someone's experience. Since cacti are very peculiar plants, fertilizers are special for them. They differ in that they contain two to three times less active elements than fertilizers for indoor flowers. In cacti, the need for nitrogen is extremely limited due to some physiological features, so they are almost never fed with organic matter.

Unlike other houseplants, cacti never have much light. True, some cacti require direct sunlight, while others require bright intense, but scattered. The main problem with homemade cacti is the acute lack of light in winter. Despite the fact that they often winter in coolness and dryness, the lighting of cacti in winter should be very good. And to understand whether the cactus can have enough light at the top of its head - the growing part of the stem should not be thinner and lighter than the lower (last year's increase). A cactus that lacks light becomes like a baby pacifier.

All cacti come from those places where there are serious daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations: the difference can be from 5 to 15 ° C. Therefore, our task is to prevent the cactus from losing its beauty and blooming at home - to provide it with fresh air and a winter period of rest in the cool or even in the cold, with a reduction or cessation of watering. With a period of rest, the cactus ceases to grow and from that time on its summer growth ripens, buds of future flowers are laid. Proper wintering, in conditions suitable for a particular type of cactus, allows you to keep its shape correct, prevent unwanted growth, and avoid deformation of a new growth.

Cacti can be propagated by seeds, cuttings, children and vaccinations. You need to cut cuttings only in the spring, at other times of the year this can only be done if the plant dies and at least something needs to be saved. If cuttings are cut in autumn or winter, the mother plant may be affected. Growing cacti from children is the most affordable and fastest way: you just need to break off the cactus crumb from the mother plant, put it in a shaded place for one day so that the scrap site dries up. Pick up a small pot (5-6 cm is enough) and on the second day just put the baby on the ground.

This is the most troublesome and interesting way. It is from the seeds that the strongest and most beautiful cactus specimens are obtained. Cactus seeds can be purchased in the store, or you can get it yourself if you already have flowering cacti of the same species. To carry out pollination, you need to have two cacti that are not related to each other, i.e. those that were themselves grown from cuttings of different plants or from seeds of different plants. The flowers from where the pollen will be taken should be completely blooming, and the pollen will easily separate, so that it can be collected on a cotton ball or brush (you can use a feather from the pillow).

Each novice sower inevitably has a bunch of questions, large and small, at all stages of sowing. Over the years of the existence of the forum and the site, we have developed a team of lovers of growing cacti from seeds, who have accumulated sufficient experience in this "art" and answer these questions. These are Pola, Stivi, Severina, Anyuta, irina-bahus. I will try to organize these answers a little in order to show that each sower chooses the most convenient mode for himself, and our seedlings grow under fairly different conditions, but not beyond the generally accepted standards for growing cacti from seeds.

Cacti are hardy plants, they grow under the scorching sun, are not afraid of wind and night coolness. But one single extra watering can put an end to his health. We do not notice immediately how root rot begins, when spots appear, yellowing and wrinkling of the stem, an unpleasant smell. Most diseases of domestic cacti are the consequences of mistakes in care: the pot was dropped, frozen in winter, the cactus was overcooked in the sun, poured, forgot to sterilize the soil. And bacteria and pathogenic fungi easily penetrate through damage to the roots and stem and cause severe symptoms.

Ticks are the most common pests of cacti. They differ in microscopic size, although if you look closely, you can notice tiny red dots sitting or quickly moving along the stem of the cactus. As a result of the defeat by the red tick, spots appear on the stem of the cactus, as if covered with a rusty coating...
Hygienic procedures include regular spraying of cacti from a very small spray bottle, disinfection of planting containers, transplant tools, vaccinations, pickings, etc. Disinfection of soil and sand for transplantation. Alcohol is used to disinfect the tool, for lack of it, it can be replaced by simply scalding boiling water. Pots and plates are washed and also poured with boiling water. Soil and sand are roasted in the oven, or spilled with a solution of manganese.

I will try to dispel some stereotypes about cacti:
1. Cacti should be watered once a month.
Not a bit. Of course, cacti are drought resistant, but you don't need to mock them like that! During the growing season, cacti must be watered in the same way as other houseplants, only making sure that the water does not stagnate in the pallet.

I am often asked questions about what is wrong with the cactus, why it does not grow, gets sick, does not bloom, etc. And often in photographs I see half-dead plants tortured by improper care. And I'm angry because I really love cacti. A violet lover would be so angry to hear that you poured your violet directly into the outlet, while it stood in the direct sun, and now you are worried about its condition.

The article contains reference characteristics on the requirements of certain types of cacti for temperature, illumination, soil composition, etc. There are characteristics of the root system and the origin of each genus and species of plant.

General information for everyone: do not water in winter, keep at a temperature of 7... 10 degrees Celsius. A reference table is given, where the so-called white mammillaria are especially highlighted (with a large number of white spines or pubescence, such where the stem is practically invisible). For them, even if not specified, maximum lighting, lime additives (crushed eggshells) in the substrate and watering only from below to preserve pubescence. Lighting, if not specified, light shade (shading in the hottest hours).

Ideal conditions for growing coastal Peresky species are cold wintering in the range of 7-10 ° C. With light hydration once every 1-1.5 months. Cacti lose part of their leaves during dormancy...

Pereskii, native to coastal areas, are very adaptable in milder conditions. They can do with wintering at 15 ° C with rare watering and without losing leaves. And the tropical ones are the most demanding of all.

Detailed description of Peresky species. The main differences in the type of distribution, descriptions of spines, trunk and leaves...

Pereskia sacharosa grows shrubby, the bark on the stem is brown, the areoles are light hairy, the spines are dark brown, slender, 5-6 on the areola, long (up to 5 cm), and the flowers are large dark pink, up to 12 cm in diameter. But Peresia aculeata is a liana, it has white or pink very fragrant flowers. There are up to 70 flowers in one inflorescence.

Echinocactus Gruzon among flower growers enjoys special attention: it is he who is saved most often. But if you carefully read all the messages on this topic, one more thing will be clear: Gruzon is probably one of the most persistent and patient cacti! And only the gross mistakes of leaving ruin him, first of all the malicious bay. The most common cause of the bay is transplanting a purchased cactus and lavishly watering afterwards.

According to the materials of the forum for 2005-2008 after the bay of echinocactus Gruzon, the most common cause of cactus disease is fungal damage. These diseases proceed slowly and imperceptibly. Unfortunately, when the fungus can be identified, the cactus can already do little to help. As a rule, mechanical damage and high humidity in combination with low temperatures contribute to the settlement of fungal infection.

Various cactus-growing questions from aspiring cactusists.