Schlumberger

Cactus family. The homeland is the moist forests of South America. The people know them more on the example of the Decembrist. These are epiphytic cacti, or forest cacti. Usually blooms by Christmas, i.e. flowering occurs in January, and therefore they are called Decembrists - in December there is a formation of buds. With age, the Decembrists have a trunk testing - it seems to be reddened, while plants are poorly branched.

Species Schlumberger

• Schlumberger truncated Schlumbergera truncatus - has sharp denticles along the edge of the leaf-shaped segments of the stems, and the flowers are bilaterally symmetrical with a beveled flower tube, petals bent back, about 2.5 cm in diameter. The shades of flowers are very different from white and gently pink, to lilac and purple.
• Schlumbergera booklei Schlumbergera bucklei - has small segments of light green with weak protrusions at the edges. It blooms with purple-pink flowers, radically symmetrical, flowering usually from late October to November.

Cactus Decembrist is very often confused with a related species - Ripsalidopsis

Care for the Decembrist

Temperature: in summer, normal for home conditions, but preferably not higher than 28 ° C. If it is hot and stuffy, non-flowering Decembrist rearrange to a cooler place. If the schlumberger is blooming, place the pot on a tray of water (to keep the water out of the pot).

In winter, in the heating season, home conditions are not the best option for the Decembrist if he does not have enough light. With a decrease in natural light (from September to mid-November), it is advisable to provide the flower with a dormant period at a temperature of 15-16 ° C, at least 12 ° C. With the formation of buds and flowering (from November to the end of January), move back the room, but keep in mind that the optimal temperature for flowering is about 18-20 ° C.

In natural conditions, where zygocactus grows, there is no scorching heat, but fresh air is always in abundance, so the Decembrists do not grow in the kitchen or utility rooms.

Lighting: the Decembrist loves a bright place, or a very light partial shade with oblique rays of the sun. Shading from direct sunlight is mandatory from March to August in the afternoon (until about 4 pm), the rest of the time (in the morning or in the evening) direct sun is possible. The Decembrist grows well on the northern window in spring and summer. If the windows are shaded from the street by trees, you can safely put the pot on the sunny window from September until the end of winter. Take care with the sun in January-March shading from 11 to 17 hours with a double mosquito net to avoid burns if you have a south or west window.

Watering: with the advent of buds, the Decembrist is watered quite abundantly until the end of flowering - the earth should be slightly moist all the time in the depth of the pot, but dry from above to the next watering at about 1/3 of the height of the pot. Until the Decembrist blooms, watering is neat, with good drying of the soil (at least half the pot should dry well). The frequency of watering the Decembrist also depends on the intensity of growth - if he regularly gives out new leaves, the need for moisture increases.

When the Decembrist does not have enough moisture, his stems shrivel, but if you immediately water, they restore elasticity. If the leaf segments are systematically dry, they become pale and thin.

Decembrist - care, flowering, reproduction in questions and answers

Air humidity: regular spraying and periodic warm showers (without getting wet on the ground) only benefit the Decembrists, but if the air temperature is above 26 ° C. When the temperature is below 25 ° C, it is not necessary to spray (since the humidity is sufficient). For spraying, use only soft water so that there are no salt stains on the leaves. Spraying only from a very fine atomizer. Do not allow water drops to fall on flowers and buds!

What to feed the Decembrist

You can feed the Decembrist only three to four weeks after the transplant, during the period of active growth (in spring and summer) with a special complex fertilizer for cacti, with a frequency of every two weeks. The Decembrist (schlumberger) does not like concentrated fertilizers, rots from excess nitrogen. Therefore, if you decide to use fertilizer with trace elements for ordinary indoor flowering plants, for example Fertica lux (kemira), then reduce the dose by two or three times.

How to transplant a Decembrist

The Decembrist is transplanted after flowering - at the end of February. The seating container is spacious and shallow. It is not necessary to transfer it to a new pot every year, it all depends on the growth rate. In general, the Decembrist is growing rather slowly. And if, in your opinion, he did not add too much in size, you can not replant, but replace only the upper layer of the earth, impoverished and containing an increased amount of salts. To do this, loosen the earth in a pot with a wooden stick and remove 2-3 cm of earth with a spoon or scoop. Fill up with fresh earth. Never take a Decembrist pot with a large margin in size - you will inevitably flood and destroy the plant.

Soil for Decembris

The soil for the Decembrist should be light, porous, with a small content of humus - richer than for other cacti. The Decembrist does not like heavy clay soil and does not grow well on light sandy or poor peat. These soils are not structured for this cactus. It is better not to use ready-made soils from the store, without a preliminary quality check: good soil does not contain expanded clay, has a complete list of components included in the soil mixture (sheet earth, peat, etc.), absorbs water well and quickly - after watering in 2-3 seconds all water goes into the soil (even if it is very dry).

Approximate soil composition for the Decembrist (Schlumberger):

• 1 part of the turf, 2 part of the leaf, 1 part of the small gravel (or very coarse sand - 3-4 mm), plus a couple of teaspoons of brick crumb per pot.
• 1 part of turf, 2 part of leaf earth, 2 part of zeolite pellets (from cat filler Barsik standard).

Good drainage is needed in any pot, even clay. Foam plastic or coarse expanded clay can be used as drainage. It is not necessary to include expanded clay in the soil. Before transplanting, schlumbergers must sterilize the soil.

Reproduction of the Decembrist

The Decembrist is propagated by cuttings having 2-3 segments. They usually take root easily at any time of the year. You can root in water - in a small glass, so that the water covers the lower part of the handle no more than 5-10 mm. Make sure that it does not evaporate completely. In spring, roots usually appear within 2-3 weeks.

Decembrist cuttings can also be rooted in the ground. To do this, after cutting, slightly dry them in air (4-5 hours), and, without deepening much, place them on a moist substrate - a mixture of universal peat soil and vermiculite. The moisture of the substrate should be very light, slightly wet, not wet (wet), and the contact with the tip of the handle is not more than 3-4 mm, i.e. put the handle on the soil surface and press slightly. To prevent the handle from falling, you need to put a stick next to it (you can tie it).

It is not necessary to cover with a glass jar or bag, if there is no heat and dryness. The rooting of the Decembrist is better when the humidity is moderate about 40-50%, so if you use a bag, do not forget to periodically ventilate.

How to care for the Decembrist during flowering

So that the plant does not look lopsided, and this happens when there are more leaves from the side of illumination - it is periodically turned by different sides to the light source. Just do not disturb the Decembrists during budding and flowering. The density of the crown is created by pinching and pruning - they shorten unbranched shoots. Buds appear on young segments, so frequent pruning of the Decembrist contributes to abundant flowering.

By the way, during the flowering of the Decembrist, you can re-pollinate. To do this, you only need two plants that are not related to each other, you can have a different species or variety. Pollen from the flowers of one plant is collected with a brush and transferred to the flowers of another. Some time after pollination, a fruit is formed at this place - a red berry. Ripening fruit can be torn off when it begins to wrinkle. It is very beautiful - bright pink berries can stay on the plant for a year, right up to a new flowering.

Why the Decembrist doesn't bloom

The Decembrist does not bloom for several reasons:

• if they take care of him incorrectly: pour, dry
• if it is fed with unsuitable fertilizer (with too large a dose of nitrogen) or too often fed
• if the Decembrist stands in too dark a place
• if he did not have even a small period of rest
• if the Decembrist lives very well, and he constantly grows leaf mass (fattens)

If everything is in order with the rest period, then with its end and the transfer of the zygocactus to a warm room, you need to resume watering (moreover, start watering with warm water) and be sure to increase the lighting. Sometimes the reason why the Decembrist does not bloom is only a lack of light. Despite being a forest cactus, it may need extra lighting in autumn and winter. In central Russia, from September to the beginning (sometimes the end) of January, the Decembrist can be kept in the direct sun, even the southern midday sun does not threaten him - there are too few sunny days and they are quite rare, you can not be afraid of burns. But since January, we definitely remember the shading.

Well, a number of other factors that need to be remembered so that the Decembrist pleases you with flowering:

• Before watering the Decembrist, make sure that the soil at the top of the pot is well dry. And in the cool season, after drying, wait a few more days (5-10 days), depending on the temperature, and only then water.
In
• hot weather in summer, it is advisable for the Decembrists to spray in the morning or evening. Do not leave the schlumberger on a hot balcony, it does not tolerate temperatures above 30 ° C, plants can burn out
.
• Specialist's remark: one of the special requirements of the schlumberger is that after the formation of buds it should not be moved and kept at an even temperature, otherwise the buds will fall.
• Decembrists grown in greenhouses (bought in a store) are especially sensitive, so when buying you need to immediately tune in to the possible fall of buds, because transportation, movement of the plant, temperature change is always inevitable. Perhaps not all buds will fall off.
• At home, try to determine the zygocactus for a permanent place and not disturb the first two weeks at all. Then transplants, feeding, etc. are possible.

Growing problems

• The leaves turn red and wilt - from the excess sun (on the southern or western window) it is enough to rearrange the pot, or shade it.
• The plant drops buds or parts of segments on the leaves - at too low a temperature, insufficient watering, rearrangement to a new place, excess fertilizers, pest or disease damage, it is also necessary to check the roots (for rot).
• The Decembrist's leaves began to wrinkle in places, change their color to reddish (time - November) - in the cold season, the reason is hypothermia, another reason for overfeeding (you can feed only during the growth period).
• The root system of the Decembrists is rather weak - they do not tolerate an excess of moisture - the roots easily rot and die off. Roots are also damaged when watered with cold water. It should be 3-4 °
C warmer than room temperature.

Pests of the Decembrist

Scale insects: these insects are similar to brown pimples, 1-3 mm in size, often translucent and motionless, as if something stuck on the surface of leaves and stems, they suck out cell juice. The leaves pale and dry.

Control measures. Wipe the leaves with a soapy foam sponge, then rinse with clean water. Spray and water the soil with actara insecticide solution.

Ticks: affect forest cacti, especially harm at home in a dry hot climate - leaves become lethargic, yellowish-rusty spots appear, blackening in places (small brown spots), leaves and flowers die off. The tick is not always visible to the naked eye, examine the plant with a magnifying glass.

Control measures. Wipe the leaves with a soap sponge and wash in a hot shower (55 ° C). Flowers will have to be cut. Spraying with insecticides (phytoverm, castor, apollo, fufanon, etc. If it is very hot (above 25 ° C), repeat spraying with the drug after three days, if it is cool - after 5-7 days.

Read more about indoor plant pests in the pest section