Cultivation of domestic cacti, at first glance, seems to be quite simple, low-cost, and not burdensome. So, for most novice florist, caring for these indoor plants is mistakenly associated with rare watering and minimal care. In fact, "thorny pets" need not only attention, but also a very special approach - the only way they will fully develop and delight with unusual flowering.

Choosing a place for cactus

Conventionally, all cacti belonging to an extensive group of succulent plants are divided into desert and forest and the choice of location for their location in the room directly depends on natural origin:

  1. Desert plants need a lot of sunlight, so they will be comfortable near the southern or southeast windows. Under conditions of scarce lighting, the tops of cacti of such varieties are drawn out and thinned. In this case, for green "pets" equip additional artificial lighting.
  2. Forest succulents are less demanding on the quantity and quality of lighting. To accommodate them, you can choose the western or northern part of the room. Otherwise, for normal growth, such cacti will have to organize periodic shading.

Note!  Cacti do not like direct drafts and frequent changes from place to place.

Lighting, temperature, watering cactus

Competent watering, suitable lighting and air temperature are the main components of proper care for a room cactus and they depend, for the most part, on seasonality.

Features of winter care for cacti

In winter, for the "prickly" comes a period of rest. At this time, plants can still be kept on window sills, but to prevent rhizomes from overcooling, it is better to place the pots on a tray or place them on high stands. Experienced cacti growers claim that succulents need a dry and moderately cold winter to lay flower buds. As a conclusion, the optimal air temperature in winter for cacti varies between 12-16 degrees, while watering is done with warm soft (separated) water no more than once every 10-15 days.


With the onset of spring, succulents can and should be watered more often (optimally every 3-4 days, focusing on the degree of drying out of the soil) and periodically irrigate from a fine spray dispenser (keep in mind that evening hours are the most suitable time to spray). Starting in March, when the plants enter the phase of active growth, the cacti overgrown with their pots can be safely transplanted into more spacious planting capacities.


The primary task for owners of succulents in the summer period is the organization of shading. Intense sunshine combined with high air temperatures can destroy even desert hardy plants and lead to extensive sunburn. In order to prevent overheating of the root system, pots with cacti can be placed in boxes filled with clean soil or peat. Perfect summer option -
  transfer of succulents to a balcony or garden. Do not forget that during the hot time they need partial shade.


Autumn care for cacti

In the autumn it is extremely important to properly prepare the "thorny" pets for the state of winter "hibernation." With the onset of cold weather, when the outside air temperature drops below 7-8 degrees, cacti are transferred into the room. Before this, the green part of the plant should be gently rinsed under a warm shower to wash away the summer dust deposited on them. The number of irrigations at this time is gradually reduced to 3-4 times a month.


Cacti transplant

Moving a cactus to a new dish is a simple process, but extremely responsible. Specialist tips can help you avoid mistakes and easily cope with this relatively difficult task:

  1. As mentioned above, the spring season is considered the most suitable for cacti transplantation.
  2. A few days before the planned transplanting, it is necessary to stop watering the plant in order to avoid damage to the rhizome when removing it from the old pot.
  3. Young individuals need to be transplanted annually, and specimens over three years old - every 3-4 years.
  4. The optimal planting capacity for succulents is a plastic pot with a drain pan, while the size of the dishes should correspond to the size of the plant itself and its root part.
  5. Ideally, the substrate for growing cactus should consist of three components of equal weight - sheet (sod) land, coarse sand and drainage material. As the latter, you can use crushed coal, small pebbles or brick chips.


Diseases and pests of cacti

Most often, the defeat of cactus diseases and pests is the result of errors in the content and improper care of the plant. Draft, excessive watering and irrigation with cold water, excess fertilizer and improper transplantation - all of these factors can provoke a significant weakening of the protective functions of the succulent.

How to cure home cactus from rot

The most dangerous for cacti is considered to be wet rot of the rhizome. The treatment algorithm of the plant in this case is as follows:

  1. The cactus, affected by rottenness, is carefully taken out of the pot and its root part is washed under running water, carefully cleaning it from the rest of the soil.
  2. Next, the rotted parts of the succulent are cut to healthy tissue. Place the slices carefully treated with antiseptic.
  3. After pruning, the plant is dried on a paper towel until it forms a crust at the cut point (this period takes 7-15 days).
  4. Then the dried cactus is planted in a small pot filled with sand, and set in a bright, but protected from direct sunlight, place.


Pest control on cactus

From time to time, home cacti should be carefully examined for the presence of pests. Aphids, mealybugs, scales, and spider mites are the most devious “enemies” for succulents. If they are found, the affected areas of the plant should be immediately treated with a suitable insecticide with a brush. Otherwise, it is impossible to avoid infecting the neighboring "thorny" copies of the green collection.


Remember that competent care and creation of conditions comfortable for a cactus is a guarantee of its full development and regular flowering.

It is difficult to find a person who at least did not admire the variety and the bizarre beauty of cacti forms. These cylindrical, spherical, flat, often branching evergreens are life-sustaining. They are able to grow in the harshest conditions and do without water for a long time. Well, if suddenly the cactus blooms, it is always a holiday for the florist. Few people know that the flowers of this plant have amazing healing properties.

How to care for the cactus at home, so that he pleased you bloom? After all, a resistant and unpretentious plant, however, needs proper care.

Cacti come in all sorts of different types and each one has different requirements. However, there are basic rules that must be followed regardless of the type.

Ground Requirements

Cactus prefers a soil with a loose structure, perfectly permeable to water by air. Such a ground over time should not be compacted. The soil should be slightly acidic, you can prepare a mixture of sand, earth and leaf humus. Plants do not need frequent transplantation, because they grow very slowly.

For planting, you can choose any dishes. In one tank you can plant several plants. However, the diameter of the tank should be a couple of times larger than the diameter of the stems, in which case the roots will be placed without difficulty.

Cacti do not like if water stagnates, so a drainage layer should be placed on the bottom of the dishes - a layer of small stones.

Choosing dishes

Quite often you can see that gardeners prefer to use plastic pots. However, in pottery, the soil will cool faster after watering. This is especially useful in winter. But for young plants that only strengthen their root system, plastic dishes are preferable.

The pots are round in shape, much better than square ones; they provide more efficient exchange of air and the desired moisture regime.

Before you take care of the cactus at home, it is worth remembering that this plant is a desert. Therefore, watering should be rare, but abundant. Watering is necessary if the soil in the tank is dry. For irrigation suitable soft and warm water, preferably boiled or filtered.

During the watering is always worth following three main rules:

  1. Do not pour water on the stems of the plant.
  2. Water only in the evening or in the morning, and in the summer only in the evening.
  3. Do not allow water to stagnate in the pan or in the ground.

It is worth remembering: the cactus is experiencing a shortage of water, but does not tolerate its stagnation.

Watering in winter should be moderate. If the temperature in the room is low, then watering is not required. A lot of water the plant needs in the period from May to September. But in winter the plants do not need to be watered, except for epiphytic cacti.

Features feeding

It is enough to feed the soil once a month. Apply specialized fertilizers for these plants. If the cactus blooms, it is worth a little to increase the dose of fertilizer. During flowering, the plant needs more frequent or abundant watering.

For growth and formation, these plants need mineral components:

  • potassium, to regulate growth, timely ripening of shoots and protection against various diseases and temperature changes;
  • calcium, for the formation of the skeleton, the development of buds, the ripening of seeds, the growth of needles, hairs and bristles, as well as the adjustment of water balance;
  • phosphorus, for flowering and seed formation, full growth, root formation in cuttings;
  • nitrogen to stimulate growth. An excess of this element leads to a variety of plant diseases.

Good growth also requires magnesium, boron, zinc and iron. If the plant receives their normal amount, it becomes resistant to viral, fungal and other diseases.

It is worth remembering: cacti can not be fertilized ready-made mixtures for flowering plants, which contain a lot of nitrogen. Increased fertilizer concentrations are also harmful.

Proper care of cactus

Care for cacti at home does not require a special approach. We must remember that plants like fresh air and intense light. So they should be placed on a sunny windowsill. In summer, the balcony is the best place to live for these thorny hedgehogs. During hibernation, when growth and flowering stops, you can place them in the shade.

It is worth remembering: having placed cacti in the summer on the balcony, you should reliably protect the plants from raindrops.

Cacti need a sufficient amount of heat for a full growing season, but they are not afraid of temperature fluctuations or light frosts. If there is not enough light, it is not necessary to water and provide heat. Most of the cacti in the winter need a temperature of 5 to 15 ° C. After wintering, the cactus should get used to the brightness of the light of the sun, so it is recommended to cover the window glass with paper.

Cactus reproduction

Cacti at home can be propagated by babies or stems. It is worth noting that the stalks of the plants are very saturated with moisture, so after separation, you need to leave part of the plant for 3-4 days until the cut is completely dry. After that, the handle is stuck in the sand mixture and watered. The sand should stick to the stalk. Then watering is stopped until the cutting is absolutely drying. Otherwise, the cutting will rot.

Before planting the stalk, it must be treated from pests. It is also recommended to steam the soil for good plant growth.

The growing season - the best time for transplantation. Young cacti should be replanted once a year. Older plants are sufficient to provide a new place every few years. After the plant is transplanted, it does not need to be watered and placed under the hot sun.

There are varieties of cacti that often bloom, most often at a young age. Before you take care of the cactus at home, it is worth considering that the first flowers appear after the plant has reached 3-4 years of age. After that, flowers on cacti can appear every year.

Color may appear depending on how you care for the cactus. Special attention to the plant is required in winter and summer.

What do we have to do:

  1. Firstly, in order to achieve flowering of the cactus, you need to transplant it into a plastic pot, if it grows in your clay pot. All because in the clay roots are drawn to the walls and do not completely fill the container. To ensure frequent flowering you need to use a tight pot, such conditions activate the formation of buds at the cactus.
  2. The earth must be airy, loose. In the spring, be sure to feed fertilizer.
  3. In the summer, water 2 times a week, but make sure that there is no stagnant water. In the fall, watering should be reduced slowly, in winter, he needs to rest and hibernate (do not water, the temperature in the room is 10-13 degrees, very little light).
  4. In the spring you need to start renewing watering and in early April the cactus should bloom!

As you can see, taking care of a cactus at home is quite simple. One has only to adhere to the above rules. Some growers adore these amazing plants, possessing a large collection of them. And if a tender and bright flower appears on the prickly juicy stem, it is always a bewitching sight.

Dispelling the most popular myths about a prickly, but comely plant.

1. Cacti need to be watered once a month.

Nothing like this. Of course, the cacti are drought-resistant, but do not mock them like that! During the growing season, cacti should be watered in the same way as other indoor plants, making sure that the water does not stagnate in the pan. Also, cacti during strong heat (more than 35 degrees) may occur a second period of rest. At this time, it is better to limit the watering, making it a morning spray from a small sprayer. Well, in winter, of course, it is not necessary to water, if the cacti are in the cold.

2. Cacti love heat

Wrong too. Yes, many cacti (Mamillaria, Opuntia, in general, most North American species) love the direct sun. But South American cacti - Gymnocalycium, Notocactus, for example, do not like the midday sun, they would be better off the east or west window. Ideal for cacti - southeast or southwest window. In addition, the heat above 35 C causes stagnation in cacti - a stunted growth.

3. Cacti should be kept warm, can not be taken out

And also wrong! Cacti should be hardened. Outside, especially in the conditions of fresh air and good lighting, cacti feel great. In addition, temperature drops are even necessary for some high-mountain cacti for normal growth and flowering (loivia, for example). In addition, hardened cacti are less susceptible to diseases and attacks of pests. Yes, and ultraviolet cacti need.

Cacti carry out on the street since they begin to plant seedlings. It is better to do this in cloudy weather, so that cacti are accustomed to lighting outside. You don’t need to pick up in the rain - cacti can be placed on the balcony so that they don’t get too many drops, and those that fall can’t do bad things - on the contrary, they will stimulate growth. Cacti love thunderstorms very much, it stimulates them - thunderstorms in their homeland precede flowering.

But to pick them up is only when the temperature drops below 8-10 degrees at night - in early October, approximately.

4. Cacti feed on energy from the monitor.

It is not true. Of course, if your monitor is in a sunny place, the cactus will grow, but not from the monitor anyway. Magnetic radiation from the monitor has a good effect on plants, but neither cacti nor other plants live off of this energy. And the more they do not take radiation on themselves!

5. Cacti are unpretentious.

Not true! If you think that unpretentiousness lies in drought tolerance - then you are mistaken. In order for the cactus to be beautiful, healthy and enjoy the flowering, you need to comply with many conditions. Consider whether you can provide a dry, cold wintering, enough light, proper care: If not, forget about cacti or learn to care for it.

Cactus care

The vast majority of cacti, like many other indoor plants, the period of rest comes in winter. For better growth of cacti, especially for flowering species, it is necessary to give peace in the winter. Therefore, the task of caring for them is to prevent growth in the winter, because during the winter they stretch out and lose their normal appearance. In winter, cacti can be kept on window sills. To their roots are not cooled, put the pots on the stand. Cacti can be placed on a hill in front of the window and on the side shelves arranged on the sides of the window opening. The lightest places require an urchin cactus (Echinocereus), a leaf-like cactus (phyllocactus) and others that bloom in spring.

In the winter, during the period of rest, watering is given once in 7-10 days. Water is better to take warm, 2-3 ° above the room air temperature.

When watering, make sure that the water does not fall on the stem of the cactus, especially in the winter. Water can penetrate into invisible cracks and wounds on the stem, which causes it to rot. Room temperature should be 10-14 ° C.

When spring comes, plants are watered more often and sprayed once or twice a month. They are protected from sunburn by shading.

In the summer of heating pots pritenyayut board, but it is better to put them in a box filled with peat or earth. You can take out the boxes with the plants on the balcony. Larger copies are useful to plant from pots to the ground in the garden, preferably on stone slides. In the middle of August, they are again transplanted into pots so that they take root before winter. They are planted in the very land in which they grew in the summer, but they add sand. In the autumn, when the temperature at night drops to 6-8 °, all cacti are transferred from the garden and balcony to the rooms.

Watering cacti depends on the time of year, the size of the pot, the age of the plants, the temperature of the rooms. In spring and summer, during the growth of cacti, they should be watered daily. The more cacti grow in large pots or pots, the more rare they need to be watered. Old cacti are watered less often, as they have large reserves of water. Especially abundant watering they require in the summer during growth. They are watered in the evening. The lower the temperature, the less they evaporate water and the less they require watering. In the fall, watering is gradually reduced, and in winter it is watered very rarely. If cacti are watered frequently in winter, they do not go through a dormant period, they become depleted and do not form flowers.

Replant cacti produce in the spring when they begin to grow. This happens in April and early May. Two or three days before transplantation, they are no longer watered, so that the earth is easier to lag behind the roots. Plants are wrapped with thick paper or straps (Fig. 1) and knocked out of the pot. An earth ball can be pushed with a stick through the hole in the bottom of the inverted pot. Dead and rotten roots are cut to live tissue. All sections are sprinkled with coal powder.

Replant cacti as well as indoor flowers. It is necessary that the plant be planted in the center of the pot. If it is tilted or curved, you should put a peg and tie a cactus to straighten it. It is impossible to fill the ground with the ground, especially its green part, since it can rot. Most of the cacti during transplantation are sprinkled with sand at the root collar. Young plants are transplanted annually, and three or four year olds can be transplanted after one or two years.

Cacti Breeding

There are several ways of breeding cacti. They can be propagated by seed, stem cuttings and grafting.

The seeds of many cacti sprout for 5-7 days, but some of them sprout only in a month. Sowing is best done in April and early May. The planter with crops needs to be heated, for which it is placed on a heating pad, in which warm water is changed several times a day, maintaining a temperature of 25-30 °. For the best cultivation of them from seeds and cuttings you can use room greenhouses and greenhouses. A bowl for sowing seeds should have large drain holes that cover with shards. A drainage layer of rubble, shards, coal and river sand is poured on top of which is covered with finely sown earth, so that one centimeter remains to the edges of the bowl. It is pressed against the plate. Small seeds are not sprinkled with earth.

A sowing seed pot is placed in warm water, 2–3 ° above the air temperature, so that water enters through the drain holes and moistens the soil and seeds. Crops covered with glass and put in a warm place. When shoots appear, the plates are transferred to a bright place. From the direct rays of the sun, they are shaved with tissue paper or whitened glass with chalk. For the germination of the seeds of most cacti need a temperature of 18-20 °. After emergence of shoots, watering is reduced and the glass is raised. Picks seedlings produced after the appearance of their first spines with a wooden fork and a peg. Do not pinch the roots, do not shake the ground from them.

Seedlings of cacti are very small and therefore they need to dive 2-3 times over the summer. Pvenit pritenyuyut, keep one day without watering and two or three days without airing.

The earth between them is loosened with a sharp stick, the mold peel is removed and sprinkled with powdered charcoal powder. If the soil is soured, the plants are transplanted into good nutrient soil.

Cacti cuttings are made in spring and in the first half of summer. Cuttings are apical and lateral shoots, separate papillae, and leaf-bearing cactus leaves. Cutting is carried out in boxes or pots. A drainage layer is poured at the bottom of the box or pot, then a layer of deciduous peaty ground with sand of 2 cm and on top - coarse-grained river sand of about 3 cm. The pots and the boxes with the cuttings are covered with glass jars. Cuttings cut with a sharp knife. The cut on the uterine plant is dried in the sun, moistened with alcohol and sprinkled with coal powder. In plants that produce a milky sap, filter paper is applied to the slice, which absorbs the juice.

Cuttings must be dried for 7-10 days in a dry place. The cuts are covered with a glassy film. The cuttings are planted in the sand to a depth of 0.5 - 1 cm. To be stable, they are tied to pegs (Fig. 1). Sand only moisturize, and after rooting cuttings they are watered. You can prepare cuttings from autumn and store them until spring in dry sand. In the spring they root well.

Fig. 1. Cacti cuttings (according to M. S. Tkachuk). a - stalk of a candle-shaped cactus; b - leaf cactus stalk; c - stalk of prickly pear.

Cacti can be propagated by "babies" that appear on the parent stem. They can be rooted in the same pot or planted several "children" in separate pots.

Vaccinating cacti produce: 1 - to accelerate growth and abundant flowering; 2 - for the best growth of those that have a weak root system; 3- for the production of inter-specific and intergeneric vegetative hybrids with fancy decorative forms. When the roots and the lower part of the stem decay, the top of the cactus is planted on a healthy stock; annual seedlings are grafted on adult plants to accelerate their growth and flowering. Vaccinations produced in the warm season.

Cacti are grafted on leaf-bearing cactus (peireskii), candle-shaped cacti (cereus), opuntia and hedgehog cacti (echinocactus). Graft and rootstock should be the same diameter and equally juicy. First, a sharp knife quickly cut off the stock; in plants with a large diameter around the stem, cut obliquely. Then, a thin layer of stock is cut off, which is left on the stock to prevent the cut from drying until the graft is prepared. A fully prepared graft, also with a cut edge, is applied to the cut of the stock (removing a thin film of the second cut before) so that their centers coincide. At the top of the scion lay cotton wool and an elastic band tied crosswise under the pot graft to the stock (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2 Inoculation of cacti: a - preparation of stock and scion; b - binding grafted cacti.

A very long time ago they used the grafting of a caterpillar cactus (epiphyllum) on peireskii (Fig. 3). The bandage is made with woolen threads. Success in vaccinations requires quick work, clean hands, a knife. The cuts should be smooth.

The temperature of the room should be 20-25 °. It is better to put vaccinations under the banks, in the lit place. Spray water at first can not. After 7-8 days, the bandage can be carefully removed.

Cactus indoor plant video

All about cacti videos

Cacti at home - video

Flowering cacti - video

Cacti are extremely varied in light, temperature and soil requirements. However, there are general principles for their cultivation.

Cacti (cactus) is a very large family consisting of several hundred genera and thousands of species. Most of its representatives live in a hot arid climate. Everyone, even growing in tropical rainforests, is able to accumulate moisture, therefore, belong to the group of succulents.

In order for the pets to start flowering, they need to spend some time at a low temperature, without water.

A few species begin to bloom without a dry period. Their bloom is associated with the length of the day. Plants are covered with buds when the length of daylight begins to lengthen or shorten. These are the well-known zigokaktusy. According to science, they are called Schlumberberts, and the people - the Decembrists. Schlumberger bloom as soon as daylight becomes shorter than 10 hours.

A brief overview of some of the most common types of cacti in the video:

How to care for cactus?

The flowers of this family are very unusual and need specific care. Growing and transplanting cacti at home requires knowledge.

Pot selection

Previously, cacti were grown in wooden boxes and clay bowls. Now use pots of plastic and foam. Epiphytic species can be grown in orchid baskets.

On sale there are special mini-parnikki for amateur collections. They consist of a shock resistant pallet and a transparent cap.

Planting and care of the katus in a mini-greenhouse, photo:

Flower growers, whose collections consist of a few specimens, still use ordinary ceramic pots. Succulent grows reasonably well in baked clay. The walls of such containers allow water and air to pass through, so the roots receive a lot of oxygen and do not suffer from transfusion.

It is customary to grow domestic cacti in small tanks, so in summer flowers often suffer from overdrying, their growth stops. In greenhouses, clay pots are immersed in peat to reduce evaporation from the walls.

If you grow flowers without immersion, you need to take into account that clay tanks evaporate some of the moisture through the walls, so the plants will need more watering. If the water is hard, the soil will deteriorate with frequent moistening, will be saturated with harmful salts.

The roots braid the inner surface of the pot, growing into porous clay. This reduces the resistance of plants to low and high temperatures. When the sun well warms the surface of the pot, the roots on it will die off. If transplantation is required, the ingrown roots will be damaged or destroyed.

Clay pots are an ideal container only for non-water-resistant varieties of modest size, preferring a small, slow-moving moisturizing. When growing them, vessels with water-admitting walls should be constantly deepened into loose material: peat, sand, brick chips. In such constructions they pour not the ground, but the substrate.

For other colors it is better to choose plastic.

Its advantages:

  • small water consumption;
  • the roots are distributed throughout the coma;
  • the plant is convenient to rearrange and transport;
  • quadrangular shape allows optimal use of the area.

Carefully consider the choice of the size of the container. Usually use vessels with a diameter of 6-7 cm. Smaller ones are undesirable - they easily fall. It is better to plant several miniature plants in one bowl than to place each in a separate “thimble”.

Decorative decoration of a small settlement of cacti in the photo:

Planting and transplanting

From time to time the flowers have to be transplanted. The best time for this is winter. In December or January, most species are at rest. In the spring they quickly take root and begin to bloom. Specimens blooming in winter and early spring are transplanted in early December.

How to plant a cactus in a pot - the order of work:

  • taken out of old dishes;
  • inspect the root system;
  • choose a new pot of suitable diameter and depth;
  • fall asleep drainage;
  • put in a pot so that the root neck is slightly below the edge;
  • sprinkle fresh soil.

A properly planted flower should sit in the center of a new house with an unrooted root neck, located slightly below the upper edge of the vessel. Then the pot is filled up to the top with the upper drainage - gravel or small expanded clay.

Transplant is performed when the pot becomes small. It is not necessary to rush for a large vessel, if roots appeared in the drain hole. Succulents do not like surplus. In close pot, they bloom better.

Well-developed roots, appearing from the pot, indicate that the pet will soon begin flowering. By transplanting it, you can postpone the flowering period. The plant will have to grow roots again, filling in free space.

Location

Succulents are so diverse that it is difficult to unambiguously determine the place where they will feel comfortable. Most species have a high need for light. They are exposed to the windows of the south orientation. Species suffering from direct rays are located on the eastern and western openings. First of all, it is forest epiphytic plants. North windows are not suitable for succulents.

It is better to keep plants on the windows not one by one, but grouped together - this allows you to create a moist microclimate.

In summer, the collection can be taken out on the balcony or in the garden. In the greenhouse, or they will receive a lot of light, enough to be aired, which will ensure their rapid development. Any indoor plant blooms better in the open field. The greenhouse should be in the brightest spot of the site.

In warm regions, some species can winter right in the garden. Such specimens stop watering from mid-October. In winter, the greenhouse is closed with straw mats or other insulation.

Cold winters suffer:

  • echinocereusy;
  • echinopsis;
  • prickly pear

In greenhouses plants are placed in accordance with their characteristics and shape. The smallest ones are left on the lighted side. For especially photophilous species take away a site at glass. Rare and drought-resistant species can be grown in a place protected from damp.

Opuntia in a clay pot

Watering

Succulents have a peculiar water regime. In nature, they can tolerate drought for years, storing moisture in the stem in a short period of rain.

Succulents respond to heat and bright light not by increasing transpiration, but on the contrary - by contraction. Their stomata are deep in the tissues and evaporate only at night. Many specimens are capable of absorbing moisture from dew and mist, absorbing them through prickles or hairs.

Most winter species go through a dormant stage and do not need water at all. If cold wintering is supposed at a temperature of + 10 ... + 12 degrees, watering is stopped from the end of October. Copies that winter in apartments should be watered and in the winter - once every 2 weeks.

Succulents are afraid of cold water, because the rains in their homeland are very warm, much warmer than those that go with us in the summer.

Watering rules:

  • it is better not to pour than pour;
  • during active growth the substrate should not dry out much;
  • the frequency of watering growers determined by experiment;
  • moisture should not be allowed to stand;
  • pour only warm liquid.

Succulents are watered in the evening or at the end of the day. This corresponds to the natural conditions of their habitat. In the Americas, most precipitation falls at night or in the afternoon. On cold, cloudy days can not be watered.

Water in two ways:

  • above, under the root;
  • bottom in the pan.

Experienced cacti growers sometimes use fogging sprays. They are required by species that receive moisture in the form of night dew in their homeland. The procedure is carried out early in the morning and in the evening, only on warm days.

How to care for a cactus to make it bloom?

Sometimes collectors tend to pick up species in the collection so that the window was constantly blooming specimens. This is possible due to the natural diversity of the cacti family.

Novice cacti growers may wonder - why at home, with reverent care, do not have a cactus bloom? The owners of prickly pets certainly want to see their flowering, because it is famous for its pomp and beauty, shrouded in legends. Sometimes it is precisely for the sake of flowering that the thorn is cherished and cherished for a whole year, trying to fulfill all its requirements.

There are several reasons for the lack of flowering:

  1. Excessive care for cacti at home - the flower is fed abundantly, planted in a spacious pot, placed in a warm place, watered regularly.
  2. Non-observance of the dry period - in different species, it can last from 3 weeks to 6 months.
  3. Top dressing with the wrong fertilizers, total lack of dressings, top dressing at the wrong time when the flower is at rest.
  4. Moving to another location, for example, moving from east to west window.
  5. Keep at the wrong temperature.

To pets bloomed, be sure to know their names and get the appropriate literature. In the reference books you can see what conditions are required for a specific instance for its full growth and transition to flowering.

Flowering cacti on photo:

Reproduction of cacti seeds

The main method of reproduction is sowing seeds. It is started in autumn, in October and November.

Sowing cactus seeds is easy, but you will need special. It will give the seedlings light, heat, protect from dust and create a humid atmosphere. Well, if the building is also beautiful.

Fans make greenhouses from a photocell with a size of 10 by 20 cm, equipped with compact daylight base units. The cover is collected from plexiglas. It will take a drain pan to allow water to drain.

To compile the earth mixture take:

  • leaf land - 50%;
  • crushed charcoal –25%;
  • fine sand - 25%.

In the homeland of cacti, the hot sun steams the soil almost to sterility. In addition, seedlings, sprouting in natural conditions of growth, protected by strong immunity.

The substrate must be steamed: poured into a colander and hung in a pot of boiling water. The procedure should last at least an hour. During this time, bacteria and molds will die. Without an hour of steaming, seedlings will rot in the soil.

The steamed mixture is sieved through a strainer scalded with boiling water. Large particles are placed on the bottom, small particles are poured on top.

On the surface of the soil impose a special plastic mesh, "lining" the ground. One seed is sown in each cube.

Before sowing, the seeds are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per liter) or a solution of IAA (1/10 pill per liter). Treatment increases germination by 15-20%. You can not soak the seeds of cacti in copper sulfate - it retards the growth of seedlings.

After processing, the seeds are dried on absorbent paper and spread with tweezers on the ground. Deepen them do not need. Simply lay on the surface and gently push.

Dusty material is sown, mixed with sand roasted on a baking sheet.

A seeded cuvette with holes in the bottom is placed in boiled warm water. The earth should get wet completely, but so that the seeds do not surface.

A cuvette with a damp primer is covered with glass and placed in a greenhouse. Several times a day, glass is removed and drops of evaporated water are poured directly onto the seeds, imitating rain.

For the seeds to germinate, you need to repeat the natural conditions: create a humid atmosphere and hot temperature. Even cold-resistant species when heated rise much more abundant and grow faster.

The glass from the cuvette is removed when the seedlings grow to it.

Do not be afraid of overmoistening. In nature, most species sprout during the period of the year when tropical rain is poured, and the air is saturated with moisture to the limit. All water that has leaked into the drainage holes must be drained.

The temperature in the greenhouse should be in the range of + 35 ... + 40. In such conditions, the seeds of astrophytum germinate already for 1-3 days. Echinocactus and prickly pears sprout the longest.

Very often ferocactus, spawning, brazilicactus are not germinating. This is due to the loss of germination or the fact that the seeds have not passed the annual period of hibernation.

In the homeland of succulents, periods of heat and moisture alternate with almost semi-annual dryness. Plants have adapted to these conditions. Their seeds also have a specific cycle and do not germinate without a rest period. Not grown seeds can be sown after 6 months or a year.

Greenhouse with seedlings daily air, draining condensate and inspecting the seedlings through a magnifying glass. If a lead coloration has appeared at the root necks or a white mold on the soil, the affected specimens should be removed immediately with a clod of earth. Fungal infections can destroy all entrances in a matter of hours.

Often among the seedlings, chlorophyll-free specimens are found — pale green, white, or pink mutant plants. They need to be removed, because they will die after all the same.

The first picking is carried out in a couple of weeks after the emergence of shoots, when the first spikes appear. Plants are seated in rows in the exact same substrate in which they ascended, carrying with a stick with a clod of earth on the root. Seedlings can not be taken with fingers - they are very gentle, and if they are squeezed, they die.

After picking, the plants should not be watered, but sprayed. Watering begins only on the fourth day, with a pallet.

Seedlings will thrive for 4-8 weeks, then the next pick will be required. Frequent picks allow early flowering. In the first year you need to spend 4-7 transfers. In the second year it is enough to make three transplants.

In the second year, cacti dive into a more nutritious land. Gradually, soil parameters lead to the desired state for a particular type.

Vegetative reproduction

The flower can be planted without roots. In nature, succulents often multiply as a result of damage when wind, hail, or heavy rain breaks off a piece of a plant that subsequently takes root.

Some species specifically fall apart even with slight pressure, and spread to the hair of the animal that broke the maternal specimen. Especially prickly pears are famous for this. Their impressive spines with small notches are specially adapted for moving the plant debris to a new place on animal hair.

Many species and varieties of cacti form on the main stem of children. To plant them with children, you need to wait until the shoots have reached a sufficient size, they can be separated by hand and planted in a separate pot.

Forest cacti are easily bred by cuttings. Their shoots consist of segments, at the base of which are rudimentary roots. If you cut a piece of the stem and put it on wet soil, cover it with a glass jar, it will take root.

Tips for cutting:

  • the cuttings are cut in the period of activity;
  • cuts sprinkled with ground sulfur for disinfection;
  • only on a warm, clear day;
  • make the cut as sharp as possible, and preferably with a razor;
  • the stalk must be dried in a dry, bright place until a callus forms on it;
  • cut off in the fall or winter shoots are dried until spring, until the cacti begin to come out of peace;
  • it is better to dry the cuttings vertically - it stimulates rooting;
  • cuttings are rooted in porous, poorly fed substrate - sand, shredded pumice, vermiculite;
  • lower heating accelerates rooting.

Diseases and pests

In adverse conditions, cacti are easily affected by diseases and pests. Sometimes pathogens are brought in from the outside. They threaten plant life, so immediate intervention is required.

Nematodes are the most dangerous pests, which are responsible for the death of millions of indoor cacti every year. These are microscopic roundworms that settle in moist soil.

Nematodes are able to spread, moving independently, or carried with water, instruments, soil and pots.

Reliable drugs from nematodes do not exist. Fortunately, the pest is afraid of heat. It dies if it falls into water with a temperature of +45 degrees for half an hour. Roots of a cactus transfer this temperature without serious consequences. The plants are removed from the ground and immersed in heated water, the soil and pot replaced.

Sucks cacti juice, because of which they appear brown and rusty areas, like scabs, which gradually diverge throughout the plant. Spherical specimens are affected starting from the top of the head.

Diseases lead to the appearance of spots of various colors, rotting of the roots and root collar. The affected tissues are carefully cleaned of stains and rot with a scalpel and sprinkled with crushed coal, the plants are sprayed with systemic fungicides.

Viral diseases are manifested. Sick copies need to be destroyed.