Tip 1: Zigokaktus - what is it?

Miscellaneous

Tip 1: Zigokaktus - what is it?

Zigokaktus, or sloamberger, refers toepiphytic cacti. Comes from the tropical forests of Central and South America. In the people this cactus has many names: the Decembrist, the forest cactus, the Christmas tree.

According to modern taxonomy zigokaktuscall the hybrid bus builder Bucley. Zygocactus has a ramified stem, consisting of flat segments up to 2.5 cm wide and 5 cm long. Edges of the leaves are serrated. At the ends of the segments, numerous flowers of medium size develop. The blooming of the zigokactus is quite long. Usually the flowers of the plant are pink or red, but there are varieties with white, pink and purple flowers.

Care of the zigokactus

Since the zigokactus is derived from moisttropical forests, the characteristics of care are different from the maintenance of ordinary cacti. The plant prefers moist air, constant moderate temperature and bright diffused light. Zigokaktus does not like rare watering and low air temperature. During the growing season, it must be regularly watered and shaded from direct sunlight. Root and foliar top dressing is produced by a weak solution of fertilizers. The zygocactus is after the flowering. Usually this is the end of February. Since the root system of the zigokaktusa grows in breadth, the pot must be chosen spacious, but shallow. Required drainage at the bottom of the pot. Earth mixture for zygocactus is necessary nutrient and water permeable. The substrate can be made independently of equal parts of humus, peat, sand and turf ground, or use the purchased soil for succulent plants. Young plants must be transplanted every year, adult specimens - every 3 years. Zigokactus is easily propagated by cuttings. From the shoot, 2-3 extreme segments are separated and dried for a few days. After podvyamivaniya cuttings are rooted in a slightly moist soil.

Flowering of the zigokactus

To zygokaktus pleased with flowering, you needcreate certain conditions for the plant. To form buds a rest period is necessary. To zygokaktus fell into rest, approximately from mid-August you need to stop feeding and produce a minimum watering. The temperature of the surrounding air should be slightly reduced. In such conditions the zigokaktus contains a month. Gradually watering increases and fertilizing resumes.

Diseases of the zigokactus

With improper irrigation and supercooling, the rootthe zigokaktusa system can corrupt. In this case, an urgent transplant is required in fresh soil. Watering plants after transplantation must be done very carefully. If the soil does not have enough elements, then the zigokaktus can dump buds and segments. Regular root and foliar top dressings are needed. Zygocactus may not bloom at all if it lacks light and nutrients.

Tip 2: The Decembrist Flower: Features of Care

Decembrist called the popular roomplant. The second name is Zigokaktus or Schlumberger. This plant bribes flower growers with graceful and prolonged winter flowering, its tender flowers resemble cactus flowers, which is not surprising - these plants belong to the same kind of succulents.

Growth conditions for Schlumberger

Decembrist - a representative of epiphytic cacti, hishomeland are the tropical forests of Central and South America, which is due to its unusual for the Northern Hemisphere bloom time. This plant is a low half-shrub in height to 45-50 cm, with flat stem shoots, divided into individual segments, jagged along the edges and curved. Some varieties of zigokaktusov are grown as ampel plants, in other species the stems are coarse, growing upwards, there are also miniature plants, not more than 20-25 cm in height. Some species have separate spines, but most do not. Flowers develop at the ends of fresh shoots of 1-3 pieces, are presented in the form of a slightly curved tube with wide-open petals and long stamens. Modern selection offers plants with pink, bright red, purple, white, milky-yellow flowers. Despite its unpretentiousness, certain conditions are necessary for the flowering of Schlumberger.

Care of the plant

Depending on the season, care forDecembrist will differ. During the preparation for flowering, the plant is particularly demanding on the growing conditions. To ensure a prolonged abundant flowering of the zigokactus, it is necessary to keep the air temperature in the room within + 20-28 degrees, also requires bright illumination and abundant watering. The substrate in the pot must be moist, but water stagnation should be avoided, as the roots can easily rot. The humidity of the air is also important. If the room is too dry air, it can cause Schlumberger to discard the buds. To solve this problem, you can spray the plant with warm, steady-state water. The best solution is to provide a constant drip irrigation or place the pot with a Decembrist in a container with a wet drain. Another important condition: during the period from November to the end of February, when flowering ends, the plant can not be moved, it can also trigger the cancellation of flowering, the plant can discard buds. After the flowering of Schlumberger, 1-1.5 months of rest is needed. To do this, the plant must be taken to a cool room with a temperature of 10-15 degrees and limit watering. At the end of March a new phase of development of the zigokaktus begins - the growth of the vegetative mass. During this period the plant is again brought into a warm room and is provided with regular fertilizing with a special fertilizer for succulents (1-2 times a month), which are prepared according to the instructions attached to the preparation. At this time, too, high humidity is needed, it is useful to arrange a warm shower for the plant. With the onset of the summer months, it is necessary to manually form a bush, breaking off unnecessary shoots and damaged branches. This method will give the plant a beautiful shape and contribute to abundant flowering. In the beginning of autumn the Decembrist begins to prepare for flowering. At this time, you need to limit feeding and watering, reduce the air temperature to 10-15 ° C for 75-80 days. When the first buds appear, you need to transfer the flower to a warm room and wait for the beginning of flowering.