Among the most unpretentious plants, cacti stand apart. Schlumbergera, or Ziga cactus - a special culture. It pleases owners with abundant bright flowering mainly in the cold season. The plant is suitable for beginner gardeners, because it does not require any special care. It is important for people who are just about to acquire Schlumberger to know about her preferences. Only in this case, the cactus will please with flowers in the middle of winter.
Zygocactus Schlumbergera in the people received other names. For example, Rozhdestvennik, Decembrist. The body of the plant consists of soft shoots in the form of segments fastened together. Flowers bloom at the ends of twigs. The colors of the petals are very different:
- snow-white;
- scarlet;
- flamingo colors;
- pink;
- orange, etc.
Evergreen perennial suitable for beginners in the flower business
Note! Perennial refers to centenarians. He can grow in an apartment for several decades.
Florists grow different types and varieties of Decembrists. Each of them has its own characteristics. Among the most popular stand out:
- Bukley;
- Schlumbergera is white;
- truncated;
- prickly pear.
Bukley
Another name for the species is Schlumberger Buckley. This is a classic zigocactus. That Bukley most often found in the apartments of citizens and residents of the countryside. The stems are stretched half a meter in length. The plant can be used as an ampel. Shaped shoots have a pleasant light emerald color. The flowers are large. They can grow up to 3-5 cm in length. The flowering period lasts from the beginning of winter to spring.
Schlumberger Buckley
Schlumberger white
The White Christmas variety has gained popularity for its snow-white flowers. Petals are slightly wavy. Green segments are large, moderately fleshy. This is a hybrid. Its feature is the dependence of the color of the petals on the temperature in the room. If it’s cool at home, then the snow-white petals acquire a pink coating.
Schlumberger white
Truncated
View segments have a beveled rectangular shape. Sharp protrusions are visible at the ends of the joints. By popularity among flower growers, a truncated zygocactus is in second place after the appearance of Bukley.
Truncated view
Opuntia
This Schlumberger should not be confused with other species. Its shoots are highly branched compared to other Decembrists. The segments are flat, rounded plates. They have needles, like a regular cactus. The flowers emerging from the shoots resemble elongated tubules encircled by petals.
Opuntia Schlumbergera
Schlumbergera home care implies simple. However, it is impossible to leave the flower "to the mercy of fate." In nature, the plant leads an epiphytic lifestyle. It settles on trees, rocky areas. Unlike desert cacti, Schlumberger flower prefers shade instead of bright sun and humidity instead of dry hot air, as well as more fertile soil. Among the main points that should be considered when caring for culture are the following:
- soil selection, feeding;
- watering scheme;
- humidity and temperature conditions;
- competent transplant.
Soil selection, top dressing
It is important to know that indoor Decembrist prefers nutritious soil. You can purchase a substrate (marked for cacti) in a specialized store, you can cook it yourself. For the second option you will need:
- one part of sheet land;
- three parts of turf;
- two parts of a sand mixture;
- one part of humus or compost;
- some fly ash.
It is important to prepare a soil mixture that would be light, breathable. The preferred level of acidity is 5-6 pH. This is acidic soil.
Indoor flower is undemanding to a large number of dressings. Experienced growers are advised to carry out 4 procedures per year. They begin to fertilize it during the period of active growth, that is, in the spring-summer time. Complex fertilizers are used for domestic plants. It is allowed to buy mixtures with a predominance of potassium, phosphorus. Nitrogen-containing additives the plant is not worth pampering. Top dressing continues until the fall. During flowering, the flower should not be fertilized.
Watering
Like other cacti, the Schlumberger zygocactus tolerates drought well. However, in order for the decorative culture to be healthy and flourish, it is important to organize competent watering. The substrate in the pot is watered once every 10 days. You can also monitor the condition of the soil. As soon as the earth in the pot is dry, organize watering.
In the fall, watering is carried out every 15-17 days. It is necessary that the plant begins to lay flower buds.
Additional Information. Schlumberger flower does not tolerate moisture stagnation. Frequent watering destroys the roots of the plant. A fungus appears on them.
Perennial watered every 10 days
Humidity and temperature conditions
The plant develops well with normal air humidity (35-55%). It does not require additional humidifiers. The only thing that can please the perennial is irrigation with standing water. Under the influence of water droplets, leaf scales come to life, acquire a brighter color.
Comfortable air temperature for Decembrist - from +16 to +25 degrees. In the summer, when the flower is actively developing, it is allowed to put it on the open balcony. But you should make sure that the difference between day and night temperatures does not exceed 10-15 degrees. In autumn, the zygocactus is cleaned in cool. A room is suitable where +17 degrees. In November, when flowering begins, Schlumberger needs a temperature of + 20 ... +22 degrees. After all the flowers have fallen, the pot is again cleaned in a cool place with a temperature of + 15 ... +17 degrees.
Competent transplant
Leaving the plant in a purchased pot is not recommended. A couple of days after the acquisition, the cactus is transplanted. Two days Schlumberger Decembrist is in quarantine. She is put on a window in a distance from other flowers. Another reason for the transplant is the appearance of Schlumbergera root system on the soil surface in a pot. This suggests that the Decembrist needs a transplant.
Note! Unlike other indoor flowers, the ridge of a cactus does not need to change the pot annually. This must be done once every 3-5 years, mainly in the spring - in the summer. As a result, the plant tolerates no more than 4-6 transplants throughout its life.
Transplant Recommendations:
- Start the transplant with a pot selection. It should be stable, moderately broad.
- Then the soil mixture is prepared.
- Drainage spills out to the bottom (clay fragments, pebbles, gravel, etc.). Above it is covered with an earthen substrate.
- The root system is removed from the old pot. Pre-watered plant.
- The roots are inspected for rotting. If any, the rhizome is cut.
- Planting is the placement of rhizomes in the soil mixture in a new pot. It is unacceptable to bury a specimen. Foliage should not touch the ground.
- The final point in the transplant is watering.
A clay pot is suitable for transplanting
Because of this, Zygocactus Decembrist got his name that flowering starts in the cold season. But he begins to prepare for the formation of buds immediately after the summer period. In the second half of September, Schlumberger falls into a state of rest. It is important for the owner to know about the life cycles of the plant's development in order to enjoy abundant flowering.
In September, October and the very beginning of November, the flower is in a cool room, where about +17 degrees. At this time, the content of the flower is a rare watering and lack of stress. In November, the pot is moved to a room where about +22 degrees Celsius. As soon as the Schlumberger cactus is warm, the buds will instantly begin to pour.
The process in different species lasts a different time. Roughly flowers delight owners from the end of November to January. At this time, you should especially carefully care for the perennial - you can not fill, feed, rearrange it.
Important! The flowering of an unpretentious instance directly depends on the conditions of detention. The lack of flowers may indicate poor soil, very poor lighting, and sudden changes in temperature.
Among the options for propagating the bush, two main ones stand out:
- cuttings;
- sunflower seeds.
Cuttings
This is the easiest and most effective way. It is best used in March, when the plant begins to build up green mass. At the same time, the separated segment will have time to release roots before the summer heat.
The first thing that needs to be done so that the propagation by cuttings is successful is to choose the right material. The joint must be healthy, resilient, have a rich color. The second is to properly take the baby away from the mother plant. This is done by hand. The segment is carefully unscrewed from the escape.
The next step is to leave the joint on the newspaper for 24 hours in order to slightly dry it. After that, the plant is planted in the soil mixture. It should be moist, nutritious, breathable. It is allowed to plant several cuttings in one pot. Schlumbergera Mix in this case will grow into a lush bush. According to flower grower reviews, zygocactus is well established. It is not necessary to cover it with a film.
Propagation by cuttings
Seeds
This method is quite laborious. Usually breeders use it. Seeds must be washed in a solution of manganese. Then spread on the surface of nutrient moistened soil. After 10 days, you can see the shoots. After 100 days, tiny plants dive.
Schlumbergera Decembrist care at home implies quite simple. Perennial undemanding to frequent watering, top dressing. It develops well even where there is no bright lighting. This plant will decorate the apartment and will delight you with intense flowering on cold winter days.
