How to care?
Caring for an indoor flower involves the following simple steps.
Watering
The frequency and amount of watering will also vary depending on the season. In the summer, the intake of moisture should be regular, in the autumn months, the frequency of watering is reduced, in winter, the moisture of the cactus can be stopped altogether. However, the introduction of moisture should be dosed, when watering, it is necessary to ensure that no liquid stagnates in the pot with the plant, the soil should be moist, but not flooded.
Water the cactus with settled water at room temperature. In a pot with a culture, it is more correct to make several holes for the release of excess moisture.
Top dressing
A good time to use the fertilizer will be from April to September, as well as the flowering period of the cactus. The flower grower must provide the culture with additional nutrition in liquid form, introducing the compositions twice a month. In this case, it is worth using specialized fertilizers intended for cacti, in which there will be an increased nitrogen content and a reduced amount of calcium.
Pruning
For indoor cacti, another main nuance regarding full development is regular pruning in order to form the crown. This should be done by hand, without the use of garden tools or knives.
The owner of the perennial will need to independently separate the extra shares from the shoots, they should not be torn off, but carefully scrolled, thus it will be possible to avoid unnecessary injury to the plant
Caring for the hathiora saline at home
Lighting
Hatiora feels great in bright light, but it needs to be protected from direct sunlight. The ideal location would be east-facing windows. For successful cultivation on the south and west windows, you should protect the cactus from the sun by shading it. Placement on northern windows is not recommended, as flowering may be less decorative, be characterized by a small number of flowers, or will not occur at all.
Temperature, humidity and watering
In order for Hatiora to fully develop and bloom regularly, it is necessary to recreate conditions similar to the usual natural ones. In summer, the optimum temperature is 20-22 ° C. In autumn and winter, it is better to keep it at 12-15 ° C. If it is not possible to provide the required temperature range, then you should take care of increasing the humidity in the room. With insufficient environmental humidity, the plant may begin to shed buds and parts of the shoots.
Unlike many cacti, Hatiora needs relatively high air and soil humidity. Do not bring the earthen clod in the pot to dry completely, spray the plant once every 2-3 days. You need to be especially careful about this in the hot season.
Watering a tropical cactus is best done with rainwater. It is also possible to use settled water with neutral or soft PH. During vegetative growth and flowering, Hatiora requires a fairly intensive watering. In this case, it is still worth making sure that the water does not stagnate in the pot. This can cause root rot. If the soil is too dry, then the flower will begin to fade. It will be quite difficult to save it after a long absence of moisture.
After the end of flowering, the dormant stage begins. At this time, it is necessary to ensure a decrease in the temperature of the content and significantly reduce the amount of watering. Stimulating the next bloom is easy enough. One has only to raise the ambient temperature, resume watering and apply fertilizer.
Hatiora saline, or Hatiora saline, or Hatiora salt-like. plantsam
Top dressing of Hatiora saline
After resting, Hatiora needs feeding. It is best to use mineral fertilizers with a high content of potassium and phosphorus. Phosphorus contributes to the growth of green mass, and potassium stimulates flowering and gives strength. Top dressing should be done every 2 weeks. When choosing a fertilizer, make sure it has a minimum nitrogen content. This trace element has a negative effect on the cactus root system and can cause significant harm to it.
Soil and transplant
Peat soil is suitable for planting Hatiora. Under natural conditions, it grows in soil, the main composition of which is leaf humus, peat, sand and sod land. If it is possible to prepare just such a composition, then the plant will feel excellent, develop intensively and delight with flowering. This type of cactus will not grow in poor soils. The use of a heavy substrate with high acidity and poor water permeability is unacceptable for growing a refined cactus.
Immediately after flowering, young plants are transplanted. This should be done annually for 3-4 years. With age, the root system begins to develop less intensively. Then the plant can be transplanted 1 time in 2-4 years as needed to replace the soil.
What are the varieties of Hatiora?
There are many varieties of the plant. But, in room conditions, the following types of hatiors are usually grown:
- Saline - stems are round in cross-section, the segments of which are very much like skittles or bottles. Unsurprisingly, in the UK, this variety is often referred to as the "alcoholic's dream." This species blooms mainly in spring.
- Pink - stems are flat, with green oval segments and pink edging. The flowers of this species are large, deep pink in color.
- Germina - stems are straight, with straight cylindrical segments. The flowers are crimson.
- Gartner - it is very similar to pink in its appearance. Only the flowers are larger here, their diameter can reach 5 cm.
- Gresera is a hybrid created from a pink hatiora and a gartner. The flowers are red-burgundy.
- Five-winged - stems are pentahedral. Outwardly, the plant resembles a small shrub. The flowers are small, white.
Care features
Caring for a hatiora at home will not cause much trouble. The plant is unpretentious and suitable for beginners.
Lighting. Hatiora should be grown in areas with bright, diffused light. She needs a long day of light. You can put it on the east or west windowsill, or at some distance from the window. The delicate skin provides little protection from the midday sun.
Air temperature. Hatiora prefers cool content. In summer, the optimum temperature is + 20 ... + 22 ° C. In the warm season, it is useful to take the plant out to a balcony or veranda, where natural fluctuations in daily temperatures will benefit the hatiore.
Rest period. After flowering is complete, it is recommended to move the cactus to a cool room with an air temperature of about + 15 ° C and significantly reduce watering. Within 4-6 weeks, it is necessary to completely stop irrigating the soil. In this case, more flower buds are formed.
Humidity. Hatiora easily adapts to the humidity in the house, but on hot days it needs to be sprayed more often or bathed under a warm shower.
Watering. During the period of active growth and flowering, as well as on hot days, the hatiora needs abundant watering. Water should not stagnate in the ground, and the land between irrigations should dry out by a third. As the temperature gets colder, watering is reduced.
Fertilizer. From April until the end of flowering, cacti are fed monthly into the soil. It is necessary to select formulations with a low nitrogen content.
Diseases and pests.With improper care, the hatiora is susceptible to fungal diseases. If soft segments of brown or gray color with a rotten smell are found, they must be removed and treated with a fungicide. In summer, in dry air, there is a high probability of being hit by whiteflies, scale insects, mealybugs and spider mites. The plant can be bathed under a warm shower and treated with a solution of laundry soap. If the procedure does not help, use insecticides ("Aktara", "Confidor").
Diseases and pests
Most often, the plant is damaged by bacterial and fungal diseases.
With bacterial infections, moist spots appear on the plant, which gradually spread over all parts of the flower. In this case, the use of special antibacterial agents does not bring results. The best way to fight the disease is to remove the damaged part of the stem. If a large area of the cactus is infected, it is better to break off the healthy part of the cutting and grow a new plant.
The most common fungal diseases in hatiora are late blight and fusarium.
Phytophthora can occur with abundant watering, when the root system of the flower begins to rot. The plant can also be damaged by this disease if it is planted in already infested soil. The infected cactus begins to wither and becomes pale in color. To combat this fungus, fungicidal preparations are used.
The plant becomes infected with Fusarium when the stem is mechanically damaged and through insect bites. For treatment, fungicidal medicines are also used.
When affected by pests such as scale insects, whiteflies, spider mites and worms, the segments can fall off, lose color and turn yellow. To combat them, special drugs are used.
Types and varieties of callisia with a photo
Callisia elegans
This compact species has creeping and geniculate shoots, their length is more than 50 cm. At first, the shoots are erect, but over time they go down. Such a flower is outwardly very similar to Tradescantia. Its height can vary from 0.3 to 0.4 m. On the surface of the shoots and foliage, there is a velvety pubescence to the touch. The oval-shaped foliage without petiole is pointed at the tops. In length, it reaches about 60 mm, while the seamy surface is painted in a greenish-purple hue, and the front surface is dark green with silvery stripes. White flowers appear on the tops of the stems
Pay attention to the fact that after 2 years the plant loses its decorative effect: the foliage becomes duller and thinner. Restore callisia by layers or cuttings
Callisia navicularis
This species is quite variable. The fact is that its decorative effect is in direct proportion to the growing conditions and variety. In such a succulent plant, shoots in the nodes take root very quickly. Its succulent lanceolate leaf plates are two-row, and they are strongly concave, there is a longitudinal hollow. The seamy surface of the foliage is violet-brown, and the front is greenish-bronze, in sunlight it shines red. The foliage is devoid of pubescence, however, along the line that ascends from the sinus, there are short villi. The width of the sheet plates is 15 mm and the length is 20 mm.
Callisia creeping (Callisia repens)
The bush reaches about 30 centimeters in diameter, and up to 20 centimeters in height. Shoots are purple or pale red and rather thin. They are decorated with small rich green leaf plates covered with lilac specks, they have a heart-shaped shape and are arranged in 2 rows. Flowers that are not highly decorative are painted in a white shade. In the garden, this species is grown as a ground cover, and in room culture, the bushes are planted in suspended structures.
Garden forms:
- Bianca.Delicate shoots are painted in a purple-reddish hue, while small leaf plates have a rich green color.
- Pink Panther. The foliage of this plant is green-pink, and it is painted in stripes.
The following varieties of this species are also popular among gardeners: Noum Popula, Pink Lady and Tortl.
Callisia fragrant, or Thai (Callisia fragrans)
The people also call this species a golden mustache, live hair, corn, Far Eastern mustache, homemade ginseng. This type of callisia differs from the others grown at home in that it has a larger bush. Its height often reaches about 150 cm. But remember that such a plant needs good support, otherwise it can break under its own weight.
Such a plant has 2 types of shoots:
- fleshy short vertically growing stems, decorated with large leaf rosettes at the tops;
- tubular long horizontally located processes (articulated whiskers), which are necessary for the flower to "conquer" new territories.
Large, leathery to the touch, leaf plates are quite fragrant and painted in a dark green tint. Their width is about 6 centimeters, and their length is up to 30 centimeters. The seamy surface of the foliage is matte, and the front is shiny. If the bush is in a well-lit place, then its foliage takes on a pinkish tint.
Ampel plant - callisia ...
Care
Caring for a plant at home is quite simple, so even a novice florist can handle it. Hatiora is completely unpretentious and not capricious. It is enough to follow simple rules when growing it, and it will delight you for a long time with its exuberant flowering.
Illumination
The plant loves bright diffused light.
Feels good on the south side, but here it must be specially shaded or placed at some distance from the window. Delicate shoots can get burned if kept in the open sun.
If there is not enough light, then the shoots can stretch out, and subsequently the plant will bloom poorly.
Temperature regime
Hatiora is a thermophilic plant, like all succulents. During the period of active growth and flowering, a temperature of +20 - + 26 ° C is preferable. In summer, the ideal option would be to take it out onto the balcony or outdoor terrace. For her, the differences between day and night temperatures are even useful, if they do not exceed 5-6 ° C. In winter, when the flower is at rest, the temperature should be lowered to + 10 ° C.
Air humidity
The increased air humidity will have a beneficial effect on the plant, especially during the growing season. Dry air in apartments can affect the flowering intensity. Therefore, you need to take measures for additional hydration.
The flower should be regularly sprayed or washed in the shower with warm water. In particularly hot weather, place a home humidifier next to the pot. You can immerse the plant along with the flowerpot in a container in which wet expanded clay or small pebbles are poured.
Watering
Hatiora requires watering only during the period of active growth and flowering. Water with warm and well-settled water. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the soil has time to dry out well between waterings.
Avoid stagnant water. This can lead to decay of the roots or the appearance of brown spots on the branches.
To avoid this, it is necessary to drain the water from the sump immediately after watering. Wrinkled plant segments will indicate insufficient watering.
In winter, watering is minimized. It is enough to water the plant once every 3-4 weeks. At this time, the hatiore has enough water, which is contained in the stems. In winter, buds are formed for future flowers, and if the correct watering regime is observed, then the plant will bloom very actively and abundantly.
Fertilizer
Fertilize the hathiora from the beginning of spring until the end of flowering. This is done 2 times a month. As a top dressing, mineral fertilizer for succulents is chosen.
Please note that the fertilizer contains potassium (for bright flowers) and phosphorus (stimulates flowering). But calcium and nitrogen are undesirable.
It is better to apply top dressing in liquid form, so it is better absorbed by the plant. In winter, when the plant is dormant, there is no need to feed it.
Transfer
If the flower is very old, then it can be transplanted every 5 years. The transplant should take place only after the plant stops blooming.
Be sure to put a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot, into which you can add a little crushed charcoal. The soil should be chosen special for succulents. The plant requires slightly acidic or neutral soil. It must be sufficiently loose and permeable.
The transplant takes place by transferring the plant from one pot to another. The difference in the size of the pots should be small. During transplantation, you must carefully examine the root system and remove dried or rotted parts.
Hatiora care at home
Hatiora caring for her - an absolutely unpretentious plant is not difficult and depends on the seasons. After all, the blooming hatiora in the winter period wants quality service to get a bright, luxuriantly blooming bush.
Site selection and lighting
Hatiora room desires a location with intense ambient lighting. The territories on the western and eastern sides will be optimal. The northern windowsill is less suitable, flowering on it will be less abundant if the plant is not illuminated with fluorescent lamps. And the southern deployment will require covering the flower from the midday sun rays.
Air temperature and humidity
This indicator must be treated especially carefully, because it is directly related to high-quality flowering and the state of plant segments. In summer, thermal indicators should be maintained at the level of 17-25˚С. Autumn temperature drops to 11-15˚С and is kept until abundant and long flowering.
For a hatiora flower, a sufficient air humidity will be about 40%. With an increase in the indicated temperature limits, it is advisable to spray the plant. It is not necessary to put a spicy indoor cactus near heating batteries. This will negatively affect the quality of flowering.
Watering
During the period of active growth and flowering, the indoor hathyor needs to be watered abundantly with warm, settled water. A slightly dried earth in a pot can serve as a regulator. In winter, watering is rare; during the rest period, watering plants can be temporarily stopped for up to one month.
Fertilizer
An actively growing and developing "drunkard's dream" needs to be supported with a period of fifteen days with the help of complex mineral fertilizers, in which there is no calcium and very minimal nitrogen content. These can be feeding for flowering or cactus plants.
Transplant and suitable soil
The hatiore needs to change the pot and substrate after the last flower has fallen.
Young hatiors are transplanted every year, older ones - with an interval of three years, and large plants - no more than five years.
A container with a hole, the same height and width, for a room house, it is advisable to change with an interval of five years. A solid drainage layer is laid on the bottom of the pot, a little earthen mixture, then by the transfer method, and a flower "men's tears". Add earths, compact well. The planted plant must be watered.
The hatiora flower will be pleased with light, breathable and moisture-permeable soil. An organic peat substrate for cactus plants is a very good option. It is easy to make your own earthy mixture. All ingredients must be taken in equal parts: sod land, leafy earth, peat, coarse sand or perlite.
Reproduction of hatiora
Hatiora - how to properly plant and grow a plant at home and admire its flowering. It’s very simple.Hatiora succulent propagates with the help of cuttings, regardless of the season. The cutting of three segments is dried for two days, and then placed in a wet mixture of sand and peat. Create conditions for a mini-greenhouse. With conscientious care and high-quality conditions, the houseplant hatiora will delight you with bright and abundant flowering.
Diseases and pests of hatiors
The coral-like flower is strong, hardy, resistant to enemy attacks by parasites. Sometimes, these can be scale insects, whiteflies, mealybugs, spider mites. Without shelving, treat your houseplant with insecticides.
Difficulties in growing hatiora
- Why doesn't the hatiora bloom? If your houseplant does not bloom, or there are very few flowers on it, then there are reasons for not fulfilling the growing conditions. Namely, the flower lacks light, moisture and fertile soil, which needs to be nourished regularly. For abundant budding and further lush flowering, the hatiore needs to overwinter at temperatures of 10-16˚С.
- Flowers and segments fall on the blooming hatior - lack of moisture in the soil, too low air temperature, decay of the roots, the appearance of pests, a change in the location of the flowering succulent.
- Segments become pale and sluggish - direct sunlight, visiting parasitic guests, irregular watering.
Take good care of your coral-like flower, love it. It will decorate any interior even in a flowerpot or in a hanging pot.
Growing and care
You can grow a cactus using seeds or vegetatively. Let's take a closer look at how to grow a ripsalis flower.
The seeds very quickly cease to be viable. They must be sown immediately after harvest. Before sowing, the seeds are soaked for half an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then the seeds are spread on the surface of the soil, consisting of peat and perlite. It is not necessary to deepen the seeds into the soil; it is enough to slightly press down.
It is necessary to spray the soil and cover with glass or film. The germination temperature of seeds should be 22-25 degrees. Every day it is required to ventilate the seeds, and spray it when the soil dries. Seedlings should appear in 12-15 days. Grow them in a well-lit place. When the seedlings grow up, they are transplanted into new containers, several pieces in one pot.
It is easier to grow stem cuttings: it is enough to carefully tear off part of the shoot, on which two or three lobes grow. For a couple of hours, the shoots are laid out for drying. And then 3-4 of them are planted in the soil, which consists of sand and peat. Watered, can be covered with a glass jar on top for faster rooting. The roots will appear in 10-15 days. After the roots appear, new lobes will begin to grow.
Without urgent need, the plant is not transplanted. Because you can damage the tiny roots. If they are transplanted, then only by transshipment, carefully removing the flower from the container along with the earthen lump. The bowls should be shallow but wide. A good option is a hanging planter.
A drainage layer is laid out at the bottom of the container, consisting of small pebbles or expanded clay. The soil mixture should be nutritious, loose, and neutral in acidity. You can use the following soil mixture: turf, peat soil, leaf humus, sandy substrate.
After planting a plant in new soil, it cannot be watered for 5-6 days. Ripsalis must adapt to new conditions.
Care activities
Caring for the plant will not take much time. The main thing is to choose the right place for him.
Lighting
The lighting for the ripsalis should be bright, but with diffused light. You can spot a flower in a small shade. It is not necessary to expose in sunny places, there the sun's rays will act depressingly on the flower. If there is a loggia or garden, then in the summer you can take it out into the fresh air.
Drafts are not a hindrance to the plant.Delicate shoots can only suffer from sharp gusts of wind. Such places should be avoided. In the room, a comfortable temperature for a cactus will be from 18 to 23 degrees. In the summer months, frequent airing of the room is encouraged. In winter, the temperature in the room is not higher than 12 degrees (10-12 degrees). This is the time of flowering, so the opened flowers do not fade longer.
Humidity
High humidity is not needed: the flower will quickly adapt to its surroundings. Ripsalis can be bathed periodically under a spray of warm shower. When in cold weather a container with a flower is installed near the battery, you need to often spray the plant.
Watering
When watering, you need to know one thing: water when the top of the soil has dried out by one third of the total amount of soil. When the dormant time comes, watering is halved. For irrigation, they take settled water, it should be at room temperature.
Top dressing of ripsalis
When the activation of growth begins, it is necessary to apply mineral fertilizers for cactus crops every two weeks. From the application proposed according to the instructions, the amount of fertilizer is taken in half. When feeding, do not use those fertilizers where nitrogen is present in the composition. The content of such microelements is welcomed: phosphorus, potassium, magnesium.
Possible problems
Problems are possible when the flower is improperly looked after. If the soil is waterlogged, root decay will begin. When kept in a cold room, the lobes located on the shoots may die off. Of the pests, ticks and scale insects are most often attacked. You can wash them off with soapy water. When this does not help get rid of insects, insecticidal agents are used.
Plant varieties
Today, there are many subspecies of this flower in the world (for example, the San Pedro cactus, steel, Peruvian, etc.). Consider the most popular varieties of Cereus.
Peruvian
Among the huge representatives of this species, it is worth noting the Peruvian Cereus cactus. Its second name is the Rock cactus. The plant has a gray-green stem, which is characterized by a cylindrical shape. Moreover, in this subspecies, distinctly distinguishable ribs are formed on the shoot.
Despite the fact that in the wild this is a large flower, in an apartment it can grow up to a maximum of 100 cm. This representative of the home flora blooms with white flowers that exude a pleasant aroma. The buds open at night. After flowering is complete, a fruit is formed in their place - an orange or red berry. You can eat it.
Azure
This variety got its name from the unusual blue color of its stem. The plant is covered with a silvery-bluish bloom. The shoot is highly branched, forming poorly distinguishable ribs with tomentose or wavy edges. Cereus azure blooms with fragrant white flowers.
Brazil is considered the birthplace of this subspecies. The plant has treelike features. A distinctive feature of the cactus is the formation of lateral stems. Many spines are formed on the shoot, which are located radially. Usually their size is 1 cm. This is a rather tall flower. It can grow to a height of 3 m. At home, the maximum flower length is 20–25 cm, and the diameter is 8–10 cm.
Cereus strong
In the wild, it is found in Argentina and Bolivia. Outwardly, the plant looks like a shrub that grows to a height of 2 m. This is not the largest specimen, but one of the most branched. The flower forms about 5-8 shoots, which are located on the sides of the main stem. Shoots are colored bluish green or light green. Its ribs are usually about 4-8 units.
The stem has radial spines (3-5 units). They are painted yellow-gray. The spines are hard and grow 2 cm in length.
During flowering, Cereus strong cactus forms red or white buds.After the flowering period is over, the plant forms a fruit with white or red flesh.
Spiral
It is a perennial flower that forms a fleshy stem. Usually the shoot has a spherical shape. But there are relief or flat specimens. Usually no leaves form on the stem. But there are a lot of thorns on the shoot. Their length is about 2–3 cm.
White-pink flowers are formed on the sides of the shoot. They are quite large and have a beautiful appearance.
Steel
This variety can grow up to 10 cm across. The main stem forms lateral processes. It is usually colored pale blue or bluish green. Indoor representatives of this species are 10–20 cm in diameter. The ribs are straight, placed high. There are about 6-8 of them. Areoles are light gray.
Brown spines are 2-3 cm long. Their number can reach 20 pieces.
During the flowering period, the plant forms 1-2 buds. They are white-green and can be 20 cm long. The cactus bears fruit with dark carmine fruits.
