Landing methods
Cultivation of a crop when grown at home is mainly carried out by vegetative methods. The procedure is recommended to be carried out in the spring, so that during the active growing season the seedlings quickly build up the root system and begin independent development. It is possible to plant cactus shoots in an individual container only after rooting. At the same time, you cannot put them in water, otherwise rot will appear instead of the roots.
The main difference lies in the need for the seedlings in humid air. Instances with thorns do not tolerate waterlogging, and it is desirable for epiphytes to create greenhouse conditions for the first time.
There are the following planting methods:
- children;
- cuttings;
- seeds;
- vaccination.
Decorative compositions using cacti
Some people prefer to create a composition of several types of succulents, planting them in glass vases or other containers. For cultivation in such a "aquarium", it is customary to choose a theme:
- Desert. Open glass containers are selected. For the soil, you can use colored sand, fine river sand, or a mixture of sand and pebbles. Stones and ceramic chips are used as decoration.
- Forest. Plants such as ferns, small cacti, ivy, and ficuses are suitable for this composition. Sheet soil and peat with the addition of sand are used as soil.
- The mountains. For this composition, plants are selected whose homeland is the mountainous area: succulents, ivy, Saintpaulia.
How to plant cacti and other plants in glass containers? For this you need:
- prepare the container and put on gloves;
- carefully remove the plant from the pot and rinse its roots with warm water;
- pour sand 1 cm thick on the bottom of the container, spread expanded clay with activated carbon and other fillers in the center;
- succulents, cacti and other plants are placed in a vase, depending on the chosen composition. The gaps between them are covered with earth, sand, gravel or rubble. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the leaves do not touch the walls of the container.
Succulents in a vase
Plants in a glass container also need to be looked after, observing the following recommendations:
- lighting. It is not recommended to place the vase in direct sunlight, near batteries and other heating devices;
- temperature. The optimum temperature for growth is + 22-28 degrees;
- watering. It is carried out no more than 1-2 times a week, guided by the degree of drying of the soil. The soil should be saturated with water, but at the same time, moisture should not accumulate.
Important! If there is an excess of water, you need to tilt the container, take paper napkins and absorb excess moisture into them.
Growing a Decembrist
Such a beautiful flower as the Decembrist also belongs to cactus. It blooms, as a rule, in November-December, hence the name. How it is recommended to plant a Decembrist:
- it requires a low pot with a large diameter due to its extensive root system. The soil can be mixed by yourself or purchased from a specialty store;
- transplanting is carried out in the spring by transferring the flower into a larger pot;
- further care is very simple: the flower is watered with warm water, the room temperature is maintained at 20-25 degrees. It is not recommended to expose the flower pot in direct sunlight.
Important! It is forbidden to transplant the Decembrist during flowering
Decembrist in bloom
What are the best cacti to keep at home
A significant role of the cactus in the house is played by its appearance and shape.For example, tall cacti - columnar, can help when a person wants to get rid of excessive resentment and emotional instability. Globular plants help to avoid overeating. Finger-stemmed cacti are able to protect their owners from an evil tongue. In general, there is no particular reason not to keep this flower in the house. All this is quite individual: a plant that feels the love of its owners absorbs negative energy, returning only one positive back. However, if someone from the household does not like the thorny plant, the cactus will try to "survive" him, causing him headaches or discomfort.
If, thinking about the presence of this flower at home, you prefer a positive answer, it is advisable to put the pot on the windowsill or at the front door, most importantly, avoid being in the bedroom and children's room.
Other planting methods
We choose the method based on the characteristic features of each type.
From the sheet
This option is suitable for varieties with large leaf plates.
- For planting, choose material without damage. We cut obliquely.
- We soak, getting rid of excess milky juice.
- We process the cut with a means to enhance root growth, but this is not necessary.
- Pour drainage, soil into the container for disembarkation, install a sheet, rolled up and tied with a thread.
- Insert a stick into the middle of the twist, for stability. We fall asleep with earth to the petiole.
- In a month, it will take root. We create a temperature above +27 degrees, or place the container in a greenhouse.
Air layering
The method is suitable for the experienced. Better to use an adult plant.
- We are looking for a stem longer than half a meter. We cut off the leaf at the height where we want to get the layers.
- In the place of the cut with a sharp knife, make a shallow cut. We remove the juice formed during the procedure.
- We put a match in it to allow oxygen. We wrap this place with wet moss. We wind the film on top, leave air inside.
Important! Moss must be constantly moisturized. Do not allow it to dry out .. You will have to wait for the roots to appear within a month
When the roots develop, cut off the shoots and plant them in a separate pot.
You will have to wait for the roots to appear within a month. When the roots develop, we cut off the shoots and plant them in a separate pot.
For varieties with curly stems, we use the method of propagation by horizontal layers.
- We choose an escape without damage.
- We clean it from the leaves, make a cut with a sharp knife, put it in the ground.
- When the cuttings take root, we plant them as a separate plant.
Shank
Cuttings are used for many species of ficus. This method also allows you to get a new young culture from the top of the old one. Plants under two years old will not be suitable for such reproduction.
- To obtain a cutting from the crown of the ficus, we retreat 10-15 cm. In large-leaved representatives of the species, not only the upper part is suitable for use, but also a piece of the stem with several leaves.
- Remove excess sheet plates.
- The cut must be done at an angle. After that, the juice is washed off and dried.
- The stalk is placed in a container of water and removed for a month in a warm place prepared in advance.
- We maintain the temperature above +27 degrees. Or we make a greenhouse.
Below is a video about the propagation of ficus by cuttings using the example of Rubber:
Seeds
This method is more difficult than others.
- Planting material is purchased in the store. From the plants obtained at home, the plant will not grow, because they are not pollinated as in natural conditions.
- First, the seeds are treated with a fungicide to kill the fungi.
- The soil and planting container are also disinfected.
- The dishes are chosen flat for closing with polyethylene, it is imperative to make drainage holes.
- The soil is not watered before planting, but sprayed. Then they spread the seeds.
- The temperature is maintained above + 23 degrees. Direct sunlight is dangerous.
- For airing, the film is raised.
- When the sprouts appear, they are accustomed to room temperature by removing the cover.
- As soon as the leaves appeared, you need to transplant the process into a new container. In the first months, young plants are transplanted several times as they grow.
Treatment options
Depending on the type of disease, there may be several treatment options.
Cutting off the roots
How to save a cactus if it starts to rot from below, the sequence of actions:
- Cut off any roots that are severely damaged or completely rotted.
- Rinse the remaining healthy roots in a solution of potassium permanganate.
- Sprinkle with sulfur powder or charcoal powder.
- Dry for 2-3 days, hanging in an upright position.
- Take a new disinfected pot, pour steamed soil into it and plant a cactus.
- Once planted, the plant does not need to be watered at all for 3-4 weeks.
Cutting off the roots
To avoid such a problem in the future, you must adhere to all watering rules.
Additional Information! Fungi have different modifications, but each of them will progress more if the flower is in a cool room, and it is cloudy or raining outside at this time.
Rerooting
If the root of a cactus has rotted, what to do in this case:
- Cut off the rotten piece and watch carefully to keep the cut healthy and clean.
- The stem must be slightly "sharpened", like a pencil, so that later it would be more convenient to plant it in the ground.
- Treat the cut with crushed activated carbon.
- Allow to dry well by securing it upright or put on a plastic cup.
- Wait for young roots to sprout. The process is quite lengthy, it can take more than ten days.
- When roots appear, plant a seedling in the ground for cacti.
- Water only through the pallet. 10 minutes after watering, drain all the water that is glass.
Re-root process
The next time you can water it only after 3-3.5 weeks.
Another way to reanimate a cactus if it has rotted:
- Cut off all the decayed part of the cactus.
- Dry for 3-4 days, during which time the cut should be tightened.
- Treat with a root growth stimulant and place in a glass of water. You need enough water to cover the cut by 2-3 centimeters.
- After about 1-2 weeks, new roots will appear, when they reach 1 cm in length, the plant can be transplanted into a new prepared soil.
A cactus transplanted in this way cannot be fed with fertilizers for one year.
Cactus transplant
In the presence of pests or diseases, it is worthwhile to transplant the flower into a new pot with new soil.
Transferring to a new pot
The cactus rots from below, what to do, in this case:
Shake the cactus out of the old pot, carefully examine the root and the trunk itself.
Cut off dried and damaged roots, if the stem is damaged, it must be cut to a healthy tissue, and sprinkle with crushed activated carbon over the cut site.
Next, the flower must be rinsed well in hot water (50-55 degrees), adding a fungicide or insecticide to it.
Dry for 3-5 days in the sun in an upright position and with well-spread roots.
Plant in the ground by placing the stem vertically in a pot and sprinkling the roots with earth
It is very important to ensure that the ground does not reach above the root collar .. After such a transplant of a cactus, it must be kept in partial shade, without watering for about 3-5 days
After such a transplant of a cactus, it must be kept in partial shade, without watering, for about 3-5 days.
Note! When planting, it is important to arrange good drainage in the pot and add a lot of sand to the soil.
Pruning affected areas
How to save a cactus if it is affected by fungal rot:
- If the trunk of a cactus is affected, cut off the affected area with a knife and treat it with sulfur.
- If the top is affected, then it must be cut off to healthy tissue, and the plant itself should be used as a rootstock for grafting.
- If there is rot on the cactus, disinfect the wounds with charcoal or activated charcoal, or treat it with brilliant green.
During the period of treatment for fungi, it is necessary to exclude any spraying with water; it is better to use a fungicide solution for this purpose.
Treatment with drugs
With dry rot, brown spot and late blight, it is necessary to periodically (1-2 times a month) treat plants with phytoncides and insecticides.
With brown rot, if the cactus has become soft and watery, what to do:
- Heal all injuries on the cactus trunk.
- Adhere to the correct grooming regimen.
- Treat the plant with fungicides once every 1-2 weeks.
Planting instructions
You can plant a cactus without roots. To do this, you should take a shoot and achieve its rooting. The shoot should be chosen large, since it must live for a certain time without nutrition. If the piece is small, then it will dry out without having time to take root. Another option is possible, when the baby itself will move away from the mother's body, being ready to exist separately. If you have to separate the process mechanically, then you should do it with a sharp knife, and disinfect the cut site with a solution of potassium permanganate.
After the scion is separated, it should be placed on a clean sheet of paper and identified in a cool place. The healing process will take up to two weeks. When dry corn has formed at the cut site, this indicates that the shoot is ready for planting. If the processes have disappeared on their own, then you can immediately plant them.
As we have already found out, you should plant a cactus in a small pot. Next, we will take a closer look at how to plant cacti.
After the soil and pot are selected, you can plant a houseplant. Plant the cactus in a pot in such a way that the sprout is located on a wet substrate so that the cut point is in contact with the ground. We do not bury it. It will take time for the process to take root.
To prevent intense evaporation from the surface of the soil, small stones can be placed on top. All the time while the cactus is rooting, you need to make sure that the soil is moist. After a couple of weeks, when the shoot has sprouted, you can take care of the cactus as usual.
Propagation by cuttings is very similar to the previous case. If the cactus grows intensively in height, then it may break, since usually this plant does not take root very much. Therefore, the upper part is carefully cut off. The place of the cut on the cactus remaining in the pot is sprinkled with activated charcoal.
Sharpen the cut off as you would with pencils. Be careful not to damage the cadmium. Then take a narrow tall glass and place your "sharpened" cactus there to dry. After a week, place moistened sand on the bottom of the glass so that there is a small space between the plant and the sand, and watch when the top sprouts. Now you can put your pet in the pot.
Many are interested in how to plant a cactus with seeds. This process has a number of subtleties. Seeds are first germinated in plastic trays. While preparing the container, make holes in the bottom. Place drainage gravel on the bottom. Take a mixture of sand and earth as a soil. Before planting, the soil should be lightly watered. Now make grooves and plant the seeds with a toothpick. Wet the surface constantly so that the seeds germinate better. The sprouts will appear at different times. For planting in a pot, you should take early seedlings. As soon as thorns begin to appear, the sprouts dive and provide a "residence" in a separate pot. During the first year, this procedure is performed every two months.
This should be done very carefully so as not to damage the roots. The plant, along with an earthen clod, is transferred to a new pot
Picking cacti or replanting them
After the seedlings have formed roots, it is necessary to transfer them to a deeper general container for further development. No root shortening required for healthy plants
It is important to plant the cactus correctly, since even a slight bend in the root can cause decay. For this reason, non-standard methods of carrying out the procedure have been invented.
Pick cacti step by step:
- Pour a drainage layer about 1 cm thick into a clean, disinfected container.
- Cover the top with a small amount of soil mixture.
- Place the container at an angle of about 30 ° so that the substrate does not crumble, but the seedlings can be laid on their side.
- Cover one wall with soil, lay a row of seedlings, taking into account a further increase in size.
- Place the root collar on the soil surface, straighten the roots.
- Gently sprinkle the seedlings with soil mixture on the other side. In the same way, lay out the 2nd row and subsequent ones.
When transplanting by laying on a hill, cacti often do not occupy a vertical position, therefore, after filling the container, it is required to straighten the seedlings with tweezers. Lightly compact the soil by tapping on the edges of the container. Pour a small layer of river sand, again to achieve the subsidence of the substrate.
There are several ways to plant a cactus at home. The absence of roots does not make the operation impossible, since the plant takes root well if the basic agrotechnical recommendations are followed. Sowing seeds is also sometimes required, since over time the culture loses its decorative effect, becomes more susceptible to the effects of adverse environmental factors.
How is the cultivation of a cactus from seeds
With cuttings, of course, it will not be difficult to grow a young cactus, if everything is done correctly. The seed method is another matter. However, for amateur flower growers, nothing is impossible. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to try breeding the plant in this way.
True, you should know that in this case, firstly, there will be more fuss than with children, and secondly, you will have to take some precautions
First you need to take care of the "working tools". This is a container in which the seeds will be placed. It must be well treated with a manganese solution or steam. The substrate is not ignored either, which is kept in the oven for about forty minutes before use. After that, you can start the process itself.
It boils down to the following points:
- The soil should be well wetted and leveled.
- After that, make tiny holes, at a distance of a couple of centimeters from each other.
- If the planting material is large, then it is sprinkled with a substrate slightly on top, if it is small, then everything remains the same.
- The container with seeds is covered with glass or tightly closed with a film. After that, the container will need to be taken to a dark place, but with mandatory air access.
Seeds usually germinate in 2-4 weeks. From this point on, you can already begin to remove the film or move the glass back. It will not be superfluous to take out the container with young animals in a bright room, but in no case put it in direct sunlight. You can remove the film only after the thorns appear on the plant.
I must say that young plants should not be forgotten to water, because they will dry out instantly. At the same time, care should be taken so that the soil is not wet, otherwise all the seedlings will rot. It will be possible to plant a cactus when it is more or less stronger. More on this later.
Types of cacti
Let's dwell on this in more detail. The most popular types of cacti, photos and names of which can be found on resources of interest:
Astrophytum: grows well enough. A distinctive feature of the culture is the presence of white flakes on the outside of the ribs. During flowering, beautiful yellow inflorescences are formed.
Ferocactus: Has hard, long spines.Usually this type of cactus has a cylindrical shape. It can grow up to 5-6 inches in height. "Children" often appear near the main trunk. In summer, large flowers may appear on adult specimens.
Opuntia: this type of cactus is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and rapid growth
It is important to use gloves when caring for this plant, as it has very sharp thorns. The peculiarity of this cactus is the presence of tiny spiny bristles all over the stem.
They can be much more inconvenient than the needles themselves, since they are very difficult to notice. There are different types of prickly pear: flat, oval, and so on. These cacti are large in size. They bloom unusually effectively. Fruiting with edible pear-shaped fruits. Plants are quite hardy and can be planted even outdoors.
Echinocereus: Small spherical cacti covered in short spines. They bloom quite often with beautiful inflorescences. It is very easy to care for this type of cactus, therefore it is often recommended for beginners.
How to properly prepare the soil for a cactus sprout?
In nature, cacti live in aggressive environmental conditions, their root system is in sand mixed with soil. Therefore, in home breeding, the composition of the soil must be taken care of in advance.
You can prepare the ground for succulents yourself. The main soil layer is prepared from soil, dry leaves and coarse sand. The land can be taken from a deciduous forest, it is ideal in composition for cacti. Dry foliage should be chopped. Sometimes foam balls are added to the soil to make the soil more porous, which is what succulents love.
All ingredients are mixed and prepared, and then laid out in a pot on a pre-laid drain on the bottom. Moreover, the latter should take about a third of the pots. Drainage can be prepared from crushed rubble, expanded clay or finely chopped wine corks.