Beginning gardeners may be surprised to find that there are many incomprehensible and mysterious plants. For example, there is a cactus that has no needles and cannot stand exposure to direct sunlight. In addition, he loves abundant watering and good feeding. Popularly, this plant is known as the Decembrist, and scientifically it is called Schlumbergera. In this review, we will take a closer look at what a Decembrist flower is, how to propagate this plant at home.
Features of cultivation
So, what's special? It should be noted that the zygocactus is not like most indoor plants that are usually grown on windowsills. The thing is that the vegetative period of this plant begins just when the rest of the crops rest before the onset of spring, namely in winter. If you want to enjoy the beautiful flowers of the Decembrist on New Year's Eve, then you will definitely need to know how it growsat home.
Basic breeding methods
Let's take a closer look at this. In total, there are two simple methods of reproduction of the Decembrist. Both of them do not require certain theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The cultivation of these plants does not require special soil from African deserts, special clay or pots. If you used to grow indoor plants on the windowsill, then you will not have any problems with the Decembrist.
There are two main breeding options for such an unpretentious plant:
- cutting is the simplest and most affordable method of propagation;
- grafting is a more complicated method.
For the first time, you need to select the most affordable and easy ways. This will help you quickly achieve the desired result.
The easiest way
How to propagate a Decembrist flower? What do you need to know about it? If you believe the reviews of experienced flower growers, then the simplest method of propagating the Decembrist at home is cuttings. This process itself is quite easy, although it takes a lot of time. But if you have nowhere to hurry, you can safely proceed to this work. With this method of planting, the Decembrist will delight you with its flowering every year. The lifespan of a plant is incredibly long - it can reach from 30 to 50 years.
Cutting method
So, let's figure out how to propagate a Decembrist indoor flower. It should be understood that the cactus will have to be grownspecial. If you have previously been breeding such varieties, then there should be no problems. However, there are some peculiarities here that must be taken into account before preparing the processes.
When is the best time to cut?
This aspect should be given special attention. How to propagate the Decembrist at home? Due to the rather specific flowering time of this plant, many beginner flower growers have a completely logical question: when is it better to separate the cuttings from it? In fact, the Decembrist is unpretentious. This is a very hardy and tenacious flower. Therefore, it is realistic to cut it at any time of the year. You can grow strong shoots from shoots in March, and in July, and in February, and in April. It doesn’t matter how the plant will be propagated, what the weather will be like outside at that time. Many growers prefer to simply pinch off the stems of the plant, knowing that it will take root just fine anyway.
But nevertheless, experts give some recommendations on how to propagate a Decembrist flower at home. According to them, the best time would be from April to May. That is when the growing season of the old plant ends.
How to choose the right cutting?
So what do you need to know about this? Of great importance in the question of how to properly propagate the Decembrist is the choice of the cutting. It is important to choose a sprout that will show the best viability. You don't need to have a doctorate in botany to do this. The matter is very simple. ATas a cutting, you can use any shoot, which consists of three segments. Carefully inspect the plant and choose the one that looks the most he althy and strong. It is also good if it has air roots. They will be useful for subsequent rooting.
If you want to get a lush and beautiful Decembrist bush, then you should pick up several cuttings at once. Also, it would not hurt to rejuvenate the mother plant a little. In this case, sprouts should be selected from the most dense places of the crown. Most likely, in that place, he will start fresh and new shoots, which, in turn, will bloom over time.
How to cut cuttings?
What do you need to do to get a beautiful and lush Decembrist flower? How to propagate this plant by cuttings? To prepare an escape for landing, do not use sharp cutting objects. A knife and blade can only spoil the planting material. Before planting, the Decembrist cuttings should be taken with your fingers, pressed a little, and then twisted around its axis until they come off. The main thing is to act carefully and slowly so as not to damage the culture itself and the stalk. Try to hold the mother flower with your other hand. It is necessary to break off the cuttings in such a way that there are no wounds on the trunk of the plant. If there were no damages, you will need to cover them with potting soil or charcoal.
Preparation of cuttings in soil and water
Let's take a closer look at this aspect. Shoots obtained from the mother plantAllow to dry slightly before proceeding with further manipulations. There is another way - the cuttings are lowered into the liquid for a while. This option is simple in itself, since the escape only needs to be placed in a glass of soft and clean water. The main thing is to ensure that the liquid does not contain a large amount of chlorine, otherwise the plant will die. This growing method is considered to be more time consuming as you have to wait a while for the plant to develop a branched root system. In this case, water will need to be added, but not changed. Also try to make sure that the roots do not start to rot. This could spoil all plans.
If you are going to plant a crop in the ground, then you should first put it in a container and leave it in a dry, dark place. As a result, a transparent film should appear on the site of detachment of the shoot. It shows that the plant is ready to be transplanted.
Soil for planting
This aspect should be given special attention. How to propagate the Decembrist at home? Much here depends on the chosen soil. You can, of course, just go to a flower shop and purchase special soil for growing cacti. So you will have the opportunity to choose a material with optimal acidity - from 5.0 to 6.5 pH. The soil can be prepared independently. This will save money. To do this, just take the following components:
- quality leaf earth - six parts;
- humus earth - four parts;
- sand - two parts;
- peat - twoparts;
- good turf land is one piece.
Flower growers with extensive experience recommend growing Decembrists in pure peat, but from a scientific point of view, this is only partly true. Soil enriched with peat will benefit the Decembrist. In it, it will grow well and take root. However, over time, such soil loses its nutritional properties. The plant and water actually suck out all the useful trace elements from it. Therefore, for planting a zygocactus, it is still better to limit yourself to using a soil mixture.
When planting a cutting, it is also important to remember about good drainage. Expanded clay should be placed at the bottom of the pot in which the flower will grow. Also make sure that the soil is light and breathable.
Further care
Now you know how to propagate the Decembrist flower at home. The he alth of the plant in the future will depend on proper care. After planting, make sure that the cuttings are well rooted. As a container for young shoots of culture, small pots are best suited. The Decembrist will be uncomfortable in a large spacious pot. At first, a young plant is best kept in partial shade. The temperature should be about 12-15 degrees, maybe a little higher. The main thing is that it does not exceed 20 degrees.
In order for the flower to take root well, you can make an additional shelter from polyethylene or a plastic cover. The coating should not touch the plant. Decembrist with this method of cultivation should be ventilated every day. The final rooting will occur only after 3-4 weeks. After new young leaves appear on the shoot, it can be transplanted into the main pot, where it will constantly grow.
Graft method
What is its peculiarity? As mentioned earlier, there are two main methods for propagating a Decembrist flower. We examined cuttings in detail. There is also a vaccination method. However, for a beginner, this option is not suitable, since it is quite complicated. For experienced flower growers, the scion will not cause any particular difficulties. For vaccination, you will need a plant on which the Decembrist will sit down. Usually prickly pear or prickly pear is used for this purpose. The upper part of the plant is completely cut off and cleaned of leaves. It will also need to be slightly split at the top. For the scion, you will need a small process of the Decembrist. The lower part of the handle is slightly sharpened with a knife, and then placed in the prepared slot. For final fixation, a needle is placed at the junction and lightly wrapped with a plaster.
The graft usually takes two to four weeks. While the plant will adapt to new conditions, it is important to maintain the temperature at 15-20 degrees Celsius. It will be possible to remove the needle and the patch only after the plant starts new shoots. Be sure to remove all side leaves from the crop you are planting on. Only in this way will it be able to provide the grafted cutting with the necessary nutrients. Such a method is notalways allows you to get a good result, since it is quite difficult to propagate the Decembrist flower using the scion method.
Conclusion
In this review, we examined in detail how to propagate the Decembrist at home with leaves and cuttings. The recommendations given in the article will allow you to get a lush and abundant flowering of the Decembrist in the very first winter after planting.
