Decembrist (Schlumbergera) is popular among indoor flower lovers. This is due to its unpretentious care and abundant flowering in the winter, when many plants retire. But if the red and pink look of the Decembrist can be seen in almost everyone, then the yellow tint is rare. But thanks to selection, we managed to bring out such a variety, so let's look at the most popular variety of the yellow Decembrist Gold Charm and get acquainted with how easy it is to care for and what is necessary for its lush flowering.
History of view creation
Decembrist Gold Charm is the first yellow plant variety. This species was obtained through the efforts of the American breeder R. L. Kobia in the 80s of the last century. The difficulty of breeding was that in nature there are species with an orange-red tint, but not with yellow.
First of all, species with a predominance of yellow over red were selected, since orange iscombination of red and yellow. As a result, about 50 thousand seeds were obtained. But only 1 of them had a yellowish color, although the bush itself was very weak.
To fix this, the plant was re-crossed with a white variety of the crop, which has a strong skeleton and a long flowering period. Of the 150 specimens obtained in the end, only 1 flower had a pale yellow color, but the bush was well formed and had strong shoots. It was this plant that became the basis of the Gold Charm variety.
Description of the yellow Decembrist
Schlumbergera, or Decembrist, refers to forest cacti-epiphytes. Therefore, it receives many nutrients and moisture from the air.
The height of the plant reaches 40 cm. Its hanging shoots are connected segments 4-7 cm long. The shape of the bush allows you to grow yellow Decembrist in hanging pots. The shoots of the plant are a green saturated shade, dense structure, with soft teeth on top. On the surface of the shoots there are small hairs that help the plant to receive additional nutrition from the air.
Flowers of the yellow Decembrist are formed on the apical shoots. They are multi-tiered tubules with long stamens at the end. The overall color of the flowers is sandy yellow, while the stamens are hot pink.
The flowering period lasts from 30 to 50 days, it depends on the correct care throughout the year. Therefore, in order for a flower to bloom profusely from year to year, it shouldget acquainted with its periods of vegetation and dormancy.
Schlumbergera (Decembrist): home care
The whole year for a plant is divided into 4 main stages. Each of them is characterized by its own characteristics, so you should take them into account when growing a yellow Decembrist.
1st stage - active growing season. It runs from March to September. At this time, the plant abundantly builds up new segments on the shoots. For this, air circulation and light partial shade are important.
2nd stage - the first period of rest. It lasts from September to October. During this time, buds are laid, so it is recommended to moderate watering, slightly reduce the temperature of the content. Some flower growers recommend watering during this period with tea, which improves the bud setting.
3rd stage - flowering period. At this time, it is important that the flower is on the windowsill, the rare rays of the sun cannot damage it during this period, but the light is very necessary. At this time, the plant needs abundant watering and top dressing. It is also not recommended to rearrange or rotate the pot with the Decembrist during the entire flowering period, as this can provoke a drop in buds.
4th stage - the second period of rest. After flowering, the plant restores its strength and adjusts to the growing season. Vacation lasts from February to the second half of March. Therefore, during this period, it is necessary to reduce watering and provide the flower with light partial shade.
Knowing the annual cycles of the plant, it is necessary to study the rules of home carefor the Decembrist (Schlumbergera) during these periods.
Irrigation features
Decembrist equally badly tolerates both lack of moisture and excessive moisture. Therefore, it is important to provide it with water in the required amount, depending on the phase of growth and development of the bush.
During the period of active growth and flowering, water the plant regularly so that the soil in the pot does not dry out. To do this, use soft settled water with a temperature of + 18-20 ° C. It is better to water the yellow Decembrist more often, but little by little (1 time in 3 days), since its root system is small.
During dormancy, watering the plant should be limited to 1 time in 7-10 days, but the top layer of soil in the pot should have time to dry out.
On hot summer days, the shoots of the Decembrist must be sprayed daily, otherwise this may lead to drying out of the segments and their subsequent deformation.
Containment temperature
During the active growth and flowering of the bush, the optimum maintenance temperature is + 20-24 ° C during the day, and + 15-18 ° C at night.
During the rest period, the temperature regime should be within + 10-18 °C. A gradual decrease in temperature to + 5-8 ° C does not harm the plant, provided that it is short-term.
Lighting
For full growth, the yellow Decembrist needs diffused light, so it is not necessary to grow it on the windowsill, but can be placed in the back of the room, but so that direct sunlight does not fall on the plant.
During the first dormant period, when the flower is preparing to bloom, it is necessaryartificially shorten daylight hours. To do this, in the evening it should be covered with an opaque cloth or closed in a dark room. This will form more buds.
In the warm season, it is recommended to put a flower pot on a loggia or balcony in a shaded place, this will improve the growth of young shoots. Place the plant away from drafts.
Feeding
During the active growing season, the forest cactus needs nitrogenous fertilizers. But at the same time, the dosage of the agent should be reduced by 2 times from that indicated in the annotation. The frequency of feeding is 1 time in 2-3 weeks.
During preparation for flowering, the yellow Decembrist should be fertilized with preparations with a high content of potassium and phosphorus. In this case, you can use eggshells. It should be soaked in 1 liter of water and kept for 24 hours. After that, use the solution to water the plant. The frequency of feeding during this period is 1 time in 2 weeks.
Excessive fertilization negatively affects the flowering and development of the bush.
Transfer
It is necessary to replant a young yellow Decembrist bush every year in the spring, as the shoots grow. An adult plant needs to be transplanted once every 2-3 years.
For planting a forest cactus, it is necessary to prepare the soil with the addition of sand, which will eliminate the stagnation of moisture in the soil. For these purposes, it can be bought at a specialized store, choosing a substrate for cacti. And if necessary, you can cook it yourself at homeconditions.
The soil for transplanting yellow Decembrist should consist of the following components:
- 2 pieces of sod land;
- 1 piece of sand;
- 1 part leafy soil;
- 1 part perlite;
- 1 piece of peat.
A new plant pot should be selected 2-3 cm wider than the previous one. Put drainage 1.5-2 cm thick on the bottom of it. It is recommended to transplant it by transshipment, without removing the soil from the roots, but only filling the voids with a new substrate.
Pruning and propagation
To form a lush bush, it is necessary to shorten the main shoots by 2-3 segments every spring. This will allow the plant to form lateral processes, which will significantly increase the decorative effect and the number of buds during the flowering period. In addition, all broken and deformed branches should be removed, leaving strong and promising ones.
Cut off segments during anti-aging pruning can be used for reproduction. To do this, they need to be planted 2-3 pieces in 1 pot, poured with Kornevin's solution and put in a warm place (+22-25 °C).
In 3-4 weeks the segments will have roots. One-year plants should be transplanted into separate containers in the spring.
Diseases and pests
Decembrist with yellow flowers is just as prone to disease and pests as other plant varieties.
You can determine the need for processingaccording to the following characteristics:
- rusty, yellow, black spots on shoots;
- unreasonable fall of apical segments, buds, flowers;
- Rotting shoots at the base.
The plant is affected by spider mites, scale insects and mealybugs. For pest control, it is recommended to carry out a comprehensive treatment of the bush: spraying with Fitoverm and watering with Aktara. After a week, the treatment should be repeated. The appearance of harmful insects on the Decembrist is an indicator of elevated temperature, lack of sufficient watering, low air humidity.
From fungal diseases, the plant most often suffers from fusarium, phytophthora and brown rot. Their appearance indicates excessive watering, cold content. To eliminate the disease, it is necessary to spray the shoots with Fitosporin, Quadris. Treatment should be repeated every 10 days until symptoms disappear.
General care rules
In order for the yellow Decembrist to fully grow and bloom profusely, you must follow simple rules:
- During the formation of buds, the pot must not be rearranged and rotated.
- It is not recommended to allow sudden changes in temperature, the decrease or increase should be gradual.
- The pot should be narrow.
- After a dormant period, it is not worth dramatically increasing watering.
- Cut cuttings for propagation during the flowering of the bush is not recommended, as this is hisweaken.
- Compliance with the cycles of dormancy and growth allows the plant to bloom 2 times throughout the year: in December and May.
Adhering to the recommendations for home care, Schlumberger (Decembrist) will delight with lush flowering every year. This flower belongs to the category of plants that do not require increased attention. Therefore, it is suitable not only for experienced growers, but also for beginners.
