A beautiful indoor flower, which in the most severe December cold pleases the owners with lush pink flowering, everyone calls the Decembrist. The real name of the plant is Schlumbergera (Schlumbergera) or Zygocactus. The homeland of the Decembrist is the tropical rainforests of South America. A plant that is not afraid of winter cold is rather unpretentious in its care. However, in order for the Decembrist to please every year with lush clusters of flowers, you should water it properly and feed it on time.
Description of the plant
The plant belongs to the genus of epiphytic cacti growing in the tropical forests of South America. Decembrist stems are smooth, flattened, consist of several joints. The photo shows a subequatorial forest in which the Decembrist grows - the birthplace of the plant. The photo clearly demonstrates how densely plants are located in the tropical world.
The length of the branches of the Decembrist can reach 50 cm. The flowers are conical in shape, formed from buds at the tipshanging shoots. During flowering, the houseplant is densely covered with beautiful delicate flowers, the length of one flower is from 6 to 8 cm. There are zygocactus with flowers of white, yellow, pink and even purple. During flowering, the buds tend to open for several days, so that the flowering of a houseplant is quite long.
Pollination
The peculiar structure of the Decembrist flowers explains the plant's inability to self-pollinate. The elongated bulb-shaped form of the flower consists of several articulations strung on top of each other; a pistil peeps out of the tips of the last flower, which is framed by stamens. In nature, zygocactus is cross-pollinated with the help of tropical hummingbirds. For this reason, the Decembrist has an elongated stem shape, the birthplace of the plant predetermines cross-pollination by birds and insects. After pollination, after some time, oval red fruits are formed at the ends of the branches.
Conditions for regular flowering
In addition to timely watering and fertilizing, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for flowering. The flower should feel the approach of cold weather. From mid-October, it is necessary to create conditions in the room where the houseplant is located, corresponding to the cold season. Despite the fact that the homeland of the indoor Decembrist is South America, a country with a rather warm climate, the plant is quite resistant to cold. The room needs to be maintainedthe temperature is not higher than 15 degrees. Watering a houseplant should be no more than 1 time per week. The Decembrist loves sunlight very much, so the plant pot should be in the brightest part of the room. In order for the plant to begin to bloom, it is necessary to constantly maintain a cool air temperature in the room. The flower should feel the approach of winter. The fact is that when it is winter in Russia, at this time in South America it is the height of summer. The homeland of the Decembrist (flower) determines the flowering time of this houseplant.
Basic care tips
A flower grower should know the origin of zygocactus in order to understand why the Decembrist does not bloom, the plant's homeland is South America, where summer comes during the winter cold in Russia.
In order for the plant to please its owners with beautiful flowering in winter every year, you must follow a number of simple rules:
- the plant needs fresh air and scattered sunlight, then beautiful flowering in the winter will be provided;
- should regularly, not more than once a week, water the plants with cool water;
- for a flower to bloom regularly, it is necessary to transplant it into a larger pot every year;
- The optimum room temperature for flowering is considered to be no higher than 16 degrees.
If you follow all the recommendations, the Decembrist will be covered with beautiful clusters of flowers every year in winter, creating comfort in the room. Flower growers know howunpretentious Decembrist (flower), the birthplace of the plant is known for a rather harsh humid climate in which tropical plants are forced to fight for food and lighting. Just remember to water the plant regularly during the flowering period.
The birthplace of a houseplant
The flower belongs to the forest cacti, which in natural conditions take root on the root system or directly on the trunks of tropical trees. In this regard, the roots of the flower are weak, the Decembrist motherland of the plant does not spoil too much. The soil in the upper tiers of the tropical forests of South America is practically absent. Most Decembrist roots are able to capture the missing moisture directly from the air. The short roots of the plant are constantly in search mode in order to find a favorable nutrient medium and gain a foothold on it. In the presence of any suitable soil, the plant is able to quickly build up a full-fledged root system. Due to the high competition in the tropics, a plant, once on favorable soil, begins to grow rapidly in order to occupy space as quickly as possible, preventing other competing plants from entering its territory. Growing on tree trunks in the gloomy forests of the humid tropics, the flower receives a sufficient amount of diffused sunlight.
It should be noted that due to its unpretentiousness, the Decembrist is able to survive even in the most extreme conditions. In addition, this plant is referred to as long-lived flowers. A houseplant can live up to 20 years. The Decembrist is also resistant to various kindsdiseases.
Soil for transplanting
To ensure annual flowering in winter, it is recommended to replant the zygocactus at least once every two years. At the same time, despite his unpretentiousness, it is still better to take into account what the Decembrist loves more. The homeland of the plant, the necessary composition of the soil of which is characterized by an insufficient amount of water-soluble minerals, affects the conditions for the full growth of the flower.
Retail stores sell special soil designed for transplanting zygocactus. You can purchase a ready-made soil composition, it is also permissible to prepare it yourself by mixing leaf compost, garden soil and clean river sand in equal proportions.
As you know, the birthplace of the Decembrist (flower) is the humid tropics, this circumstance must be taken into account when transplanting in order to prevent further decay of the root system. The roots of the plant should be moderately moistened, air should freely penetrate to them. Some of the garden soil should be mixed with leaf compost, crushed expanded clay. It is advisable to add fine walnut shells and a little charcoal. At the bottom of a wide, but shallow pot, a little drainage expanded clay should be laid, then a layer of prepared soil should be poured, carefully placing the plant on it. Zygocactus is a fairly fragile plant, so you need to be careful, otherwise you can damage the roots. After filling the pot with soil, it is necessary to water the plant abundantly and place it in that part of the room where direct rays do not fallsun.
Fertilizer
When caring for a plant, you need to know how to fertilize the Decembrist (flower). The homeland of the plant, where zygocactus lead a parasitic lifestyle, rooting on the trunks of tropical plants, provides flowers with essential nutrients from wood. Therefore, the plant is very unpretentious, the usual top dressing for cacti is enough for it, which should be diluted by two quarters with water so as not to burn the delicate roots of the Decembrist.
Reproduction
Many indoor plant lovers do not know how the Decembrist breeds. The homeland of the plant is moist gloomy tropical forests, here most of the plants grow in order to occupy fertile territory as quickly as possible. As for the zygocactus, this unpretentious indoor flower is successfully propagated by cuttings. It is necessary to cut off small cuttings no more than 8 cm long, dry them a little in the air, and then put them in water for several days. Once the cuttings take root, they can be planted in the soil. In order for the houseplant to look more magnificent, it is recommended to plant several harvested cuttings in one flower pot.
Diseases
Unfortunately, like any indoor plant, zygocactus is susceptible to the diseases that tropical plants are awarded by the homeland of indoor Decembrist, humid tropics. Most often, plants are affected by fungal diseases. The plant, weakened by the disease, begins to turn pale and wither, flower buds begin tofall off, mold appears at the base of the stem.
Another disease called spider mites strikes zygocactus when central heating is turned on in homes. In the axils of plants, you can find cobwebs and even small insects. The plant starts to turn yellow. As you know, the birthplace of the Decembrist is South America, in the natural conditions of the humid tropics, a diseased plant most often dies. At home, the plant can most often be saved. In order to rid the flower of a fungal disease, it is enough to water with fungicides. These are special liquids "Topaz" or "Fitosporia".
To get rid of spider mites, treat the plant with Appolo or Fitoverm no more than 4 times a week.
What happens to a plant after 15 years
With age, the Decembrist does not look as attractive as it happens when the plant is still young. The trunk at the base takes on an ugly curved appearance, the branches of the plant become like a cork. It is necessary to make some efforts so that the Decembrist always looks well-groomed. The homeland of the plant in one way or another affects the life cycle of the flower. Too old plants should be replaced with new ones. The breeding season is most successful in the spring, the months of April or May are preferred. To do this, you need to cut off several cuttings and place them in wet sand or soil. For new seedlings, choose spacious but shallow pots, on the bottom of which it is imperative to lay a layer of drainage in order to preventdecay of the root system.
