From the huge variety of indoor plants, cacti stand out for their unusual appearance and undemanding care. Every year the number of lovers of these prickly exotic plants increases in the world. Today, connoisseurs of the original beauty of cacti collect large collections of these plants.
Types of cacti
A huge number of species and varieties of cacti grow on our planet. Scientists still cannot name their exact number. In addition, breeders are constantly working on breeding new varieties. We will talk about some of the most popular types of domestic cacti in this article.
Mammillaria
A very popular and widespread type of cactus that is often found in home collections. There are several varieties of it - small and medium in size, with a cylindrical and spherical shape of the trunk, with different spines, with and without pubescence. Plants are unpretentious in care. It is very important for them to find a well-lit place, regularly but moderately water and notallow pests.
With proper care, cactus bloom occurs in the warm season. Small flowers appear on the trunks (no more than 2 mm) from white to bright pink. Some species (Mamillaria saboae, Mamillaria de-herdtiana, etc.) have larger flowers.
Queen of the Night (Selenicereus grandiflorus)
This truly unique cactus, which has almost smooth shoots, did not get its beautiful name by chance. The refined and refined beauty of the cactus bloom and the pleasant strong aroma of flowers make flower growers choose this particular plant for their collection. And, despite the fact that huge flowers (more than 30 cm in diameter) bloom only for one night, and it is quite problematic to place this cactus with shoots that reach several meters in length, Selenicereus deserves the effort spent on admire spectacular blooms.
Spurge (Euphorbia)
A well-known plant among cactus lovers, which got its name because of the viscous viscous liquid released when the stems and leaves are broken. Do not try to taste this liquid - it is poisonous. In ancient times, the point of arrows was moistened with milkweed juice. The stalks of milkweed are triangular in shape, covered with thorns, rather high. Keeping this cactus at home is not difficult, but it is important to make sure that the plant is out of the reach of children.
Shlumbergera, or Decembrist
This cactus was first discovered in the forests of Brazil, where it was named Schlumbergera or Zygocactus. However, in our country he is better known as the Decembrist. This species is popular and widespread due to the beautiful flowers that open in December.
Cactus has a rather unusual sprawling shape. It can grow up to 1.5 meters wide. Unlike most representatives of the Cactus family, this plant does not have thorns and loves frequent and abundant watering, and does not tolerate direct sunlight.
Gymnocalycium (Gymnocalycium)
A ball-shaped plant is often called a round cactus. But you are unlikely to be able to pick up this "ball" because it is reliably protected by powerful thorns. Gymnocalycium grows up to 30 cm, begins to bloom in the third year after planting. Flowers can be of various colors. They last up to seven days, after which they crumble.
Reproduction
This method is most often used in breeding work, because cacti reproduce well in a vegetative way. But sometimes the propagation of cacti by seeds is also used in indoor floriculture, for example, when it is not possible to purchase a grown plant of a certain variety. You need to prepare everything you need to grow these thorny plants and be patient. The fact is that plants grown from seeds for the first time can bloom no earlier than five years after sowing.
Cactus seeds
These exotic plants are becoming more and more popular in ourcountry. However, even many experienced flower growers do not always know what cactus seeds look like, since more often these plants are propagated vegetatively. In specialized stores today you can buy a variety of seeds of these plants. Anyone who is interested in how to grow a cactus from seeds should know that the process is long, but extremely interesting. Beginners in indoor floriculture usually choose seeds of columnar, fast-growing cacti that bloom after a few years, such as rebutia or a mix of seeds of various varieties.
It is necessary to know well the types of domestic cacti and how the seed should look in order not to avoid disappointments in the future. Often, flower growers who first use seeds for propagation fail to achieve the desired result. In the photo below and later in the article, you can see what cactus seeds look like.
You can collect seeds from plants in your collection. For cross-pollination, it is necessary to have two cacti that were grown from seeds or cuttings of different plants. The flowers from which you plan to take pollen should be fully opened so that the pollen is easily separated and can be collected on a brush. From one flowering plant, pollen is transferred to the flower of another. After a while, a berry appears in place of the flower.
To propagate a cactus with seeds, you must use a fully ripened berry. It should be broken very carefully and the seeds removed. They can be stored for two years in a paper bag,by signing the name of the variety and the date of collection of seeds.
How to germinate cactus seeds?
If you want to grow this amazing plant from seeds, make sure that the variety or species you choose is not subject to genetic mutations and retains all varietal characteristics. Before sowing cacti with seeds, you should learn about the basic rules.
The seeds of these plants germinate slowly. Seedlings are also slowly developing. Despite the fact that seeds need warmth and moisture to germinate, it should be borne in mind that the seedlings of these plants are very susceptible to various fungal diseases. It is for this reason that when sowing, it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature and humidity, trying to prevent the development of fungal diseases.
Seeds should be soaked overnight. For this, a weak solution of potassium permanganate is most often used. It is not recommended to use growth stimulants for this purpose - their effect on cacti has not yet been fully studied.
You should open the bags of seeds over a sheet of paper. Cactus seeds are so small that they look more like dust. Therefore, such a precaution will help preserve the seed. Soaking will not only awaken the seeds, but also cleanse the remnants of the pulp. This significantly reduces the risk of mold in the soil, providing a he althy environment for growing cacti from seed.
In order for the seeds to germinate, it is necessary to maintain the air temperature during the day in the range from +26 to +30 ° С, and at night reduce it byten degrees.
Soil and dishes
Cactus seeds can be sown in wide low containers, for example, from styrofoam, which are pre-washed with very hot water, but not with boiling water. A clay convex shard is placed on the drainage hole in the bottom of the container. A drainage layer of expanded clay or small pebbles is poured onto the bottom, which is preliminarily spilled with boiling water.
The seed germination dish is filled 2/3 with loose soil mixture for cacti. It should contain a large amount of perlite or coarse sand. Many experienced flower growers believe that the soil should be calcined in the oven or microwave. In other words, disinfected to provide maximum protection against fungal diseases.
Top soil mixture is covered with a layer of crushed bas alt, broken brick or sand (coarse-grained) with a layer of about a centimeter. The material is first sieved, bringing the grain size to 2 mm. After that, they are washed to remove small particles, dried and scattered on the surface of the soil. This layer will not become a breeding ground for pathogens of various diseases.
Sowing
Cactus seeds are sown evenly over the entire surface of a previously prepared container. To do this, fold a piece of paper in half, pour the seeds into the groove formed, then, lightly tapping on the paper slightly inclined to the soil, pour the seeds evenly onto the surface of the soil.
Due to the fact that cacti grow slowly and actively develop incommunity, the seeds are sown quite densely. After sowing, they are lightly pressed into the soil using any object with a smooth surface, such as a matchbox. Since seeds need light to germinate, they are not sprinkled with soil on top. The soil is not watered, but sprayed with a spray bottle.
The container is covered with glass and placed in a place with artificial heating. It is necessary that the earth warms up to +30 °С during the daytime and up to +20 °С at night. Seedlings in a container are installed on a central heating battery (in winter) or on an electric heating pad.
Picking
When the seedlings begin to form a curtain (dense cushion) in the container, they should be planted in fresh soil. At the same time, the soil mixture in the planting bowl must be dry - in this case, it easily disintegrates and it will not be difficult to remove the seedlings without damage. Young cacti grown from seeds, which by this time have reached up to a centimeter in diameter, are planted in larger containers in several pieces.
Seedlings after transplantation are kept in a shaded warm place. A few days after transplanting, carefully water the cacti. How often should this be done during this period? Experienced flower growers believe that the soil must be moistened as it dries.
About a week later, when the seedlings have adapted to the fresh soil, they are transferred to a slightly shaded but bright place. Plants begin to grow and develop a little faster.
Crop care
It is important not only to know how to grow a cactus, howprepare and sow seeds. It is necessary to understand what kind of care seedlings require. First of all, you should properly organize the watering of cacti. How often and how to carry out this procedure so as not to harm young plants? Sometimes in special publications you can find recommendations from flower growers about immersing containers with seedlings in water to moisten the soil. But this old method was used before the advent of fine atomizers. Now they are used to water the soil once a day.
