How to care for the Decembrist at home

Did you know that in nature there are cacti without prickles, they bloom every year, they cannot stand the heat and love water? Of course they did. After all, it grows in many homes. This is a Decembrist. That's just sometimes naughty. Wither begins, the buds resets.

How to care for the Decembrist at home, so that he annually pleased the owners with flowering? Now we will learn how to create the most comfortable conditions for it.

Pot selection

Of fundamental importance is the material capacity. It can be a plastic pot, a clay pots, or even an enamel bowl. The main thing is that it is broad and stable. Only small. The Decembrist has a small root system, so she doesn’t need a huge pot. For example, at the age of 20, a pot of enough volume of only 3 liters is enough for a flower.

After purchasing a zigokaktus in the store, be sure to transplant it at home. Soil in which there was a plant, shipping. It is completely unsuitable for good growth and lush flowering.

What soil is needed for the Decembrist

This is a cactus. A bit unusual, but still. However, it does not grow on earth in natural conditions. Usually the Decembrist can be found in old trees. The tiny root system allows it to penetrate cracks and under the bark.

At home, it is difficult to recreate this. Therefore, simply plant a flower in the ground for cacti. Or personally collect the mixture. Nothing complicated. Turf ground, peat and coarse clean sand in equal shares. For greater certainty, you can throw zhmenku coal. Only from leafy trees. All mix well and ready.

We plant Decembrist

At the bottom of the tank must always be drainage holes. And a thick layer of drainage itself. The zygocactus root system does not tolerate the slightest stagnation of water. Immediately begins to rot. In principle, then additional roots can grow, feeding the whole plant. But it takes time.

The next layer is sand.A little, about a centimeter. Then only the ground.

Departure after landing

Lighting. The Decembrist endures the heat very poorly. But he likes good lighting. Best of all, he will feel at the north or east windows. Or in the depths of the room, but always with additional lighting fitolampa.

If it is necessary to place it on a southern or western window, then by all means pritenyut. This may be a white cloth curtain, thick paper, foil. It is important to avoid direct sunlight. They cause reddening of shoots and burns.

Temperature. Its indicators should be in the range of +18 to + 26 ° C. And the strict absence of sharp drops. In the summer it is quite possible to take the Decembrist to the street, under the rarefied shadow of the trees. But in the daytime, when the most scorching and hot sun, it is better to bring a flower in a cooler room.

If the room has air conditioning, it is advisable to leave the plant in the house. Just not under the stream of cold air.

Watering. In the rest period - moderate. After complete drying of the earthy coma. For the flowering period - plentiful. Drying of the soil is prohibited. How to determine the time of watering, if in each case its own conditions of existence? It's simple. It is necessary to pierce the soil in a pot with a wooden stick and leave it there for 9-11 minutes.Then pull out and look at the level of soil moisture. Depending on the period of the vegetation cycle, they decide whether it is time to give the Decembrist something to drink or wait.

By the way, often wipe the shoots from the dust or arrange a weak warm shower. It is necessary not only to remove dust and dirt. A flower loves high humidity of air, it means that you need to spray it very often. And what is the use if stomata are clogged with dust? The Decembrist cannot enjoy microdroplets.

Feeding. Any suitable for cacti. If those are not available, then use any complex mineral fertilizer. And be sure to reduce the dose of 2, or even 3 times. Comply with the manufacturer's recommendations on the timing of fertilizer. Overdose is fraught with the fact that new shoots will be weak, discolored and deformed.

When the Decembrist blooms

As is clear from the name of the flower - in December. Subject to the recommendations, you can achieve a long flowering length of almost 3 months! True, a single flower lives only 3 days. But the abundance of buds allows you to enjoy them for quite some time.

In general, it depends on the irrigation and the temperature of the content whether the zygocactus will bloom this year. He has several important points throughout the year. All terms are approximate. Focus on your conditions of detention, microclimate in the room and region of residence:

From March 15 to September 30. This is the time of active growth of the Decembrist. The whole period he needs feeding and good watering. To be sure that the roots do not rot, the pot is placed on the other, turned upside down.

Be sure to air the plant, often sprayed. One may rearrange the flower, drag it to the street, balcony, loggia. Only protected from rain. Excess watering to anything.

From October 1 to 31. The first period of rest. At this time, the Decembrist stops growing and starts picking up the buds. To bookmark flower buds was the most successful, you need to lower the temperature to + 11-17 ° C. This can be achieved by leaving the Decembrist on the street or in an unheated room.

By the way, now you can still rearrange it to another place and turn the pot around its axis.

Watering is practically reduced. Slightly moisten the soil only when the shoots start to lose a little elasticity.And it is advisable to water not just water, but brewed black tea of ​​medium strength. According to reviews, it helps the Decembrist to lay flower buds.

At the end of the month it is recommended to feed the zigocactus with any fertilizer for flowering plants. It promotes long and lush flowering. Or give mineral water with a high content of phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen is not added.

From November 1 to January 31. At the very beginning of November, the Decembrist is placed in a permanent place. If he was on the window, then do nothing. If on the street - they are brought into the house. Everything, from this moment on, the pot cannot be moved, turned, moved to another place.

At the same time begin to water the Decembrist. Often enough, but always drain the excess water. A little ground egg shell is added to the liquid. Be sure to defend the water itself or make thawed. Plumbing will be enough to boil.

The temperature of the content is set in the range of + 18-23 ° C. Lighting - no more than 10 hours a day. The flower is not washed, do not touch the shoots. All hygiene must be carried out before this time.

If done correctly, then after about 6-8 days the buds will begin to appear.From this point on, the conditions of detention and care are absolutely not recommended to change. For a Decembrist, dropping flowers in one moment is a trifling matter. This can occur from any interference with his personal space. With proper care, flowering lasts 2.5 months.

From February 1 to March 14. For the Decembrist comes the second period of rest. This is the time when the plant falls asleep to rest after flowering. What can you do? Yes all! To form a bush, replant, remove unnecessary shoots.

Watering at this time is scarce, but drying out of the soil is not recommended. Feed do not contribute. But you can rotate the pot, move it to another place.

All indicated terms are relative. The Decembrist can blossom at your place until the middle of spring, if he has gained enough strength for that. In this case, the terms of other periods do not shift, but shorten the very first - the time of active growth.

It happens that after a rest the Decembrist is going to bloom again. There is already a choice for you personally. Can you help the plant recover later in a short time? So let it bloom again. Not confident in your abilities? Move the pot to another location.The Decembrist will throw off all the buds and begin to grow shoots. This will enter its normal growing cycle.

Correctly form

Zigokaktus each year during the growing season throws new shoots in large quantities. If it grows in pot form, then this growth must be controlled. Otherwise, some of the branches will be too long, which is aesthetically ugly.

To do this, in the second period of rest gently break off unnecessary twigs to the desired length. Or unscrew to form a lush bush. Fracture cutting should be done strictly along the line of "elbow". That is, it is impossible to cut or break in the middle of the sheet. Such an open wound does not dry out for a long time. And can even cause rotting of the stem. For the same reason, it is not recommended to cut with a knife or blade.

For ampel cultivation, the Decembrist also needs to be formed. But unscrew only one joint on the escape. This will leave the length of the branches, and cause them to bush up more.

Transplant Decembrist

The plant is transplanted once a year to the age of 5 years. After this transplant is required every 2-3 years.If the Decembrist feels great, develops well and flourishes magnificently, then it is better not to touch his root system at all.

If signs of disease or wilt are visible for no apparent reason, the transplant will cure the flower. It is necessary to gently shake the soil from the roots. Sometimes there are putrid processes there, but they are not visible outside. It is necessary to cut with scissors or secateurs all places of damage to healthy tissue. After that, it is necessary to soak the roots in a solution of phytosporin for 25 minutes. And only then disembark. Be sure to another ground. The pot can be left as before, thoroughly washed and doused with boiling water. Or take another, more old in diameter.

Useful tips

1. In our climate, few pests that love the Decembrist. And even then, they can choose a plant while it is in the garden. If the zygocactus is constantly in the house, then the probability of infection is practically impossible.
2. At the first sign, treat the flower with any insecticide of systemic action. At the same time it is necessary to close the soil in a pot. If necessary, after 6 days, repeat the procedure.
3. From diseases of the Decembrist suffers mainly from various rot.And this happens at low temperatures and the constant stagnation of water at the roots. Eliminating such conditions, it is possible to completely exclude the possibility of the disease.
4. Sometimes zygokatus can pick up late blight. In this case, you will have to grow the plant again, breaking the cuttings. This fungus first affects the root system of the Decembrist. Get rid of the scourge is very problematic. Although you can try to fight. Use top fungicides. Suddenly work?

How to care for the Decembrist at home? As you can see, it is not so difficult. Just remember or write some simple secrets. And then he will annually show his beauty during flowering.

Video: how to make the Decembrist bloom