The fashion for growing cacti in homes started with the advent of the first personal computers, since it was believed that it was this plant that was able to absorb dangerous radiation from a PC. However, some owners of these unique green pets noted that after 2-3 months of the proximity of the cactus and the monitor, the plant withered, and soon died at all. But the fault is not a "poisonous" computer, but the fact that the cactus needs care at home, like any other plant.
The rules for the maintenance of prickly inhabitants of deserts and deciduous domestic plants are somewhat different. Before buying a cactus, take an interest in what is in favor of this flower, and what, on the contrary, is harmful. In addition, learn the rules for caring for a cactus at home. Only in this way you will be able to grow a full-fledged healthy plant.
Botanical certificate of succulents
The birthplace of the plant is America. Under natural conditions, these representatives of the fauna sometimes reach gigantic proportions. Inhabitants of hot countries feel great in extreme conditions of the semi-deserts of Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Bolivia.
The habitat of forest cacti, there are such species - tropical jungle. Representatives of these succulents differ from each other, despite the fact that they belong to the same genus. This is not surprising. After all, the natural conditions of growth are radically different.
That is why, before choosing and buying a cactus, study the details of home care for cacti and get acquainted with the main recommendations for growing these desert inhabitants.
Cactus Species Variety
In apartment conditions, mainly dwarf varieties of flowers are grown, specially bred by breeders for decorative purposes. Miniature forms are presented in large numbers, and on one windowsill it is easy to fit up to two dozen cacti. Of desert plants, the most popular selective miniatures actively cultivated by flower growers are:
- echinopsis;
- Echinocereus Knippel;
- echinocereus crest;
- Gruson's echinocactus;
- Cereus Peruvian ;
- chametereus of Sylvester;
- aporocactus wattled;
- Espoosta woolly;
- notocactus;
- astrophytum Capricorn;
- prickly pear;
- golden-eyed parody;
- bloody parody;
- dwarf rebuy.
Indoor representatives of forest cacti are far from the idea of those who are unfamiliar with these types of plants, since they are radically different from the usual forms. Home care for cacti - representatives of these large groups is also different. In their natural habitat, plants live on or under trees. At home, it will be convenient to grow:
- ripsalidopsis;
- epiphyllum;
- zigocactus, known as the Decembrist or Christmas.
House Care Rules
Did you buy a cactus not as a protective tool against adverse computer radiation, but purely for aesthetic purposes? Care at home for cacti begins with the selection of the right place for growing. Desert cacti need plenty of light, so they feel best on a windowsill facing east or south of the window.
Zigocactus, consisting of representatives of forest cacti, is best kept on the eastern or northern windowsill. Christmas “southerners” suffer from leaf discoloration, and periods of failure begin in the life cycle: irregular flowering or its complete absence.
Features of the microclimate for succulents grown on the windowsill
Cactus care at home, depending on the time of year, is different.
In the summer, keep the plants on the balcony; for the winter, clean the room. At elevated room temperatures, provide a high level of humidity.
Note that in winter, desert cacti survive a dormant period, so put them in a cooler room with a temperature level of + 15 ... + 17 ° C, placing in partial shade.
Note! Some of the representatives of succulents can withstand even slight frosts, but this does not mean that the plants should be subjected to extreme sports by placing a cactus mix in an unconventional microclimate. Home care for any of the plants should be reasonable.
Watering a cactus and care at home
Although these plants are undemanding to moisture, do not forget to water them. Do not neglect the simple rules for caring for plants. For irrigation, use a warm liquid that has settled for 24 hours.
Cacti respond well to melt or rain water. Water the flowers at such intervals:
- spring-summer season - daily or every other day;
- Autumn time - once every 5-7 days;
- winter time - once every 7-12 days.
The introduction of water is determined by the principle: the colder the air in the room, the lower the level of moisture evaporation by the plant, and the number of irrigation is minimal.
Remember that cacti show active growth in the warm season, and flowering in the cold. Therefore, if you want to enjoy the charming flowers, create a microclimate in the room so that the care of cacti at home in winter is in accordance with the standards.
Plant transplant
Important! Stop watering the flower two to three days before transplanting, so that the earth easily crumbles from the root system.
Cactus care at home includes plant transplantation.
Plants are transplanted in the springtime, with the onset of the phase of active plant growth. Perform the procedure only after making sure that the cactus in the container in which it grows is crowded.
For a cactus, choose a small bowl - the roots should fill the entire space of the container. Do not forget to lay a layer of drainage material on the bottom of the pot, pour a small amount of soil mixture on top and dip the roots of the plant into it. Hold the flower lightly with one hand, and with the other - pour the substrate until it fills the containers to the brim.
It is not recommended to dig the base of the stem into the soil. To make the land more even, lightly tap the wall of the pot to ram the soil around the stem of the mammillaria cactus. Home care also includes the choice of substrate for growing plants. For a cactus, a mixture consisting of:
- sheet land;
- washed river sand;
- charcoal;
- peat.
The prepared substance must be loose and slightly acidic.
You can use the ready-made purchase option, sold in specialized garden and flower shops.
Features of fertilizer application
Do not forget that plants need periodic top dressing, which will be useful. In the winter season, a cactus mix requires special attention, home care for which includes a drastic reduction in watering and the introduction of mineral complexes in low concentrations. Humidification of the soil is carried out three times during the winter, since the receipt of moisture to the root system once a month is quite enough.
Interesting facts about flowering cacti
Few people know, even from experienced gardeners, that all cacti bloom without exception. Only this phenomenon is rare, and if the prickly pet is not happy with flowering, it means that you did not provide the cactus proper milk milk care at home.
Although, with decent cultivation, plants do not always bloom. This means that the representative of the fauna has not yet reached a fruiting age.
So caring for cacti at home is not as intricate as it might seem, but not only an experienced florist, but also a beginner can cope with the task.
Does the cactus really absorb the radiation from the computer?
Experts urge you to believe in the myth that a cactus is a plant that absorbs adverse radiation from a computer. Nothing like this happens with this flower. Any kind of waves emitted by a PC, a cactus receives in the same volume with a person and not a drop more.
The death of cacti located near the computer does not indicate the accumulation in it of static or other kind of energy that kills a living organism. Withering means that the cactus does not receive the necessary amount of light and loses its vitality due to this. This does not mean that you cannot keep the cactus near the monitor - it is possible, especially if your workplace is near the window. In such an environment, green residents feel great, especially echinopsis, rebutia, hymnocalycium, belonging to the genus succulents.
Requires specific care at home cactus mammillaria. The best place to grow the plant is the windowsill of a window looking southeast.
Of the forest cacti that live in partial shade, for placement near a computer, on the desktop, Christmas tree, epiphyllum, ripsalis are suitable. They do not suffer from a lack of lighting, since this is the norm for succulents.
Attractive and bizarre, blooming and amazing, like in the pictures from the Internet and photos - cacti, home care for which, as you already found out, is really straightforward. Even such a prickly and impregnable plant needs attention. Take the trouble to ensure comfortable growing and growing cacti in your home, and perhaps in the near future your green plants will please you with long flowering, which not every gardener can see.