Of the huge variety of indoor plants, cacti stand out for their unusual appearance and undemanding care. Every year in the world the number of lovers of these prickly exotic plants is increasing. Today, lovers of the original beauty of cacti collect large collections of these plants.
Cactus species
A huge number of species and varieties of cacti grow on our planet. Scientists still can not name their exact number. In addition, breeders are constantly working on breeding new varieties. Some of the most popular types of home cacti will be discussed in this article.
Mammillaria
A very popular and widespread species of cactus, which is often found in home collections. There are several varieties of it - small and medium sizes, with a cylindrical and spherical shape of the trunk, with different spines, with pubescence and without. Plants are unpretentious in care. It is very important for them to find a well-lit place, regularly but moderately water and prevent pests.
With proper care, cactus blooms in the warm season. On the trunks appear small flowers (no more than 2 mm) from white to bright pink. In some species (Mamillaria saboae, Mamillaria de-herdtiana, etc.), flowers are larger.
Queen of the Night (Selenicereus grandiflorus)
This truly unique cactus, which has almost smooth shoots, was not accidentally given its beautiful name. The exquisite and sophisticated beauty of cactus flowering and the pleasant strong aroma of flowers make flower growers choose this plant for their collection. And, despite the fact that huge flowers (more than 30 cm in diameter) bloom only for one night, and to place this cactus with shoots that reach a length of several meters is quite problematic, selenicereus deserves the effort that it was possible admire the spectacular flowering.
Euphorbia (Euphorbia)
Well-known among cactus lovers, the plant got its name because of the viscous viscous fluid released when the stems and leaves break. Do not try to try this liquid - it is poisonous. In ancient times, the juice of milk was moistened with the tip of arrows. The stalks of milkweed of a triangular shape, covered with thorns, are quite high. Keeping this cactus at home is easy, but it is important to make sure that the plant is inaccessible to children.
Schlumbergera (Shhlumbergera), or Decembrist
This cactus was first discovered in the forests of Brazil, where it was named Schlumberger 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 bloom in December.
The cactus has a rather unusual spreading shape. It can grow up to 1.5 meters wide. Unlike most representatives of the Cactus family, this plant has no thorns and loves frequent and plentiful watering, and it 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”, since it is reliably protected by powerful spines. Gymnocalycium grows to 30 cm, begins to bloom in the third year after planting. Flowers can be of various colors. They last up to seven days, and then crumble.
Breeding
This method is most often used in breeding work, because cacti reproduce very well in a vegetative way. But sometimes the reproduction of cacti by seeds is also used in indoor floriculture, for example, when it is not possible to purchase a bred plant of a certain variety. You need to prepare everything you need to grow these spiny 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 increasingly popular in our country. However, even many experienced flower growers do not always know what cactus seeds look like, since more often these plants propagate vegetatively. In specialized stores today you can buy a wide variety of seeds of these plants. Everyone who is interested in how to grow a cactus from seeds should know that this process is long, but extremely interesting. Beginners in indoor floriculture usually choose colonized, fast-growing cactus seeds that bloom after a few years, such as rebuts or a mix of seeds of various varieties.
It is necessary to know the types of domestic cacti well and what the seed should look like, so that in the future not to avoid disappointments. Often, gardeners who first use seeds for propagation fail to achieve the desired result. In the photo below and further in the article, you can see how cactus seeds look.
You can collect seeds from the plants in your collection. For pollination it is necessary to have two cacti that were grown from seeds or cuttings of different plants. The flowers from which it is planned to take pollen must be fully open so that the pollen can be easily separated and can be collected on a brush. From one flowering plant, pollen is transferred to another flower. After a while, a berry appears in place of the flower.
For the propagation of cactus seeds, it is necessary to use a fully ripened berry. It should be very carefully broken and the seeds removed. They can be stored in a paper bag for two years, 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 of your choice is not susceptible to genetic mutations and preserves all varietal characters. Before sowing cacti with seeds, you should learn about the basic rules.
The seeds of these plants germinate slowly. Seedlings also develop slowly. Despite the fact that seeds need heat and moisture to germinate, it should be borne in mind that the seedlings of these plants are very susceptible to various fungal diseases. For this reason, when sowing, it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature and humidity, trying to prevent the development of fungal diseases.
Seeds should be soaked for a day. For this, a weak solution of potassium permanganate is most often used. It is not recommended to use growth stimulators for this purpose - their effect on cacti has not yet been fully studied.
Sachets of seeds should be opened over a sheet of paper. Cactus seeds are so small that they are more like dust. Therefore, this 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 formation in the soil, provides a healthy environment for growing cacti from seeds.
In order for the seeds to sprout, it is necessary to maintain the air temperature during the day in the range from +26 to +30 ° C, and at night to reduce by ten degrees.
Soil and utensils
Cactus seeds can be sown in wide low containers, for example, from styrofoam, which are pre-washed with very hot water, but not boiling water. A clay convex shard is placed on the drainage hole in the bottom of the tank. A drainage layer of expanded clay or small pebbles is poured to the bottom, which is previously shed with boiling water.
A bowl for seed germination is filled in 2/3 of the loose soil mixture for cacti. It should contain a large amount of perlite or coarse sand. Many experienced gardeners believe that the soil should be calcined in an oven or microwave. In other words - disinfected to provide maximum protection against fungal diseases.
From above, the soil mixture is covered with a layer of crushed basalt, broken brick or sand (coarse-grained) with a layer 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 over the surface of the soil. This layer will not become a breeding ground for pathogens of various diseases.
Sowing
Cacti are sown with seeds evenly over the entire surface of the previously prepared container. For this, it is necessary to fold a piece of paper in half, pour seeds into the formed groove, then, easily tapping the paper slightly inclined to the soil, uniformly pour the seeds onto the soil surface.
Due to the fact that cacti grow slowly and develop more actively in the community, the seeds are sown quite densely. After sowing, they are slightly pressed into the soil using any object with a smooth surface, for example, 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 gun.
The container is covered with glass and installed in a place with artificial heating. It is necessary that the earth warms up to +30 ° C in the daytime and to +20 ° C at night. Seedlings in the tank are installed on a central heating battery (in winter) or on an heating pad.
Pick
When the seedlings begin to create a curtain (a dense pillow) in the container, they should be planted in fresh soil. At the same time, the soil mixture in the planting cup should be dry - in this case, it will easily disintegrate and it will not be difficult to remove seedlings without damage. Young cacti grown from seeds, which have reached up to a centimeter in diameter by this moment, are planted in larger containers of several pieces.
Seedlings after transplantation are kept in a shaded, warm place. A few days after the transplant, cacti are carefully watered. How often should this be done during this period? Experienced flower growers believe that the soil must be moistened as it dries.
After about a week, when the seedlings adapt in 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, how to prepare and sow seeds. You need to understand what kind of care shoots 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 the young plants? Sometimes in special publications you can find the recommendations of gardeners about immersing a container with seedlings in water to moisten the soil. But this old method was used before the appearance of finely dispersed atomizers. Now they are used to irrigate the soil once a day.