Decembrist – winter fairy tale care

A wonderful plant that is suitable for any room – the Decembrist (Schlumbergera). It is also called zygocactus, schlumberger, Christmas tree, popular name – Christmas cactus. It is a very common houseplant on our windowsills. A Christmas tree is quite unpretentious, but not all gardeners can achieve its spectacular flowering. How to properly care for this plant at home, read this article.

Schlumberger (Decembrist). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com salchu
Contents:

General information about the Decembrist

The birthplace of the Decembrist is the humid forests of the eastern part of Brazil. This is an epiphytic (living on tree trunks) cactus, with flat branched stems, consisting of numerous flat segments with 2-4 teeth along the edges.

Numerous flowers of medium size pink, red, develop at the ends of the segments. Blooms in December-January. During budding, which begins around the end of October, you should not touch and move the plant in order to avoid buds falling off; at the same time, good watering, spraying and feeding in the form of weak mullein solutions are needed. After flowering, watering is reduced, the plant rests.

Care and growing requirements

Location. These plants require diffused or reflected sunlight. For optimal growth of the Decembrist, illumination from 75% to 85% of sunlight is suitable. Increased light exposure can cause stunted growth and / or yellowing (chlorosis) of the edges of the stems. Plants are best placed near a sunny window in light shade from curtains or other plants.

Decembrists are quite tolerant of temperature. They will survive at temperatures between + 2 ยฐ C and + 38 ยฐ C. However, plants will grow better within the range of + 18 ยฐ C to + 30 ยฐ C.

Lighting. Bright light.

Watering. Decembrists are not as juicy as many other types of cacti. They need almost the same watering regime as deciduous plants.

The Decembrist should be watered when the topsoil in the pot is dry. Drainage in the pot will allow excess water to drain out of the hole at the bottom, which will prevent waterlogging.

Feeding. Schlumberger’s need for feeding is relatively low. When grown in greenhouses, feeding is carried out once a week. At home, feeding is carried out 2-4 times a year. The fertilizer should be a high quality water soluble nitrogen mixture with balanced potassium and phosphorus and few other elements.

A well balanced 20-20-20 (NPK) blend works best. Uniform watering of the Decembrist with plain water enriches the soil with soluble salts. However, feeding should be stopped one month before bud formation.

Air humidity. Moderate.

Formation. Plucking the segments of the Decembrist stems improves the shape of the plant. It is recommended to do this after flowering. You need to select a separation point, clamp the lower stem segment between the index and thumb of one hand, and separate the upper with a rotational movement. Thus, one or two segments of each stem should be separated. Never cut off segments!

Plucking the Decembrist has a double effect. First, there will be more abundant flowering. Secondly, stronger stems are formed that can bear more flowers.

A properly formed and well-groomed zygocactus has a long lifespan. Some zygocactus bloom and grow for 20 years or more. The stem of the plant becomes lignified during this time.

By grafting, you can get the standard form of a Decembrist, unusually blooming. As a rootstock (a plant to which they are grafted), the peyrescia cactus is used. The apex of the peiresque is cut off with a sharp knife, the remaining stem is slightly split from above with a knife, and a stalk of 2-3 segments of the zygocactus is inserted into the split. Fasten with a long thorn or thorn of peiresque and tie the grafting site with a woolen thread. When the sections grow together, the leaves are removed on the peiresque, and the bandage is removed. When the zygocactus develops a crown, it must be tied to a peg to protect it from breaking off.

In soil culture, it grows in a mixture of sod and leafy soil with an admixture of sand (1: 1: 1), sometimes peat (1 part) is added or grown in one peat.

Transfer… It is necessary to transplant zygocactus before the start of growth, as well as until the moment of budding.

soil… Zygocactus grow best in organic peat soils. The soil must be light and breathable to avoid disease and pest infestation. Soil acidity is recommended in the range from 5,5 to 6,5.

Schlumbergera (Decembrist)Schlumbergera (Decembrist)

Zygocactus care calendar

Winter… In December and January, zygocactus will delight you with its bell-shaped flowers, but with pointed petals. Water the Decembrist regularly and apply fertilizers designed for cacti. Do not move the zygocactus under any circumstances. In February, gradually reduce watering and keep the plant in a cool room. This so-called dormant period will last until mid to late March.

Spring… At the end of April or in May, you can propagate and transplant zygocactus. The plant reproduces most easily in parts of the stem, consisting of several segments. Dry the cut cuttings of the Decembrist for 2-3 days, until a glassy film forms on the cut surface. Then root in special soil.

The soil mixture for zygocactus should consist of leafy, turfy land and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. Add a small amount of crushed charcoal to the prepared mixture. Place expanded clay gravel for drainage on the bottom of the pot before planting.

Schlumbergera (Decembrist)Schlumberger “Witte Eva” (Decembrist). Farmer Burea-Uinsurance.com Andrey Korzun

Summer… It is best to take the zygocactus out into fresh air, for example, put it on the balcony. The plant requires diffused light, so protect it from direct sunlight. Water the Decembrist abundantly with soft water as the soil dries.

Autumn… Preparation of the Decembrist before flowering. Gradually reduce the amount of water used for irrigation and move the zygocactus to a cool place (try to keep the air temperature no higher than 10-14 ยฐ C). Coolness and limited watering enhance bud development. In November, when buds begin to form, increase watering and transfer the plant to a warmer place (air temperature at least 15 ยฐ C).

Reproduction of the Decembrist

Propagated by cuttings with 2-3 segments. Usually, Decembrist cuttings root easily at any time of the year. After cutting, the cuttings are slightly dried and placed, without deepening, on moist soil. You can close the top with a glass jar, remembering to periodically ventilate.

In any case, the volume of a pot or other container for planting a Decembrist should not greatly exceed the volume of the root system in a straightened form, but it must be borne in mind that drainage will take some place in the pot. If the cactus is sick, then the dishes should be slightly smaller than the volume of the root system.

Plants often look awful when they finish flowering. Some of the blooming plants look withered. Botanists say that shriveled stems in Schlumberger do not mean that the plant needs water, but rather mean that its roots have rotted, or some other stress has affected it. Try twitching a shriveled plant, and if its roots are rotten, it will easily come out of the soil. If the roots of the Decembrist are intact, place the plant in a darker place and reduce watering.

Specific cultural requirements

For the formation of flowers, this cactus requires the fulfillment of certain specific conditions that are not characteristic of its close relatives, for example:

  • Schlumbergers require a humid atmosphere, but do not like stagnant moisture in the pot, especially when kept cool;
  • frequent spraying, periodic washing under a stream of warm water are useful;
  • regular root and foliar feeding of the Decembrist with a weakly concentrated solution of complex mineral fertilizers is recommended;
  • does not like either cold or heat;
  • the crown of the Decembrist is formed by removing too long and unbranched shoots (pruning at the base of the segment);
  • during the budding period, it is impossible to drastically change the conditions of the plant (rearrange, change the watering regime, temperature).

Diseases and pests Schlumberger

Schlumberger people suffer from fungal diseases and insect pests. Of the fungal diseases, Schlumberger, most often, suffer from fusarium, phytium and phytophthora.

The first disease occurs mainly through infection through wounds on the surface of the stems. To combat it, fungicides are used, which include the active components of chlorothalonil and benomil.

Phithium and late blight are transferred with contaminated soil and affect, first of all, the root collar. The most obvious symptom of the disease is massive loss of segments, wilting of the plant in wet soil. The flower may become pale or gray in color. For treatment, you can use drugs such as “Skor”, “Topaz”, “Maxim” and “Vitaros”.

Of insects, the plant is threatened by spider mites. They are very small arachnids, similar to slowly moving reddish, brownish or yellowish dots. The plant is covered with a rusty bloom. To combat these pests, use special preparations against ticks “Neoron”, “Actellik”, “Fitoverm”.

If white cotton lumps appeared between the shoots of the Decembrist, it means that the Schumberger was struck by a mealybug. To combat this parasite, “Aktara” is suitable, as well as any other preparations against insect pests.

We have a Decembrist growing in the 2nd year, but, oddly enough, has not bloomed yet, lets out beautiful leaves, but does not give flowers. Do you have this houseplant in bloom?

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Anna Evans

Author โœ“ Farmer

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