Decembrist flower care, its propagation and pests

Decembrist is an epiphytic plant (fixed on other plants). He was called a Decembrist for flowering in the winter. The botanical name is zygocactus. Grows in tropical forests, settles on the bark of trees, protruding roots. Hanging, branching stems are assembled from separate flat leaf-shaped segments. On the edges of the joints there are round protrusions. The length of the stems reaches 40 cm.

Botanical Description and Features

The root system is poorly developed. In adverse conditions, the roots die off, but are restored after the resumption or adjustment of care. Additionally, air roots are produced to receive moisture from the environment. Upon contact with the soil, they quickly transform into a real root system.

Flowering begins in winter. Buds are formed on the tops of the shoots. The structure of the flowers is interesting - several tiers of petals, an elongated tube and long stamens in the center. Natural varieties have white or red flowers. Obtained artificially hybrid varieties are distinguished by a variety of colors.

It grows quickly, in favorable conditions, blooms profusely and for a long time. Hummingbirds are pollinated by birds in nature. At home, if it becomes necessary to obtain seed material, pollination is carried out manually. It is considered an unpretentious plant. Growing a Decembrist at home is within the power of even beginners in floriculture.

Popular varieties

The Decembrist is the common name for the three species of zygocactus. The genus is called "Schlumberger" by the name of a cactus breeder. In some sources, there is another name - “epiphyllum”.

• Decembrist Gertner. Large, fast-growing species. The segments are fleshy, up to 7 cm long. The flowers are multi-tiered in different colors. Petals are elongated, with a tip on the tip. Long drooping pestles extend from the central part.
• Decembrist Bukley. A fairly large variety is a height of up to half a meter. Joints are leaf-shaped with sharp denticles along the edge, dark green. The surface is smooth, glossy. Flowers up to 8 cm long, consist of several tiers, different colors. Flowering occurs in late November and continues until March.
• The Decembrist is truncated. Tall variety. Large multi-tiered flowers bloom at the tops of light green shoots. The color depends on the variety - red, white, pink. After flowering, the fruits ripen - red berries.

The nuances of leaving and creating a favorable microclimate

Caring for the Schlumberger at home implies the creation of favorable conditions for growth, timely watering, spraying and top dressing. Care recommendations are based on the opinions of experienced gardeners. The following list contains all the basic flower care requirements.

• Lighting. The place is chosen bright, but protected from direct sunlight. Excess sun negatively affects the condition of the flower - the shoots change color, dry out. Good location - east and north windows. Decembrist loves fresh air. In summer it is taken out to the balcony or to the garden. To crown illuminated and formed evenly, the pot is regularly rotated around the axis.
• Temperature. In the warm season, contain at ordinary room temperature 20-23 ° C. In winter, you need coolness - 10-15 ° C. Tolerates short-term temperature drop to 3 ° C. Low temperatures during this period stimulate the laying of flower buds.
• Watering. Often you do not need to water the Decembrist. Adhere to moderate watering with clean, warm, well-maintained water. A little more moisture is required during budding and flowering. Watered after drying of the upper 3-4 cm of soil. Overflows are avoided - when the fluid stagnates, the root system rots.
• Humidity. High humidity favorably affects the decorativeness of the flower. Need daily spraying, periodic bathing in the shower Decembrist. Avoid getting water on the flowers.
• The soil. The optimal soil composition is a mixture of sheet soil, turf, sand and peat. For loosening add fine brick chips. Use of coniferous land is undesirable - it inhibits growth. Can be grown in ready-made substrates for cacti. Purchased soil compacted with turf.
• Top dressing. They make liquid fertilizers for succulents and cacti. Non-specialized mineral complexes for indoor plants are diluted before application. The concentration is reduced two to three times compared with the instructions in the instructions.
• Transfer. The frequency of the Decembrist transplant is in one to two years for young plants, three to four years for adult specimens. The size of the pot is small, slightly larger than the old. The use of a spacious pot leads to an increased set of green mass, the growth of the root system, but reduces the abundance of flowering.
• Pruning. If you trim the Decembrist correctly, it will bloom more abundantly and longer, the bush will get a neat compact look. The branches are not cut, but unscrew. Knives and other tools are not recommended. Unscrew the tops of the shoots to enhance branching, shorten or remove completely deformed, extra shoots.

Causes of Weak Flowering and Problem Solving

The main problem that novice gardeners face is that the Decembrist does not bloom or gain a small number of buds. This trouble is easily eliminated by elementary adjustment of care.

What factors inhibit flowering

The main reason is unsuitable conditions of detention, violation of the rules of care. A number of factors lead to weakening of flowering:

• lack of moisture in the soil or air;
• low light
• too spacious pot;
• nutrient deficiency in the soil.

How to stimulate

A flower is arranged in a dormant period. In early autumn, it is rearranged in a cool place, watering is limited and feeding is completely stopped. In such circumstances, they keep Decembrist until the end of November, then gradually return to the usual regime of care. The pot with the plant is transferred to heat, put in a well-lit place, gradually increase the abundance of watering.

In just a week, the flower "wakes up" and begins to gain buds.Consider five more secrets of plentiful and long flowering.

1. Additional illumination. In winter, the Decembrists are placed under fluorescent lamps or special phytolamps.
2. During the flowering period, the Decembrists are not disturbed. Do not rearrange, move the pot. Cuttings are also put off for another time. Judging by the reviews, any actions during the flowering period can lead to partial or complete dropping of buds.
3. Cool. In cool rooms, flowering will last longer. The optimum temperature is 16 ° C. But sharp temperature changes are avoided - the buds may fall.
4. Pot. For an active bookmark of flower buds, choose a small, narrow pot.
5. Top dressing. For the Decembrist to bloom, it must be fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers immediately after a period of rest. These trace elements have a positive effect on the laying of buds.

Breeding technique

Florists practice seed and vegetative propagation of the Decembrist. Both methods are effective, but grafting gives faster results. A young plant can bloom in the year of planting.

• Cuttings. As a stalk, take a piece of the stem from three to four segments. Cuttings are unscrewed manually, but not cut. They dry for two days in a shaded, ventilated place at room temperature. Planted in light, moistened soil from sand and peat. Keep under cover - cover with a jar, a plastic cup or polyethylene. They are kept at 20 ° C, moderately watered, and the greenhouse is aired daily. Shelter is removed after the appearance of signs of growth. The fortified plant is transplanted into a pot with a soil mixture for an adult plant. It is important to properly plant the Decembrist in a pot - adhere to the recommended soil composition, pour a layer of drainage up to 4 cm to the bottom.
• The seeds. Seed collected from your plant is not suitable for propagation. Seedlings lose the characteristic varietal characteristics of the mother plant. Seeds are best purchased at a specialty store. Sow them at any time of the year. As in the case of cuttings, keep under the film until emergence.

Typical pests

Inappropriate conditions of detention provoke attacks of common pests of indoor crops. Most often, one has to deal with a spider mite, scabies and mealybug.

• Spider mite. It settles on the underside of leaves. It looks like a small spider of red or yellow. They discover it by the appearance of small bright dots on the surface of the sheet and a thin cobweb. The plant withers, weakens, and the extreme segments begin to dry out and fall off. A diseased plant is sprayed with Fitoverm, Vertimek.
• Mealybug. Small insect no more than 7 mm in length. The stems of the Decembrist are covered with white coating, the buds fall, the segments of the stem dry out. To combat the worm they use insecticides - "Aktara", "Confidor". Mealybug infects the root system. In order to avoid relapse, the flower is transplanted into a new pot, fresh soil with preliminary treatment of the roots with an insecticide solution.
• Shield. It feeds on plant juices. The Decembrist discards leaves, weakens, turns yellow, dries out. Insects are removed mechanically - the stems are treated with a cotton swab moistened with alcohol, a solution of karbofos and Tanrek.

Care Inaccuracy Issues

Irregular watering regime, dryness or high humidity, lack or excess of light - all this affects the condition of the plant. To understand what the Decembrist is lacking, it is possible by its appearance.

• Lethargy. Possible causes are dry air during the heating season, lack of moisture or water stagnation at the root system level. After adjusting the conditions of detention, the Decembrist is quickly restored.
• Falling buds and segments. Segments fall off due to pest damage and root decay. The dropping of buds is associated with the same reasons and a number of additional factors - the movement of the flower, drying out of the soil, a sharp temperature drop.
• Blush leaves. Slight redness appears during the growth of new segments. Other causes are sunburn, excessive watering, and excess fertilizer.
• Lack of growth. Two main reasons are lack of nutrients and systematic drying of the soil. From spring to the end of summer, when the plant is gaining green mass, it is recommended to introduce mineral complexes with a high content of nitrogen and phosphorus.

Since it is quite simple to look after a Decembrist at home, he can be recommended to beginner gardeners for his first experiments. This unpretentious, grateful and beautiful flower will decorate and revitalize the interior of the apartment.