The plant, which is popularly known as the Decembrist or the Christmas tree, is called epiphyllum, zygocactus and Schlumbergera in science. It represents the Cactus family. First of all, the flower fell in love because the peak of its flowering falls on New Year's holidays.
Many are surprised when they learn that Decembrist refers to cacti. People are used to mean by this word something prickly, afraid of waterlogging and loving good lighting.
Decembrist belongs to the Cactus family
But this plant destroys the prevailing stereotypes and conquers with its beauty.
Varieties of the Decembrist
There are not only the usual Decembrist species, but also hybrid forms. Breeders did not stand aside and carried out painstaking work on breeding interesting varieties, striking a riot of colors and a variety of shades.
Decembrist White
White inflorescences against a background of dark green foliage look simply amazing. Such a flower will decorate any room. There are several varieties of Decembrist, having a white color of flowers. These include:
- White Christmas;
- Bridgeport
- Angel Dance
- White Bell;
- Aspen.
White Decembrist looks very elegant, thanks to the contrast of dark green leaves and snow-white inflorescences
Separate attention deserves the white-colored hybrid Malissa. It has rather short stems, but very large flowers. The flowering period lasts up to 3-4 months. The middle is painted in lavender color. The inflorescence is able to change its color depending on the temperature in which it will be kept. In cool conditions, a light pink tint appears.
Decembrist pink
A Decembrist with pink colored flowers is the most common type. This plant is most often found on the windowsills of amateur gardeners. Popular varieties with pink flowers are:
- Gertner;
- Russeliana;
- Bucklei;
- Truncata;
- Mix
- Orsichiana;
- Opuntioides
- Lavender Doll;
- Lavender Fantasy;
- Christmas flame;
- Cambridge
- Dark Eve or Dark;
- Madame Butterfly et al.
Pink Decembrists are the most common
Every year, new hybrids appear on the market that can delight even those who are skeptical of this plant.
Yellow decembrist
The yellow color of the flowers of Decembrist is uncharacteristic for this plant in natural conditions. Over its creation, breeders worked very long and painstakingly. Only after 15 years of work, they managed to get a Christmas tree with yellow flowers. They are characterized by wide and long stem segments of a dark green color, from which shoots with a vertical growth form are formed. The most popular varieties include:
- Golden Cream;
- Gold Charm;
- Christmas Flame or Gold Fantasy;
- Cambridge;
- Golden Orpheus.
The yellow Decembrist was obtained artificially, thanks to many years of work by breeders
Decembrist Red
Red color of flowers is quite common among Decembrists, although florists prefer pink shades. Connoisseurs of rich and vibrant colors managed to fall in love with such varieties:
- Gertner;
- Kautsky;
- Christmas fantasy
- Pasadena;
- Kris Kringle.
Red Decembrist looks very beautiful, although inferior in popularity and inferior to pink varieties
Other
In addition to these types of Decembrist, plants with purple or orange flowers are actively grown on the windowsills of gardeners. Sometimes they can be combined with white in various combinations. During flowering, such a Decembrum acquires an elegant unusual look. Not everyone even immediately recognizes her in such an unusual form. TO by popular varieties relate:
- Peach Parfait;
- Bridgeport
- Twilight Tangerine;
- Christmas Cheer;
- Santa cruz;
- Microsphaerica;
- Truncata
Orange Decembrist is not so often seen on the windowsills of gardeners
Rare varieties and hybrids are found mainly in collections by true connoisseurs of Decembrists. They constantly hunt for interesting news that breeders present to their attention. Each variety is of great value, both for lovers and professional florists.
Decembrist with purple flowers is a true exclusive
Home Care
Decembrist - unpretentious flower, it does not require special care and attention. Zygocactus decorates the home and does not cause the owner any extra trouble. However, some rules should be followed in order to achieve lush flowering. How to care for the Decembrist?
Soil and transplant
Despite its unpretentiousness, the young zygocactus needs annual transplants.
Attention! An adult flower is recommended to be replanted once every five years.
Work is planned at a time when the flower is in the end of the flowering period (namely, the beginning of spring). In this case, the plant will have time to settle down in a new place and by December form buds for a new full flowering.
Adult flower does not need frequent transplants
Decembrist proper care which will provide abundant and long flowering, planted in a shallow but fairly wide pot. Its diameter should be larger than the previous one by a couple of centimeters. To avoid decay of the root system, small holes are made in the bottom to drain excess fluid.
The soil for planting a flower can be purchased ready-made at the store or prepared independently. In any case, it should be light, breathable, fertile and loose. If you decide to prepare the soil mixture yourself, then you need to take:
- turf;
- river sand;
- sheet earth;
- crushed brick;
- crushed coal.
Proportions, respectively - 1: 2: 0.5: 0.5. For the purpose of disinfection, a small amount of wood ash is added to this mixture.
In the first month after the Decembrist was planted, he does not need top dressing. Also, fertilizers should not be applied during dormancy.
Temperature and humidity
Decembrist home care which will not be difficult even for beginners, is surprisingly unpretentious to the temperature regime and endures its fluctuations. The plant experiences both a heat of 35 ° C and a cooling to + 2 ° C.
Attention! The Decembrist feels most comfortable at a temperature of + 18 ° C to + 25 ° C.
Decembrist tolerates temperature extremes and can withstand temperatures up to + 2 ° C
To achieve abundant flowering of the Decembrist, experts recommend moving it closer to October to a room with a temperature of + 16 ° C. Roughly in early December, the plant is transferred to a warm room so that it forms healthy and beautiful buds.
It is interesting that the zygocactus is not afraid of drafts, so for the summer it can be safely transported to the country or taken out to the balcony. In this case, care must be taken to protect from direct sunlight. Before the onset of cold weather, the plant should be brought back to the house.
Room decembrist differs from other types of cacti in that he loves high humidity. Periodically, it is sprayed from the spray gun. In the summer heat, it is advisable to carry out such a procedure several times a week, in winter it is enough 1-2 times a month.
Lighting
To grow a Decembrist, you need a fairly bright, but at the same time diffused lighting.
It is not recommended to put the plant on the southern windowsill
Attention! A pot with a Christmas tree is best placed near east or northeast windows.
It is not recommended to place the flower on the south side. In this case, it is necessary to organize mandatory shading, otherwise it will become sluggish, will gradually wither away. In no case should you move or unfold the pot with the Decembrist during the formation of buds or active flowering. Otherwise, he will begin to get rid of flowers. With the onset of the dormant period, the plant simply needs to be periodically rotated so that the green mass grows evenly.
Flowering decembrist
The flowering period of the Decembrist coincides with the New Year holidays. An unpretentious flower, sheltered by beautiful inflorescences, often becomes a welcome gift for celebrations. However, even experienced growers make mistakes when growing zigocactus, because of which he may never please his eyes with his magical beauty.
Reasons why it does not bloom
Sometimes flower growers, especially beginners, wonder why the Decembrist does not bloom. Among the most common reasons that grapes of attractive inflorescences did not appear on it are the following:
- soil not complying with the stated requirements;
- insufficient humidity;
- excessive shading;
- nutrient deficiency in the soil.
Lack of flowering can be triggered by a number of factors.
It so happens that the Decembrist does not bloom for a long time. What if the original true reason for this is unknown? To get to the factor that caused this behavior of the flower, you need to analyze them and gradually eliminate the inappropriate. You can make a Schlumberger bloom at home if you first perform a series of actions:
- pick a pot for planting so that the plant in it was a bit cramped;
- Do not place the Decembrist in a too warm room, the most optimal temperature for it will be + 16 ° C;
- prevent sharp temperature fluctuations;
- try to change the location of the zygocactus as little as possible so that the formed buds do not fall;
- pruning or pinching should be done in advance, in October or November, the flower should not be touched at all, otherwise flowering may not occur;
- in the autumn-winter period, provide additional illumination, using phytolamps for this;
- stop using fertilizers and top dressing in September, because otherwise the stems of the Decembrist will actively grow, and buds will not form;
- reduce the number of waterings in October and November (when the buds are formed), with the beginning of flowering, again increase the water norm, but do it as carefully as possible.
Diseases and pests can cause Decembrists to refuse to bloom
Also, the lack of flowering can lead to any disease or the presence of pests. In this case, each sheet is carefully inspected and, if necessary, treated with fungicides or insecticides.
Decembrist - an amazing flower home care which is very simple. Subject to elementary requirements, he will not only appreciate the abundant flowering, but will also fully develop and look healthy.
Breeding
Rozhdestvennik has such magical beauty that there is a desire to arrange pots with him throughout the house, as well as give such a flower to relatives and friends. To do this, you should know how to properly propagate this plant. Some gardeners combine this procedure with pruning.
Cuttings
It is cuttings that are a simple and reliable way to propagate Decembrists. In order for the work done to succeed, you must follow a certain sequence of actions:
- doing circular motions, separate from the plant part of the stem with three segments;
- leave cooked cuttings in natural light and room temperature for three days to dry;
- in small glasses pour soil mixture for cacti and succulents;
- deepen the cuttings into cups with soil;
- cover the dishes with a glass jar or a plastic bag to create greenhouse conditions;
- put the seedlings in a shaded room with a temperature of about + 20 ° C for 1 month, daily water the soil and organize the ventilation of the greenhouse.
Cuttings are the easiest and most reliable way to breed Decembrists.
Graft
Not everyone knows that there is another way to get a new Decembrist on their windowsill - vaccination. It is used extremely rarely, since this technique is not only labor-intensive, but also with various nuances. If you want to experiment, then you can propagate the flower by replanting the appendix to the prickly pear.
Vaccination Decembrists reproduces extremely rarely
The stem of the prickly pear is neatly split, then the pointed process is inserted into the cleft. The junction is fixed with a needle, then additionally wrap it with tape or tape. After a couple of weeks, the Decembrist should grow together with the mother plant.
The Decembrist has been growing as a houseplant for a long time, but it has become particularly popular in recent years. Florists associate this with the fact that new interesting varieties began to appear. It’s easy to take care of the plant, even beginners can easily cope with this task. The tradition of giving flowering Decembrists for the New Year holidays is reviving. If necessary, the flower can easily be propagated independently and share the beauty with friends and acquaintances.
