Pereskia flower - home care
Content:
Pereskia is a cactus that has become widespread among lovers of home flowers. With proper care, the plant blooms and produces small fruits, and in some varieties they are edible.
What does the pereskia look like, which family it belongs to
Pereskia flowers are members of the Cactus family. Under natural conditions, they are distributed in Central and South America, in the form of a large shrub or a small tree.
Pereskia prickly
The culture has strong, straight stems covered with thorns. Reduced leaf plates of a dark green hue, when the temperature drops to 10 degrees, they can fall off. With age, the leaves lose their bright color, turn pale.
Common varieties
Indoor flower varieties include the following representatives:
- Pereskia prickly;
- Peresky shark (aculeata);
- Peresky Godseff (godseffiana).
Pereskia Godseff
Pereskia - home care
If you want to grow an exotic plant, you need to follow the rules of care. If the requirements for the content are violated, the culture will not be able to grow and develop normally.
- Temperature
For the summer period, the optimal temperature regime for a cactus will be 22-23 degrees. The plant must receive a sufficient amount of fresh air. With the onset of autumn, a temperature drop of up to 15 degrees is allowed.
- Lighting
The cactus belongs to the light-loving species, but direct sunlight can cause burns on the foliage. If the pot is on the south side, then the window must be shaded.
- Watering
Pereskia does not require constantly wet soil. In the summer and spring months, watering is carried out after the top of the soil has dried in boxes.
- Spraying
The beautiful and shiny foliage of the plant is preserved only with regular spraying. In parallel, it is necessary to monitor so that during the procedure the earth in the containers does not get wet.
Spraying indoor flower
- Humidity
For the leafy peresky cactus, a certain moisture content does not matter. The flower easily tolerates very dry air.
- Priming
When growing all varieties of peresky, they use loose and fertile soil. When self-creating soil, a mixture is made of humus, sand, leaf and clay-turf soil.
- Top dressing
Particular attention is paid to the requirements of the plant in the spring. At this time, it is better to feed with a special solution for cacti: it is applied at the root every two weeks.
Features of care in winter, dormant period
In winter, the flower feels good at a temperature of 12 degrees. Humidification of the earth is reduced to once a month, starting in late autumn.
The dormant period ends in spring, with the arrival of heat.
When and how it blooms
The owners of the cactus can tell exactly how the Godseff pereskia blooms at home: cream flowers, collected in inflorescences, appear on an exotic plant.
The buds appear in early summer and disappear by the end of August. Other varieties may have flowers with a white, reddish, yellow or orange tint.
How pereskia reproduces
Gardeners use two methods of propagation: seed and cuttings. Both methods help to produce healthy and viable seedlings.
Germinating seeds
It begins with the preparation of boxes filled with a sand-peat mixture. Sowing work is carried out in early spring, the planted seeds require regular watering.
After planting, the containers are covered with plastic wrap, the impromptu greenhouse is periodically ventilated.
Rooting cuttings
Healthy shoots are chosen for cuttings, the procedure is carried out in spring or in June. The branches are cut into small cuttings, the places of the cuts are treated with charcoal powder.
Later, the trimmings are placed in boxes with a perlite-peat mixture. The boxes are covered with polyethylene, periodically watered and ventilated.
Transfer
Transplant procedures are carried out every 2-3 years, when the pot is completely filled with the root system. Young plants are transferred to containers with a large volume as they grow.
Pereskiya after transplant
Diseases and pests
Common parasites that can attack pereskii include:
- Spider mite - the defeat of a cactus is determined by the thinnest cobweb located on the lower leaves. The upper areas are covered with small dots, the leaf plates become pale and lose their natural color. The reason for the appearance of the pest is considered to be excessively dry indoor air and the lack of regular spraying. As a preventive measure, wipe the foliage with a damp cloth and timely remove the fallen plates.
- Cactus scale insect - the pest is represented by small insects (up to 2 mm), with an orange or yellow color. The insect attacks the upper parts of the foliage; its appearance can be determined by yellowish spots. Over time, the leaves fall off. Treatment consists in mechanical removal of the parasite with a cotton pad soaked in soapy water.
- Mealybug - the standard size of an insect does not exceed 4 mm. The pest prefers young shoots, as a result of its vital activity on the foliage there is a spider web and an accumulation of sticky liquid. The flowers begin to fall off, and the shoots are severely deformed. Treatment consists in treating the green part of the plant with a soap-alcohol solution, carried out three times, with an interval of one week.
Improper care of a cactus can lead to disease. Excessive waterlogging provokes rotting of the root system, followed by the formation of gray rot. Therapy involves reducing the frequency of watering, reducing the humidity in the air and replanting the flower in a pot with clean soil.
Home care for the prickly prickly or Godseff cultivar involves moderate watering, regular spraying of the green part of the plant, and spring feeding. In winter, the exotic is at rest and does not require frequent procedures. Compliance with the rules will help grow a healthy plant, with regular flowering.
