Schlumberger home care: basic principles of plant maintenance

Among the most unpretentious plants, cacti stand apart. Schlumberger or Ziga cactus is a special culture. It pleases the owners with abundant bright flowering mainly in the cold season. The plant is suitable for beginner flower growers because it does not require any special care. It is important for people who are just going to purchase Schlumberger to know about her preferences. Only in this case will the cactus delight you with flowers in the middle of winter.

Common species and varieties

Schlumberger's zygocactus has received other names among the people. For example, Rozhdestvennik, Decembrist. The body of the plant consists of soft shoots in the form of segments fastened together. Flowers bloom at the ends of the twigs. The colors of the petals are very different:

• snow-white;
• scarlet;
• flamingo colors;
• pink;
• orange, etc.

Evergreen perennial suitable for beginners in the flower business

Florists grow different types and varieties of the Decembrist. Each of them has its own characteristics. Among the most popular are:

• Boucle;
• Schlumberger white;
• truncated;
• prickly pear.

Boucle

Another name for the species is Schlumberger Buckley. This is a classic zygocactus. It is Bukley that is most often found in the apartments of townspeople and rural residents. The stems are extended half a meter in length. The plant can be used as an ampelous plant. Jointed shoots have a pleasant light emerald color. The flowers are large. They can grow up to 3-5 cm in length. The flowering period lasts from the beginning of winter to spring.

Schlumberger Buckley

Schlumberger white

White Christmas has gained popularity for its crisp white flowers. The petals are slightly wavy. Green segments are large, moderately fleshy. It's a hybrid. Its peculiarity is the dependence of the color of the petals on the temperature in the room. If the house is cool, then the snow-white petals acquire a pink bloom.

Schlumberger white

Truncated

View segments have a beveled rectangular shape. Sharp protrusions are visible at the tips of the segments. In terms of popularity among flower growers, the truncated zygocactus is in second place after the Buckle species.

Truncated view

Opuntia

This Schlumberger cannot be confused with other species. Its shoots are highly branched, compared to other Decembrists. The segments are flat, rounded plates. They have needles like a regular cactus. The flowers emerging from the shoots resemble elongated tubules surrounded by petals.

Schlumberger's opuntia

Plant care

Schlumberger's home care is simple. However, it is impossible to leave the flower “to the mercy of fate”. In nature, the plant leads an epiphytic lifestyle. It settles in trees, rocky areas. Unlike desert cacti, Schlumberger's flower prefers shade instead of bright sun and moisture instead of dry hot air, as well as more fertile soil. Some of the main points to consider when caring for culture are:

1. selection of soil, organization of feeding;
2. watering scheme;
3. conditions for humidity and temperature;
4. competent transplant.

Soil selection, top dressing

It is important to know that the indoor Decembrist prefers nutrient soil.You can purchase the substrate (marked for cactus) at a specialty store, or you can prepare it yourself. For the second option, you will need:

• one piece of leafy land;
• three pieces of turf;
• two parts of a sand mixture;
• one part of humus or compost;
• some fly ash.

It is important to prepare a soil mixture that is light and breathable. The preferred acidity level is 5-6 pH. This is acidic soil.

An indoor flower is undemanding to a large number of dressings. Experienced flower growers advise to carry out 4 procedures per year. They begin to fertilize it during the period of active growth, that is, in the spring and summer. Complex fertilizers are used for domestic plants. It is allowed to buy mixtures with a predominance of potassium, phosphorus. You should not indulge the plant with nitrogen-containing additives. Top dressing continues until autumn. You should not fertilize the flower during flowering.

Watering

Like other cacti, Schlumberger's zygocactus tolerates drought well. However, in order for the decorative culture to be healthy and flourish, it is important to organize competent watering. The potted substrate is watered once every 10 days. You can also monitor the condition of the soil. As soon as the soil in the pot is dry, watering is organized.

In autumn, watering is carried out every 15-17 days. This is necessary for the plant to start laying flower buds.

Water the perennial every 10 days

Humidity and temperature conditions

The plant develops well at normal air humidity (35-55%). It does not require additional moisturizers. The only thing that can please a perennial is irrigation with settled water. Scales-leaves under the influence of water drops come to life, acquire a brighter color.

Comfortable air temperature for the Decembrist is from +16 to +25 degrees. In the summer, when the flower is actively developing, it is allowed to put it on an open balcony. But care should be taken that the difference between day and night temperatures does not exceed 10-15 degrees. In the fall, the zygocactus is cleaned in the cool. A room with +17 degrees will do. In November, when flowering begins, Schlumberger needs a temperature of + 20 ... + 22 degrees. After all the flowers have fallen off, the pot is again removed to a cool place with a temperature of + 15 ... + 17 degrees.

Competent transplant

Leaving the plant in a purchased pot is not recommended. A couple of days after purchase, the cactus is transplanted. For two days Schlumberger Decembrist is in quarantine. It is placed on a window away from other flowers. Another reason for transplanting is the appearance on the soil surface in the pot of the Schlumberger root system. This suggests that the Decembrist needs a transplant.

Transplant recommendations:

1. The transplant begins by choosing a pot. It should be stable, moderately wide.
2. Next, the soil mixture is prepared.
3. Drainage is poured to the bottom (clay fragments, pebbles, gravel, etc.). From above it is covered with an earthen substrate.
4. The root system is removed from an old pot. The plant is preliminarily watered.
5. The roots are examined for decay. If any, the rhizome is trimmed.
6. Planting involves placing the rhizomes in a soil mixture in a new pot. It is unacceptable to deepen the instance. The foliage should not be in contact with the ground.
7. The final moment in the transplant is watering.

A clay pot is suitable for transplanting

Flowering culture

Because of this, Zygocactus Decembrist got its name, that it starts flowering in the cold season. But he begins to prepare for the formation of buds immediately after the summer period.In the second half of September, Schlumberger falls into a state of rest. It is important for the owner to know about the life cycles of the plant in order to enjoy the abundant flowering.

In September, October and the very beginning of November, the flower is in a cool room, where it is about +17 degrees. At this time, the maintenance of the flower consists in rare watering and the absence of stress. In November, the pot is moved to a room where it is about +22 degrees Celsius. As soon as the Schlumberger cactus is warm, the buds will instantly begin to fill.

The process for different species lasts for different times. Roughly flowers delight owners from late November to January. At this time, you should especially carefully look after the perennial - fill it, feed it, you cannot rearrange it.

Breeding methods of the Decembrist

Among the options for breeding a bush, there are two main ones:

1. cuttings;
2. seeds.

Cuttings

This is the easiest and most effective way. It is best used in March, when the plant begins to grow green mass. At the same time, the separated segment will have time to release the roots before the summer heat.

The first thing to do in order for propagation by cuttings to be successful is to choose the right material. The segment should be healthy, elastic, and have a rich color. The second is to properly take the baby away from the mother plant. This is done by hand. The segment is carefully unscrewed from the escape.

The next step is to leave the joint on the newspaper for 24 hours to dry it slightly. After that, the plant is planted in a soil mixture. It should be moist, nutritious, breathable. It is allowed to plant several cuttings in one pot. Schlumberger Mix will then grow into a lush bush. According to the reviews of flower growers, zygocactus takes root well. It is not necessary to cover it with a film.

Propagation by cuttings

Seeds

This method is rather laborious. Usually breeders use it. The seeds must be washed in a manganese solution. Next, spread on the surface of a nutritious moist soil. After 10 days, shoots can be seen. After 100 days, the tiny plants dive.

Schlumberger Decembrist care at home means quite simple. A perennial is undemanding to frequent watering, top dressing. It develops well even where there is no bright light. This plant will decorate the apartment and will delight you with rich flowering on cold winter days.

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