Hatiora - home care: humidity and other requirements
Content:
The hatiora cactus comes from Brazil. In tropical forests, it grows up to several meters, at home - no more than 50 cm, being an important element of decor. There are 2 subspecies of these succulents, each of which has its own characteristics.
The main types of hatiora
Among flower growers, salicornia and salicornia haciora are common.
Hatiora salicata
Hatiora indoor flower is distinguished by an unusual structure of stems and a beautiful abundant flowering. Hatiora solyankovidnaya fits perfectly into the interior of any room. The stems have a large number of small segments (no more than 3 mm in diameter) in size.
Hatiora cactus
They are thin and gradually sink under their weight, forming a bush. Flowers are orange, yellow, located at the tip of the shoots. Small berries soon form in place of the flowers.
Hatiora salicorniform
This hatiora flower is also called "the cactus of dancing bones". The dark green segments of the plant look like a small mace or bottle. They are no more than 2 cm long. The central shoot of the plant becomes hard over time.
The flowers of this "dancing bones" hatiora are orange, yellow, and resemble bells. They can be up to 7 cm in diameter.
Hatiora care
If there is a hatiora flower at home, taking care of it at home will not be difficult. The plant is not picky, but in order for it to delight the eyes with its lush flowering, lighting and a short rest period in winter are imperative. If the flowers wither, then they need to be pinched so that energy is not wasted on the formation of seeds. The cactus can be trimmed to give it a beautiful shape.
Air humidity and temperature
If you have a home care provider, you should be careful. Hatiory owners need to monitor the temperature regime. The cactus does not tolerate sudden temperature fluctuations. During each season, you need to keep a different temperature. In summer it is from 22 to 27 degrees, in winter - from 7 to 12. If the hatiora cactus is warm in winter, it will not rest and bloom in the next season.
Soil for hatiora
Hatiora stick insect is picky about high air humidity. During the hot period, the plant must be constantly moisturized. If there is dry air in the room, this is not fatal for the plant, but it will make it grow worse because of it. In winter, spraying can be omitted.
Soil and fertilizing
For this plant with a poorly developed root system, you should choose small pots. It is necessary that they have a small layer of drainage from pebbles or expanded clay.
The soil mixture must be enriched with organic matter. If the soil is poor in organic matter, then the plant will be weak. An indispensable condition for the development of a plant is excellent air permeability of the soil. Such a mixture is optimal: sod, leafy soil, sand, humus. The reaction of the soil should be slightly acidic.On slightly alkaline soils, the cactus grows poorly.
Good watering ensures excellent plant condition
You need to feed the plant based on the development phase. So, if the plant does not bloom, then you need to fertilize it once every 2 weeks, applying nitrogen fertilizers. When the hatiora blooms, potash mixtures are added to the soil. In winter, when the plant is "sleeping", it is best to completely abandon fertilizing.
Watering
Hatiora requires careful and careful watering. The soil should be moistened, and watered with warm boiled or settled water. During the active growing season, plants need to be watered regularly, weakening watering in autumn, winter. Do not water the plant with cold tap water - this leads to rotting of the root system.
When to transplant a plant
To do this, you need to choose a time when all flowers have completely faded. In the process of transplanting, the roots are carefully cleaned of the remnants of the old earth. Young plants need to be replanted annually, choosing more pots for this.
When the succulent hatiora reaches 3 years old, the frequency of transplants decreases: once every 3 years. Larger plants need to be replanted even less frequently.
Breeding options for cactus
Indoor flower lovers need to know how hatiora reproduces. Hatiory can be propagated by seeds and vegetatively. It is best to buy seeds in the spring. They need to be sown as soon as possible so that they do not lose germination. The seeds are placed in small bowls filled with a mixture of sand and peat. They are covered with earth, covered with foil.
This greenhouse should be kept at room temperature. After 2 weeks - a month, the first shoots appear. The seedlings are placed on the windowsill, and the shelter is kept for another 3 weeks. Then the seedlings are dived and placed in small pots.
Cuttings
You can propagate a cactus in this way in spring or summer. The only requirement is that the plant must be in the active growing season. First, the uppermost shoot with several lobes is separated.
The separated stalk should be dried for some time in the fresh air and only then rooted in a mixture of peat and sand. It should be kept in a warm place out of direct sunlight. Sometimes shoots fall out from the mother plant, and they take root on their own.
Some growers will cut the stem and char it with charcoal. In this case, rooting occurs in the same way. When new small leaves appear, the small hatiora can be transplanted to a new place.
Hatiora cuttings
The cactus is grafted onto a prickly pereskia. You need to vaccinate in the summer months. The grafted place is fixed with a plaster. It is removed only after the scion begins to grow.
Hatiora bloom
Usually the cactus blooms in winter, after a period of autumn hibernation. In the fall, when the growth of the plant slows down, a bud is formed from which a flower grows.
During preparation for flowering, the plant is kept in a cool place. You do not need to moisturize it. Returning the cactus to normal warm conditions, resume watering. This contributes to the appearance of small buds. The duration of the rest period is short - about a month. The abundance of its flowering depends on the conditions in which the plant is kept.
Reasons why it does not bloom
The main reasons why the hatiora does not bloom are:
- Reduced humidity in the room.
- In winter, the plant is placed in a place that is too cold and flower buds are not formed.
- The owner of the plant does not feed it enough.
- The cactus is located on the northern windows, where there is not enough sunlight.
Blooming cactus
Mistakes when caring for a hatiora
Typical mistakes when caring for this beautiful plant:
- insufficient watering;
- too low temperature during the period of active growth or rest;
- low air humidity at elevated temperatures;
- lack of feeding;
- hydration during rest;
- incorrect selection of the pot (too high);
- use of clay soil;
- lack of a drainage layer in the soil mixture.
If the plant is improperly looked after, fungal diseases may appear. In this case, gray or brown spots with a characteristic rotten smell appear on the plant. They must be removed and treated with a fungicide solution.
In summer, the plant can be damaged by spider mites, worms, scabies. The cactus should be sprayed under the shower, treated with laundry soap dissolved in water. If this treatment is ineffective, insecticidal preparations are used.
The home hatiora flower is a beautiful cactus that does not require professional care. Unlike other succulents, it needs a lot of moisture for normal development. Compliance with the care recommendations promotes abundant and long-lasting flowering.
