Types Of Cacti And Their Reproduction - 1

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Types of cacti and their reproduction

Cacti are one of the largest groups of flowering plants with over 3000 species. Their homeland is America, where they are found from 56 ° north to 54 ° south latitude. In the Old World, they are almost absent, with the exception of a few species of ripsalis that have taken root in Africa, on the island of Madagascar, the Mascarene Islands and the island of Sri Lanka.

Some types of prickly pears have taken root well and spread in southern Europe (including the North Caucasus), northern Africa, India and Australia.

Cacti are succulent plants with thick, fleshy, mostly ribbed stems. They grow in arid regions, and only a few of them (ripsalis, zygocactus, epiphyllum and some others) grow in tropical rainforests.

Cacti vary greatly in shape and size. Their characteristic feature is the presence of areoles - modified axillary or apical buds. They have hairs, thorns, flowers, fruits, daughter shoots (children). The number of spines, their size, color and shape vary from species to species. There are radial and central spines. The central ones, as a rule, are smaller, they are longer and thicker than the radial ones, often with a hook at the end.

Flowers are usually solitary, only in some species are collected in a racemose inflorescence. By the time of flowering, at the top of the stem of some cacti (for example, in the melocactus), a cephalius appears - a dense bristly-woolly formation on which flowers appear. In some species of pilozocereus, a large number of hairs and setae, called pseudocephaly, appear on the areoles during the flowering period. Cactus fruits are berry-like, juicy, edible in many species.

The main breeding method for cacti is by seeds. For most cacti, seeds germinate at an air temperature of 20-35 ° C. However, at temperatures below 27 ° C, rot develops, which leads to the death of seedlings. Therefore, it is preferable to keep cacti at a temperature of 27-35 ° C, with increased humidity of the air and substrate.

The standard substrate for growing most types of cacti is usually a mixture of turf and leafy soil, humus, peat and coarse river sand in a volume ratio of 2: 1: 2: 2: 4. This ratio can be changed depending on the age and species of the plant.

Most cactus species emerge on the second or seventh day. Seeds of the same species do not always sprout amicably. If, after a two-week period, the seeds have not sprung up or there are too few of them, you can try to raise the temperature to 40 ° C, reducing it to 25 ° C at night. This should be done twice. Under natural conditions, cacti tolerate temperature fluctuations quite easily. Crops also benefit from slight temperature differences from a higher daytime temperature to a lower nighttime temperature.

Sometimes seed germination is delayed for several months due to the very hard seed coat. In prickly pears and some other cacti, you need to break the seed coat by sawing it with a sharp tool, or rubbing the seeds between two hard surfaces or soaking them in warm water for 3-4 days.

The pick is carried out as soon as the first thorns appear on the seedlings. The land and dishes for this are taken the same as for sowing. It must be remembered that when diving, the seedlings are moved with a lump of earth (to avoid damage to the root system). The seedlings are placed at a distance of 3-6 mm from each other and to such a depth that the cotyledons are on the soil surface. Very long roots can be pinched out - this promotes lateral root formation. The subsequent pick is carried out twice more: each after 1.5-2 months.

Another common way to propagate cacti is by cuttings. It is usually used to rapidly increase the number of plants. Cuttings are carried out in good sunny weather in the spring, when the plant starts to grow, or in the middle of summer. Cuttings can be of any size. After cutting off the stalk, the exposed surface must be processed with a sharp knife so that it becomes convex. Treat the cut with dry powder of silver paint, charcoal dust or sulfur powder. Before rooting, it should be covered with callus. If the wound area is large, this may take several days.

Many cacti (mammillaria, echinopsis, hatiora) use lateral shoots as cuttings, but some species do not give children, grow hard, do not set fruits and seeds. In such plants, lateral shoots are artificially induced. To do this, cut off the upper part, which is used as a cutting or graft. On the remaining lower part, the mother liquor, the areoles soon start growing and sprout. As soon as the lateral processes grow, they can be cut off and used as a cutting or scion.

Regardless of how they breed, all cacti need good drainage. After transplanting, the plants are not watered for 3-4 days to avoid decay. For top dressing, fertilizers are taken with a low nitrogen content, using potassium nitrate, monosubstituted potassium phosphate and ammonium nitrate. It must be remembered that with an excess of nitrogen, cacti grow fat, crack and hibernate poorly.

The first feeding is carried out in the spring with the first watering. Then, for several days, the cacti are watered abundantly in order to completely saturate the earthen ball. Each subsequent feeding is carried out after the cacti begin to shrink slightly. The last (usually the third or fourth) feeding is carried out no later than mid-September, so that by winter the plants make the most of the nutrients.

For most cacti, a "cold" wintering is desirable at a temperature not higher than 10 ° C, however, they are able to exist in winter and at higher temperatures, in which case watering is necessary (at low temperatures, wintering is "dry").

All cacti are light-requiring. For normal growth and flowering, they need bright sun (southern windows or intense electric lighting), warmth and proper feeding during the growth period. Rebutia, ferocactus, cephalocereus and oreocereus are especially affected by the lack of light. In low light, cacti stretch out strongly, lose their characteristic appearance, do not form thick and bright thorns, bloom poorly or do not bloom at all.

The start of watering should coincide with the beginning of the growing season. It is better to water cacti in the evening or early in the morning to avoid sunburn and trying not to get to the growing point. On especially hot and cool days, the growth of cacti stops, and they are not watered at all.

Next, we give a brief description of the most common cacti in room culture

Ayloster (Aylostera)

The name of the genus comes from the Greek words aylos - tube and stereos - executed: along a narrow dense floral tube fused with a column. According to various authors, the genus contains from 8 to 14 species of stem succulents, distributed from the south of Bolivia to the north of Argentina. During the growing season, uniform watering is required. Propagated by "children" and seeds, which are formed without cross-pollination. 2-3-year-old seedlings bloom profusely.

Ayloster Kupper (Aylostera kupperiana (Boed.) Backbg) - the stem is cylindrical, up to 3 cm in diameter. Radial spines 13-15, they are white, up to 5 mm long, central 1-3, dark brown, up to 1.2 cm long. The flowers are fiery red, up to 4 cm long. Homeland - Bolivia.

Ailoster pseudo-tiny (A. pseudominuscula (Speg.) Speg) - cylindrical stem, up to 5 cm high. Radial spines 7-14, they are yellowish, later white with brown tips, 3-5 mm long, central 1-4. The flowers are dark red, up to 2.5 cm long. Homeland - Northern Argentina.

Astrophytum (Astrophytum Lem.)

The genus name comes from the Greek words astron - star and phyton - plant: star cactus. There are 6 known species of succulent stem perennials growing in the USA and Mexico. A characteristic feature of most of them is white specks on the stem, formed by miniature hairs that can absorb moisture.

Astrophytum speckled four- ribbed (A. myriostigma Lem.var.quadricostatum (Moell.) Baum) - the stem always has 4 ribs without thorns. The flowers are small, pale yellow. Homeland - Mexico.

Decorated astrophytum (A. ornatum (D C.) Web) - stem 1 m high and 30 cm in diameter. Ribs 8, spines 5-11, they are straight, subulate, yellow-brown at first, later brown. The flowers are light yellow. Homeland - Mexico.

In summer, plants require warmth, sun, good ventilation. Watering is moderate. They hibernate in dry and cold conditions.

Brasilicactus Backbg

This genus is close to Notocactus, from which it differs in flowers that are almost devoid of a flower tube. There are three known species common in Brazil and Uruguay.

Brasilicactus Gressner (B. graessneri (K. Schum.) Backbg) - spherical stem, up to 10 cm high. Ribs 50-60. Numerous spines (about 60), up to 2 cm long, 5-6 central spines. All spines are yellow, needle-like, the central ones are somewhat thicker and longer. The flowers are yellowish, about 2 cm long. Homeland - Southern Brazil.

Hazelberg's Brazilicactus (B. haselbergii (Hge.) Backbg) - spherical stem. Ribs 30, sometimes more. There are 20 radial spines, sometimes more, they are straight, needle-like, yellow or white, up to 1 cm long. There are 3-5 central spines, usually 4, they are yellowish. The flowers are orange-red, small, up to 1.5 cm long. Homeland - Southern Brazil.

Plants are light-requiring, but cannot stand direct sunlight. During the growing season, they require heat and moisture. They hibernate in dry, cold conditions.