The Decembrist, who is also known as a Christmas man, is an inhabitant of many houses, which is largely due to his active flowering during the winter holidays. It is for this feature that many flower growers appreciate it, but to achieve high decorative properties from a plant will be possible only with properly organized care, in particular, competent watering.
The basic rules of growing
Christmas is an epiphytic cactus, which in most cases prefers to grow on another plant, using the juice from its bark as moisture. In the wild, it grows specifically on trees, but at home it can be grown in pots filled with a suitable substrate, providing quick waste of water.
Important! Rozhdestvennik refers to those plants that are better not to disturb during the period of budding. It’s not even worth it unless absolutely necessaryturn pototherwise, the formation of flowers may stop, and they will no longer be as beautiful as they should be.
The basic rules for growing such an unusual plant include the following requirements:
- lighting should be bright and scattered, which can be achieved by placing pots on the eastern or western windows (if grown on the south side in the afternoon, the windows will have to be shaded);
- temperature indicators it is advisable to maintain within + 18 ... + 40 ° C, not forgetting that the most comfortable temperature in summer will be in the range + 18 ... + 22 ° C, and in winter - + 14 ... + 16 ° C;
- perfect air humidity for the plant - 75% and higher, which is achieved by regularly spraying the Christmas tree from the spray gun (in the summer - 1-2 times a week, and in the winter - 1 time per month);
- soil fertilizer it is performed only from March to September, but at this time the regularity of feeding should not be lower than 1 time in two weeks (fertilizers for zygocactus are suitable as nutrients);
- transfer performed depending on the age of the plant: young “Decembrists” can be changed “place of residence” once every three years, adults - no more than once every 5-6 years;
- plant crown needs in the formation only partially: the extra shoots can be plucked by hand;
- in the fight against pests and diseases it is worth paying attention to preparations from scale insects, spider mites, mealybugs, phytophthora, phytium, fusarium, since it is from them that the plant suffers most often.
Equally important for this cactus is fresh air, so in the summertime it is necessary to regularly ventilate the room or even take the pot out onto the balcony.
How to determine the need for Decembrist in water
When growing a Decembrist, do not forget that it is a cactus, which means that it perfectly stores moisture in its tissues. At the same time, there are a number of signs of excessive consumption of these stocks, which indicate the need for watering.
The most notable of them are:
- the formation of additional aerial roots, with the help of which the Decembrist absorbs moisture from the environment;
- drying out of the soil in the pot by more than 3-4 cm during flowering and up to half the volume of the tank during dormancy;
- the appearance of wrinkling on the stems;
- blanching and thinning of flower leaves (characteristic of a systematic lack of moisture in the substrate).
If you are faced with all these manifestations, while there is confidence in a long and systematic moisture deficit, then a single watering will not be enough. The best results will be given by introducing the liquid in small doses, but for a longer time: for example, 5-6 times in two days.
What water to use
Tap water from the tap is not the best solution for watering a Christmas tree, as it is very susceptible to the temperature of the liquid and its composition. In this case, it is desirable to prepare rain, melt or well-filtered water that will not form a precipitate on the walls or bottom of the pot. In extreme cases, you can use tap water, but only after settling for several days.
For organic nutrition with the addition of fertilizers, well-maintained aquarium water and mineral fertilizing are ideal. In any case, the temperature of the liquid should be in the range + 22 ... + 25 ° C, since at lower values it will not be possible to avoid decay of the root system of the Christmas tree.
How to water a plant at home
The regularity and abundance of watering the Decembrist when grown at home depends on several factors - first of all, this is the season of the year and the stage of development of the cactus. Consider the requirements for each period.
Did you know? From an astrological point of view, the Christmas tree combines the energy of two planets - Mercury and the Moon, which should arouse people's kindness and desire to take care of their neighbor. That is why the plant is recommended to be placed in the homes of dictators, egoists and people prone to unexpected tides of rage and rudeness.
Depending on the season
As you know, the flowering period of the Christmas tree falls precisely during the winter months, so it is not surprising that it is at this time that it is often necessary to water and feed it. Particularly noteworthy is the period of the appearance of buds, on which the liquid should not fall. Water for winter irrigation must be insisted or even boiled, especially if it contains a large amount of lime impurities. Hard water cannot be used, otherwise it will be very difficult to prevent rotting of the root system.
In winter, it is advisable to water the Christmas tree at the same time, without changing the habitual growth conditions for it: you should not move the pot to another window sill or, even more so, transfer it deep into the room. The regularity of watering from late autumn to early February is about once every 1-2 weeks, but it all depends on the drying of the soil and other signs of lack of moisture.
In the last winter month, the amount of watering should be reduced, while placing the pot in a cooler and less lighted room. From the beginning of February to the end of March, the Christmas tree will be in hibernation, gaining strength for next year.
Once steady spring heat is achieved, the amount of watering and the amount of liquid introduced into the soil can be resumed, gradually returning to the usual norms. In order not to overdo it and not fill the Decembrist, it is recommended to deepen the stick next to it in the pot, which will serve as an excellent indicator of the moisture content of the substrate. Do not forget that the Christmas tree belongs to cacti, which means that an excessive amount of liquid can provoke decay of the rhizome.
With the advent of summer, you will have to pay more attention to humidity and air temperature in the room. Rozhdestvennik is distinguished by increased heat lovingness, but does not like direct sunlight, and this is definitely worth considering when placing a pot. The higher the temperature in the room, the faster the substrate will dry out, and the Decembrist will need more moisture, not only from the soil, but also from the air. In the latter case, to organize a cactus suitable conditions for life will help the spray gun and standing water at room temperature.
With the advent of autumn, the Decembrist begins to prepare for winter and the associated flowering stage. You can help him with this by gradually lowering the temperature in the room, up to + 12 ... + 15 ° C. The plant can easily tolerate lower temperature values (+ 10 ° C or even + 8 ° C), but they will not be so comfortable for it. In any case, lowering the temperature in the room should be accompanied by a decrease in the amount of watering that will help the flower to form new ovaries.
Before the appearance of flower buds (this time usually falls at the beginning of November), it is useful to slightly increase the temperature and again increase the regularity of watering the plant.Did you know? Decembrist refers to long-lived plants and, under good growing conditions, can grow without changing its qualities up to 15–20 years.
During flowering
The formation of buds and the further appearance of flowers requires a lot of strength and energy from the Decembrist, therefore, during this period, the frequency of watering should be increased - the soil needs to be moistened at the first signs of its strong drying.
Also, do not forget to control temperature indicators: at high values, you can not limit the amount of liquid introduced, but at lower values, you will have to refrain from frequent watering, so as not to provoke acidification of the soil and rotting of the root system of plants. At a moderate temperature in the room, it is enough to water the Christmas tree once every 3-5 days. As for spraying, it is better to cancel them during flowering, otherwise it is impossible to guarantee the protection of flowers from sunburn.
After flowering, watering can be gradually reduced, while transferring pots with plants to a cool place. They should be here from about the beginning of February until the end of March, so that the Decembrist rests after flowering. With the arrival of steady spring heat, the Christmas season begins the vegetative period, so it is again taken out to its usual place and watering is gradually increased, at the same time starting to feed.Important! Spray water can be at room temperature (around + 22 ° C) or slightly warmer. The main thing is to prevent sudden temperature changes, which are serious stress for the Christmas tree.
When transplanting and after
A flower transplant usually occurs at the end of February, that is, immediately after its flowering. The new substrate must be well drained so that excess moisture does not accumulate during irrigation. At the same time, it is useful to moisten it a little, so that the plant is better taken. The roots of a Christmas tree extracted from an old pot can be washed under a stream of warm water.
Over the next 15 days after the irrigation procedure, it is advisable to replace with systematic spraying, since the bushes at this time are very sensitive to any changes.
How to combine fertilizer and watering
Like any other plant, Decembrist needs a sufficient amount of nutrients that must be applied to the soil during the growing season: from late May to September. At this time, you can use half of the usual dose of fertilizer for cacti with a small amount of nitrogen and a significant content of phosphorus and potassium. The frequency of top dressing in the summer is 1-2 times per month.
With the advent of autumn, special compositions for flowering plants will be a more useful option, but it is recommended to introduce them into the soil no more than 2 times for the entire autumn period. Some gardeners do not recommend feeding the Christmas tree right before flowering, but this option is only possible if, until September, the plant has already received a sufficient amount of potassium and phosphorus, necessary to strengthen the buds.
After using the selected nutritional composition, the flower must be watered, which will contribute to the rapid transportation to the roots and better absorption of all nutrients.
In some cases, mineral fertilizers need to be previously dissolved in water, which must be indicated on the package: in this situation, additional watering is no longer required.
Signs of improper watering
The root system of the Christmas tree is very susceptible to any negative environmental influences, therefore, with an excess of moisture, a change in the usual appearance of the flower is possible. The main violations during the irrigation process are considered to be the use of cold water, an excessive amount of introduced liquid at low temperature indicators and the use of a high concentration of soluble fertilizers.
All this leads to disturbances in the normal development of the Decembrist and is expressed in the following symptoms:
- withering, sometimes yellowing of leaves;
- tarnishing is usually bright green;
- falling buds and ovaries;
- blackening of the aerial part of the trunk and its softening.
If you get such a plant out of the pot, you will notice rotten areas on the roots. In the case of a mild rhizome damage, the situation can be remedied by replacing the Christmas tree in new soil (it is better to disinfect it when using the old pot).
Useful Care Tips
High-quality watering is not the only thing that you should pay attention to when caring for Decembrist. In addition to this, there are several important growing rules that even a novice grower will help to grow a healthy and strong Christmas tree, regularly pleasing with their flowering.
First of all, the list of recommendations should include:
- protection from pests, especially if zigocactus spends some time outdoors (at the first signs of insect activity, the plant should be treated with any local insecticide, with the procedure repeated in 6-7 days);
- control of soil moisture and the presence of water in the saucer, which may well cause rotting of the root system;
- combating late blight by re-growing the plant from cuttings (if there are several flowers in the room, then an attempt to save one Decembrist can result in the spread of the problem to other plants);
- a decrease in the number of irrigations with a simultaneous increase in the frequency of top dressing during budding;
- providing the plant with rest before and during budding (at this time it is forbidden to take processes of the Decembrist);
- extension of the flowering period due to the support of lower temperatures in the room (not higher than + 16 ... + 18 ° C);
- the presence of optimal lighting, without affecting the plant in direct sunlight, capable of leaving burns on the leaves.
In general, caring for a Christmas tree is no more difficult than caring for other indoor plants, so absolutely everyone can grow a Decembrist, and the simple recommendations of experienced gardeners will help to avoid minor mistakes.