Cacti are one of the most ancient plants. On the planet, the number of their varieties will soon reach three thousand.
These thorny plants are easy to care for. They love a minimum of water and tolerate large number sunbathing. This is due to the location of their homeland – South America. Cacti are very diverse. Since this plant has been known for a long time, people have found many uses for it.
Spines are not the only decoration of the cactus. Some species are able to bloom, and it is truly a stunning sight. Over the many years of existence, cacti have not been used anywhere. There are also many hoaxes and rumors associated with them. 
The most important myth of our time
The first home computer several decades ago was the reason for the appearance of another guest in the house - a cactus. For some reason, people then believed that this plant, placed near a monitor or in any other proximity to technology, would absorb all - or almost all - harmful radiation. But in reality there are no studies that prove this. But cactus spines are capable of ionizing the air. 
The drink that gave different visions
Cactus for food purposes? Why not, because this became widely known after similar descriptions in the book of the writer Carlos Castaneda. True, it was not the cactus itself that was used, but its roots. Shamans from Mexico experimentally discovered that a drink with the root of the peyote cactus put them into a state of deepest trance. Simply put, it was very potent psychedelic. Currently, it is prohibited to grow such cacti in many countries. This does not stop the Indian tribes from Latin America that have survived to this day. Many of them still deify hallucinogenic cactus. They even have this belief: when you see such a cactus, you should definitely say hello. If you don’t do this, the cactus will harbor a grudge and even be able to cause damage. This cactus is also called Lophophora Williams.
Favorite of cows
Cows love to eat cacti. Farmers benefit from the cows' addiction to them: such a diet stimulates greater milk production. Animals should not be allowed to eat cacti, as the thorns will injure them. Therefore, farmers in Mexico collect these plants and remove their needles. Not all cacti are suitable for eating; prickly pears are the ones that are usually collected. This use of cacti naturally affects their number. Therefore, farmers often bring prickly pears from other places when the cows eat all those growing around the farm.
Heterogeneity of sizes
The height of Californian cereus reaches twenty meters! The stems of such frightening giants can contain the purest fresh water - up to two tons. 20 is not the limit: a cactus of this type has been recorded, which has grown to 24 meters. He did not become this way right away: his maturity lasted 150 years. 
And the smallest representatives of cacti are Blossfeldia. Their height is only a few centimeters. It ranges from one to three cm.
Food
Not only animals, but also people can eat cacti. Columbus at one time, having met with Indians from America, first decided that they were eating melons. But later he realized that he was very mistaken: it was a cactus. Nowadays, the most common sweet in Mexico is slices of cactus covered in sugar. The cactus itself, from which such confectionery delights are made, is called “candy”. And some types of cacti were completely destroyed by the inhabitants of Bolivia and Paraguay. Not because they are dangerous. But because they were amazingly tasty after baking. 
Cactus as an organic dye
Not tequila
For some reason, many people believe that tequila is made from cacti. However, this drink is obtained from blue agave. This misconception is most likely due to the fact that agave is confused with cacti - which it actually is not.
Musical instrument
It sounds strange, but it is the stems of large cacti that give the traditional drums from Argentina a special sound. Special processing of such stems adds a specific sound and incredible color. Over the years, local residents have learned to make the most of these thorny plants. One German musician actually used the cactus to record his music. 
Why cost a wooden fence when there is a cactus?
Cacti can also be used as a hedge. Densely planted plants can create an impenetrable wall. Frightening thorns can discourage many people from entering private property. However, in areas where cacti are abundant, such fences may not have the same effect as they do on tourists.
People may be resistant to such a sight, but dogs and coyotes are afraid of these thorny plants. Wolves are also scared of cacti. Even those people who first came to the Wild West noted this peculiar phenomenon.
In addition, cactus needles can be used for medicinal purposes. Instead of a needle, they can be used to stitch wounds.
Not just plantations - there is one of a kind on Earth cactus garden. It is located in Monte Carlo. Cacti are planted on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and the number of their species reaches several hundred. 
Vitamins are obtained from cacti. Cacti also make good soap and shampoo. Unpretentious cacti do not tolerate frequent rearrangements. Frequent turning causes the appearance of these plants to deteriorate and the needles to fall out. Sometimes frequent twitching can even lead to the death of a cactus.
Olga Korytina
Municipal budget preschool
Educational institution
Kindelinsky kindergarten
"Chamomile".
Orenburg region.
Tashlinsky district.
Prepared:
Secondary teacher
groups. Korytina
Olga Evgenievna.
Kindelya village. 2012.
Integrated lesson on ecology in the middle group.
Subject: « Houseplant - cactus.»
Program content:
Strengthen children's knowledge of names indoor plants, their parts.
Exercise children in performing simple labor actions to care for plants(water them, wipe off the dust.) Introduce correct working techniques.
Teach children how to properly use a brush, a damp cloth and a watering can.
Maintain interest in plants.
Teach comparison, identifying the main characteristics of plants.
Develop fine motor skills, hand coordination, perception, logical thinking, independence.
Cultivate a desire to care for plants, take care of them.
Vocabulary enrichment: cactus, care, absent.
Activating the dictionary: water, wipe.
Preparation for class: costume cactus, watering can, napkins, soft brushes, sheets of paper (half a landscape sheet, geometric shapes for applique, ready-made flower sample. A conversation about safety with sharp objects.
Individual work: practice watering with each child plants from a watering can, in wiping dust from leaves using a damp cloth.
Progress of the lesson.
(There's a knock on the door. A child in a suit comes in cactus with a sad expression on his face.)
Hello children. I cactus. Prickly is just a toddler.
I'm all green, like a watermelon.
I have always lived in the desert
Where there is no water.
Will educate: - Cactus, hide your needles!
After all, they are sharp and prickly!
And sharper than even a spear!
I'll prick your finger.
What happened, why are you so sad and showing your needles?
I'm looking for my brother. He is prickly, green-skinned
And he looks like a hedgehog.
On the window growing
It blooms very rarely.
Have you guys met him?
Will educate: -Yes, this is ours cactus! (A flower is displayed. Children look at it, find similarities with the guest - cactus.)
Yes, of course, this is my younger brother. Look how similar he and I are. It is also round, green and has spines for protection. Finally I found it!
Will educate: -Guys and Dear Cactus, you know that there are a lot of varieties of this in the world plants, cactus(Tale about cacti accompanied by the display of photographs or illustrations.)
Green hedgehogs, which can often be found on housewives’ windowsills, each with their own character. Grow they are in dry deserts and steppes. These plants unexpected and quirky forms: - and balls - round and ribbed, and cakes, and columns. All cacti covered with thorns different colors and size. These plants withstands heat and lack of moisture. And when these thorns bloom, it is difficult to find more beautiful flowers than their flowers. Some bloom once every five years. So, nature lovers, a beautiful and blooming garden on your window is not just a decoration rooms, a source of creativity, but also useful plant. Of some edible cacti They make compote and jam, because it tastes like strawberries.
Guys, let's show our dear guest how you take care of indoor plants.
Watering cactus rare. He doesn't like a lot of water.
We wipe off the dust carefully so as not to get hurt.
Will educate: - Expensive cactus, please don’t take your brother with you, let him live with you kindergarten. The guys will take care of him, and maybe he will blossom!
Okay, guys, I see that you all really love flowers and know how to take care of them! Let my brother live here, but I have to go!
Will educate: - Wait, cactus, the guys want to give you small souvenirs.
(sheets and figures for applique are prepared on the tables "Flower".Children make the applique on their own, focusing on a sample of the finished work. During work, the smooth, calm melody of P. I. Tchaikovsky sounds "Autumn Song".
You guys did very beautiful and neat work, I am very pleased to receive gifts from you. Thank you for your hospitality, goodbye. (Guest leaves).
Will educate: -Now let's summarize the lesson.
Tell me who visited us?
Why did he come?
What did you show him?
What stood out to you the most?
The lesson is over.
More than two thousand species of cacti are known, of all shapes and sizes.
The Caldera cactus, which is found in the southwestern United States, can grow up to 20 meters in height, while the Rebutia cactus barely reaches a few centimeters. This baby grows mainly in Argentina and Bolivia. Some types of cacti look like candelabra or columns, others are flattened, there are plants that look like an ear (Opuntia). There are even cacti that look like a coiled snake or a beer keg, a starfish and even a wrinkled human face.
Even the smallest cactus has a powerful developed root system, which can spread both deep and shallow below the surface. Cactus flowers are also worthy of special mention - they can be white (Cereus), red, pink, purple or yellow. Flowers on a cactus can bloom for several days, or they can bloom and fade within one day. Some flowers bloom at dawn, others at sunset...
Depending on the species, cactus needles can be tender and vulnerable, or they can be hard and poisonous, reaching a length of several centimeters.
cacti pollinated by insects and small birds (hummingbirds). Some cacti with red flowers emit a special “meaty” smell that attracts insects.
The roots of the Mexican peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii) were and are used by the natives for their hallucinogenic properties. Residents make a drink from the roots of the plant, with the help of which shamans enter a state of trance. The reason for this effect of peyote is the alkaloid mescaline. There was also useful application hallucinogenic drink - the Indians often used it as an anesthetic during surgical operations.
A cactus is an ideal water reservoir. The water in it is not stored in its pure form, but as a thick syrup that can be drunk. It is unknown how many lives cacti saved for travelers in the desert... Water is easily obtained from cacti - just scratch or puncture the shell of the plant.
The most heat-resistant plants on Earth are cacti; they survive at 60 degrees of heat. Being desert plants, cacti, over the course of a long development process, have turned their trunks into reservoirs in which sometimes several tons of moisture accumulate. To reduce evaporation, the trunks of the cacti were covered with a waxy coating, and the leaves changed into spines.
The trunk of some cactus species is used to make Argentine drums called bombo leguero. The wood of some cacti is used in the construction of walls, roofs or load-bearing elements. The fruits of other cactus species, such as Opuntia phaeacantha, are edible and are called prickly pears. The fruit of the Peruvian cactus Cereus repandus is called a cactus apple and has no spines. Locals often make syrup from cactus fruits.
Cactus needles are used for suturing, for which they are sterilized over hot coals. This, of course, happened before, I think that nowadays they still use a more modern tool.
The saguaro cactus has become the state symbol of Arizona.
Cacti have several periods - growth, flowering, rest. While growing, they prefer bright sunlight, high temperature and humidity. Light causes rapid growth of the cactus body and spines. During rest periods, plants prefer coolness (6-8 degrees), diffused light and low humidity (maximum one watering per week).
Cacti are propagated by seeds (not indoors) and cuttings. Cuttings are carried out in warm sand with average humidity, after which the plant is left to rest for a week - this prevents rotting during the transplantation process.
A moth monument was erected. In the 1920s, a South American cactus spread catastrophically here, and the only one that could cope with it was the introduced Argentine cactus moth, a natural enemy of the plant.
It is a myth that a cactus blooms only once in its life. This is just a beautiful legend. If the plant is healthy, it blooms every summer.
Various delicacies are made from cacti, their fruits are sold in markets, Indian tribes use it as medicine and also as a drug to enter a stupefying state for rituals. Cactus fruits are eaten raw, jams and compotes, unusual-tasting creams and jams are made from them, they are added to wine for color and aroma, and stewed with meat in the form of a stew.
Cacti of the North American Chihuahuan Desert struggle with high temperatures and lack of moisture, plunging into the ground.
Cacti from the genus Echinopsis resemble giant hedgehogs; they are up to two meters in diameter and about five meters high. This spiky ball weighs several tons.
Until 1978, the tallest cactus on Earth was considered the saguaro, whose height reached 24 meters, but it was toppled by a storm.
Dogs are very afraid of cacti. The settlers of the Wild West took full advantage of this to protect themselves from coyotes. They planted cactus thickets around their settlement and thus the protective flower prevented coyotes from getting into their houses.
Aphids are bred on cacti, from which food coloring is obtained.
The homeland of cacti is Central, South and North America. Cacti, as a miracle of nature, were brought to Europe by Columbus and spread widely.
Saguaro is under the protection of the US government and is punishable by up to 25 years in prison for harming him.
Cacti do grow better in conditions of increased electromagnetic radiation, but the idea that the plant absorbs radiation is highly controversial. However, the spines still serve as an air ionizer, this is a proven fact.
Since ancient times, in Russian houses on the windows there have been flowers of the epiphyllum cactus, similar to small flying birds, called the Varvarin flower in Russia because it blooms in December, on Varvarin Day.
There is still no reference book for cactus growers with a description of all types and varieties in Russian. Cactus lovers still use the old German reference book by Kurt Beneberg and Walter Hage, or small reference books with the main species.
Currently, scientists are doing a lot of work on the use of cacti in industry. Research has shown that vitamins, hormones, wines and liqueurs, soap, industrial alcohol, a substance that accelerates fermentation, and much more can be obtained from cacti. The waste does not go to waste either - it is used as animal feed.
The famous purple dye, which gave a royal crimson color to the clothes of nobles, was also made with the help of cacti. Opuntia plantations, sometimes huge, up to 60,000 plants, were created to breed the hairy aphid - cochineal, from which purple dye was extracted through processing. Before chemical dyes took over the markets, cochineal was highly valued, and there were many aphid farms.
The less you touch the cacti, the better. They suffer from frequent rearrangements and rotations: they lose their beautiful spines and do not bloom. Most often this happens to novice collectors who “drag” their cacti.
Cacti do not like changing conditions. That is why you should never get carried away with searching for non-existent “panaceas” and “secrets”. The associated incessant changes in soil, regime, arrangement, etc. extremely quickly lead to deterioration, or even complete destruction of the collection.
If you want to achieve success in breeding cacti and admire their wonderful flowers, you must not be afraid of your pets, you must learn to pick them up, replant them, wash them and treat them. A collector who approaches his cacti with caution will never achieve success: lest he inject himself!
In conditions of little sunshine winters middle zone Each cactus, no matter how sun-loving it may be, requires gradual accustoming to the sun in the spring in order to avoid ugly and dangerous burns of the stem. The arguments in favor of building a greenhouse thus become stronger.
Cacti grow well in nature in direct sun. IN indoor culture some unprotected (naked) species require shading, but they also need light. Those cactus owners who place their plants in the back of their rooms on cabinets and bookshelves interspersed with figurines and ceramics are slowly killing them.
In some areas of Mexico, prickly pears, cleared of thorns and glochidia and chopped, are used as livestock feed with such good results in increasing the milk yield of cows that dense thickets of prickly pears are completely exterminated in places and farmers travel tens of kilometers to get them.
Cacti must overwinter in dry and cold conditions. The first real watering should be done only after the clear beginning of the growing season. Plants that have overwintered in the dark should gradually get used to the sun. In the spring, you should not wake them up with abundant watering, but only gradually irrigate them with warm water.
You might think: since cacti are desert dwellers, they are afraid of water. Firstly, not all cacti are dry-loving, and secondly, even the most dry-loving species need to be given plenty of water during their growth: they need it not only for nutrition, but also for cooling the stem through evaporation.
A cactus that does not grow in summer often dies in winter. A non-growing cactus is half dead, although some species can remain in this half-dead state for several years. In order not to lose a non-growing specimen, it is necessary to find out the reason why it does not grow (most often it is the loss of roots) and take the necessary measures.
In the countries of North and South America, where cacti grow “like grass,” mules and donkeys have perfectly adapted to independently knock off cactus spines with their hooves in order to enjoy the tasty stem without interference.
Certain species of melocactus and echinocactus (Melocactus oaxacensis, Echinocactus ingens) are eaten candied, the former is even popularly called Candy cactus. The stems are cleared of thorns and skin, cut into slices and boiled in cane sugar syrup. The demand for these candied fruits especially increases with the approach of Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Those who believe that the less often cacti are replanted, the better they grow, are wrong; they must be replanted every year! A correctly done transplant is not only not harmful to cacti, but, on the contrary, sharply stimulates the growth of roots and stems.
Contrary to the common prejudice that a cactus blooms once in its life, after which it dies, a healthy and mature cactus can and should bloom every summer without any harm to itself. It will become depleted only if it sets a lot of fruits; in such cases, it is better to remove some of the berries as soon as they set.
A series of experiments was conducted at one of the Californian universities. Twenty types of the most different types cacti have been studied as sources of antibiotics. It turned out that each cactus suppressed the development of several microorganisms, and lophophora showed the ability to stop the development of seventeen out of twenty microorganisms, and the diameter of the zone of action of this cactus turned out to be the largest; peleciphora took the second place in terms of strength of action.
Doctors' interest in medicinal properties cacti arose around the middle of the 19th century, when physiologists and physicians began to conduct experiments to study the healing properties of alkaloids contained in the tissues of cacti of various kinds - Cereus, Echinocactus and Ariocarpus. More than twenty scientific papers have been devoted to Selenicereus grandiflorus alone.
During the Spanish rule in Mexico, the Catholic Church brutally attacked the lophophora cactus, lophophora was counted among the mortal sins, and for eating it, the priests threatened not only eternal fire, but also fires on the ground. In the surviving missionary breviary there are two questions for confession, the following one after another: “Have you eaten human flesh? Have you eaten peyote?” (peyote was called lophophora).
A message about a cactus will help you compose a text description about a cactus, a perennial prickly plant. The 2nd grade report on the cactus can be supplemented with interesting facts.
Message about the cactus
Cacti belong to the Cactaceae family, which includes more than 2800 species. There are 3 subfamilies: Opuntiaceae, Cereusaceae and Peresceaceae.
Where do cacti grow?
Some plants grow in Europe, in the Mediterranean regions, in the tropics of Africa, and on the island of Madagascar. The cactus can also be found in Australia and on the southern coast of Crimea. They are bred as ornamental plants in open ground, in greenhouses and rooms.
Cactus: description of appearance
Cacti are perennial plants that have succulent, thick and fleshy stems. They are covered with spines, bristles or hairs. Most types of cactus have fruits that are berry-shaped, fleshy, and some are even edible. Due to the fact that the plants primarily grow in the desert, they are devoid of foliage. The leaves turned into thorns, and water began to accumulate in the massive thick stem. Speaking of thorns. They have different shapes– flat, round, straight or hooked, fluffy or smooth. Although some species of the family have leaves. Thus, in Pereskia, which grows in South America, Mexico, India there is a woody stem, leaves and... thorns. Another plant, prickly pear, has small leaves 2-5 mm long. Outwardly, they resemble an awl and are very juicy. The leaves sprout in the spring and after a short time dry out and fall off.
Cacti accumulate even a small part of the water that gets into the soil. Young shoots can pick up moisture even from the air. Then they fall off and take root. The largest cacti can store up to 2000 liters of water. And so that less moisture evaporates, the plants are covered with a thick green skin, and on top of it is a hair or layer of wax.
Cacti are actively used in medicine. They are used to make drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and rheumatism.
- in his notes he mentions the melon that the aborigines he met ate. But, in fact, they were cacti.
- Cacti are raw materials for the production of shampoos, sweets, alcoholic beverages, soap, vitamins and other things. Waste from production is fed to domestic animals.
- Farmers in Mexico feed prickly pears to their cows, which have been previously cleared of thorns, so that the animals produce more milk.
- In Bolivia and Paraguay, baked Weingartia/Neowerdermannia cacti are a real delicacy. In Mexico, candied pieces of the Melocactus oaxacensis cactus are also a local delicacy.
- In the past, sterilized cactus needles were used by doctors in Latin America to stitch wounds.
- The spines of the plant ionize the air.
We hope that the essay about the cactus helped you learn a lot of useful information. Brief message You can add information about the cactus using the comment form below.
Cactus (lat. Cactaceae) belongs to the Cactus family, represented by perennial flowering plants. The family is divided into four subfamilies. The word "cactus" has Greek origin. Carl Linnaeus introduced this name in 1737 as an abbreviation for "melocactus" (thistle) due to the spines with which representatives of the Cactaceae are covered.
It is suggested that cacti evolved evolutionarily about 30-40 million years ago, and, despite the fact that fossil cacti have not yet been found anywhere, it is believed that the homeland of cacti is South America, and they spread to the northern continent not so long ago - no more than 5-10 million years ago. Thus, we can consider cacti to be plants of the New World. And today the habitat of the cactus in nature is South and North America and the islands of the West Indies. In addition to the American continent, the cactus plant can be found in natural conditions in Africa, Madagascar and Sri Lanka - they claim that cactus seeds were brought there by birds.
Planting and caring for cacti
- Bloom: depends on the type.
- Lighting: bright sunlight (south window sills).
- Temperature: in spring and summer - common for residential premises; in winter, cooler conditions are desirable - 6-14 ˚C with regular ventilation and absence of drafts.
- Watering: moderate, as soon as the substrate dries. In cold or rainy weather, watering is not carried out even in summer. In winter, many types of cacti are watered once a month or not at all. In the spring, at the first signs of growth, spray the cacti with water, and when they begin to grow, carry out 2-3 lower waterings with water at a temperature of 28˚C to saturate the substrate with moisture. However, keep in mind: such baths are harmful to hairy and woolly species.
- Humidity: low.
- Feeding: once a week during the period of active growth on pre-moistened soil with a weak solution of a mineral complex for cacti (Kadatsky’s mixture). IN winter time and when transplanted annually into fresh substrate, cacti do not need feeding.
- Rest period: from November to March or after flowering.
- Transfer: as needed, in the spring, at the beginning of active growth. Young cacti are replanted annually.
- Reproduction: usually by children, but also by seeds.
- Pests: mealy root and mealy stembugs (hairy aphids).
- Diseases: dry and black rot, late blight, rhizoctonia, helminthosporosis, fusarium, spotting and viral diseases.
Read more about growing cacti below.
Home cactus - description
Many cacti and succulents have taken root in indoor culture and have been growing on our windowsills for hundreds of years. However, succulents and cacti are not the same thing: if all cacti are succulents, then not all succulents are cacti. We will tell you what the difference between them is, how to plant a cactus, how to grow a cactus, how to water a cactus correctly, how to care for a cactus at home and what methods are used to propagate cacti.
The cactus plant differs from succulents in the presence of an areola, a special organ that is a modified axillary bud with scales transformed into spines or hairs, although many varieties have both. Another difference between cacti and succulents is the structure of their flowers and fruits - part of the flower and fruit of a cactus is also part of its stem. There are up to a dozen other differences that are of interest only to scientists, and we will not write about them.
It is very difficult to give a general description for all cacti, but we will dwell in detail on their varieties in a special section. Let's just say that the indoor cactus plant attracts with its exotic appearance and ease of care, which even a beginner can do. The common features of all cacti are pronounced periods of growth, flowering and dormancy, and the cactus root is not able to absorb large amounts of nutrients, so the annual growth of plants of this family is very modest.
Caring for cacti at home
How to care for a cactus
The home cactus is unpretentious and hardy, but if you want to see your “spines” in better shape, create conditions for caring for cacti that are close to natural.
Since we are talking about one of the most light-loving plants, you need to know that cacti at home often lack lighting, so best place for them - the southern window sill. In summer they feel good on fresh air- on a lit balcony, terrace and just in the garden; in winter they don’t really need light, so cacti that have entered a dormant period can be moved into the shade. If they spend the winter in the same room as the summer, provide them with good lighting. Lack of light can cause the plants to become painfully stretched and the top of the cactus to turn a pale green color.
Since cacti are hardy plants, they practically do not react to sudden temperature changes and tolerate cool weather normally, although they are heat-loving plants. In spring and summer, indoor cactus feels good in temperature conditions typical for apartments and gardens, and in winter optimal temperature for it - from 6 to 14 ºC, provided that the room with regular ventilation is free of drafts and air-drying heating devices.
Watering cacti
The frequency of watering and the amount of water spent on the plant depends on its type, time of year, room temperature and lighting. Water the cactus moderately as the soil dries. In cold and rainy weather, it is better not to water cacti, even if it is summer. In winter, soil moisture in pots with cacti is noticeably reduced, and in some cases stopped altogether.
As soon as the cacti show signs of growth in the spring (the top will turn green and young spines will appear), begin to spray the plants generously with settled water every day room temperature, and when active growth begins, they are moistened 2-3 times with bottom watering, placing the pots with cacti for a quarter of an hour in bowls with water at a temperature of 28 ºC. The exception is woolly or densely pubescent species - such baths are contraindicated for them.
In spring and autumn, watering is carried out in the mornings, and in the summer in the evening. Water for irrigation and spraying should be soft - boiled and settled. Once a month, you need to add citric or oxalic acid to the water - half a gram or one tenth of a gram, respectively, per liter of water. You can infuse water for irrigation on peat for a day - 200 g of peat per three liters of water.
Cacti with thick and powerful spines are good to spray in the mornings and evenings hot water from a spray bottle.
Cactus Fertilizer
Cacti should be fed with great care, and when replanting plants annually, you don’t have to feed them at all. Fertilizers are applied in the form of solutions no more than once a week during the period of active growth in already moistened soil to avoid burning the roots.
The most common fertilizer for cacti is the Kadatsky mixture, consisting of potassium nitrate, monosubstituted potassium phosphate, twenty percent superphosphate, potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate and potassium chloride. To prepare a nutrient solution, one gram of Kadatsky’s mixture is dissolved in one liter of water.
Cactus pots
Cactus pots can be ceramic or plastic. The size of the pot is determined by the dimensions of the plant, and the height of the pot should exceed the length of the cactus root system by 15-20%, and the width of the pot by one and a half times. In other words, the container for the cactus should be narrow and deep enough - the cactus will feel more stable in it, and the plant will have to be watered less often than when grown in a flat pot.
In addition, for medium and small sized cacti, plastic pots are preferable, because porous ceramics contribute to high water evaporation, alkalization and salinization of the substrate.
Soil for cacti
Cacti need a substrate that is loose, porous, water- and breathable, with a slightly acidic reaction - pH 6.0. You can purchase ready-made soil for cacti at a flower shop, or you can make it yourself from equal parts of leaf soil, coarse and well-washed river sand and turf soil with the addition of a small amount of brick chips or charcoal. For old and columnar cacti, as well as for plants with turnip roots, add low-fat clay to the soil.
Epiphytic cacti need the addition of humus soil or peat - up to 1/3 of the volume. It is advisable to add a little lime to the soil for cacti with white thorns in the form of pieces of gypsum or old plaster. If you make the soil incorrectly, the plant may well experience root rot.
How to replant a cactus
The cactus is transplanted in the spring, at the very beginning of active growth. Place a drainage layer of fine expanded clay, brick chips, coarse river sand or old shards on the bottom of the pot with holes, fill the pot to a third of its height with sterile substrate, lower the roots of the plant into the pot and fill the container evenly on all sides with moist soil. To do this, it is better to use a teaspoon or a small rubber spatula.
There is no need to compact the substrate too much, and the area with the root collar should be sprinkled with coarse river sand. Do not water the cactus after transplanting for a week until the injuries to the root system heal.
Blooming cacti
The flowering of a cactus largely depends on how well its wintering is organized: in desert, mountain and steppe species, young shoots ripen and flower buds form during this period. If the cactus remained on the southern windowsill in winter and its growth did not stop, it is unlikely to bloom in the next season. With properly organized wintering, the plant rests and accumulates strength, and it is likely that next year you will be lucky enough to see a cactus flower.
Although in fairness it must be said that species such as nonocactus, melocactus, parody, rhipsalis, gymnocalycium and aporocactus can bloom even after wintering in a warm room.
If your cactus has bloomed, do not move or rotate it under any circumstances - the disturbed plant will drop all its flowers and buds. Direct sunlight during the flowering period is contraindicated for cacti, and you should protect the plant from it with translucent cloth or paper.
During the flowering period, it is necessary to ventilate the room daily, but even the slightest drafts should not be allowed. Fertilizers are also not applied at this time, otherwise the plant will shed both flowers and buds, or they will transform into cactus babies. During the first flowering, the flowers are usually smaller, but every year they become larger, and their number may increase. The flowering of a cactus is not just a beautiful sight, it helps to establish that your plant belongs to a particular genus and species, which makes care much easier.
Cacti after flowering. Wintering cactus
After your cactus has faded, you need to reduce the water consumption when watering it to a minimum, and reduce the frequency of moistening the substrate to once a month - literally so that the cacti do not wrinkle from dehydration. Feeding must be stopped completely. It is very important that the plant is not exposed to hot air from heating devices, and even better, place the cactus on a windowsill under which there is no radiator, or in an unheated room where the temperature does not rise above 15 ºC and does not fall below 8-6 ºC.
If you suddenly find that the cactus has begun to wrinkle, do not increase watering, but simply lightly spray the plant with warm water - just a little, otherwise at low temperatures the roots may rot. The dormant period for cacti should last from November to March, which means that it is necessary to reduce watering and stop feeding in October.
An exception to the rule common to all cacti is Schlumbergera - it is watered once a week all winter.
At the beginning of March, you need to help the cacti come out of hibernation. To do this, transfer the plant to a southern windowsill, begin to spray it, then gradually increase the water consumption, while simultaneously reducing the intervals between waterings. Feeding of the cactus is also resumed.
Cactus propagation
Cacti from seeds
Cacti reproduce by seed and vegetative methods, namely by children or cuttings.
Growing cacti from seeds has its own difficulties: you will need to pre-sterilize store-bought seeds - they are soaked in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour. It is also necessary to sterilize the substrate - steam it or fry it in the oven at a temperature of 110-130 ºC. The moist substrate is poured into a container in a layer of about 1 cm, the prepared seeds are laid out on it, after which the crops are covered with film or glass.
The soil is kept slightly moist at all times, and the crops are ventilated twice a day. It will take from several days to several months for cactus seeds to germinate. When the first thorns appear on the seedlings, they are transplanted into a more nutritious substrate, and at the age of several months they begin to be cared for like adult plants, but protected from too sudden temperature changes and watered more often.
It is better to sow seeds so that seedlings appear in early spring.
Reproduction of cactus by children
It is easier to propagate cacti vegetatively: many plants produce babies with rudiments of roots. The children are easily separated, after which they are placed on a moist substrate into which their roots grow, forming a root system over time. Select a larger baby, separate it with a sterile instrument, dry the cut site for 3-4 days and root the cutting in a moist substrate.
Diseases and pests of cacti
Why do cacti turn yellow?
This is the question readers ask most often. The reasons for this phenomenon may be a deficiency of nutrients in the substrate, a violation of the watering regime, or the harmful activity of spider mites. In the first case, you need to fertilize, in the second, you need to adjust the frequency of watering and the rate of water consumption, and in the third, you need to treat the cactus with some kind of acaricide - Actellik, for example.
Why do cacti rot?
Most often, cactus rots from excess moisture in the soil. Of course, it needs to be watered, but given that it is better to forget to water a succulent plant than to water it twice. When the substrate is chronically waterlogged, the cactus begins to rot. To save the plant from death, you need to remove it from the soil, cut off all rotten areas and roots, treat the cuts with crushed coal and transplant the cactus into a new sterile substrate. If your plant is not too damaged, it is quite possible that you will be able to revive it.
Why doesn't the cactus grow?
This problem can also have several reasons: an incorrectly composed substrate, a cramped pot, disease, sunburn, rejection of the roots or their damage by pests.
If you made the soil from the wrong components or did not maintain the right proportions, the soil may be too acidic or, conversely, too alkaline. The soil also deteriorates from watering with unsettled and unboiled water with a high lime content. Monitor the quality and temperature of water for irrigation, compose the soil in accordance with the requirements of the crop, and if you do not know how to do this, use a purchased substrate specially prepared for cacti by specialists. Replant the cacti in a larger pot in time.
To avoid sunburn, try to protect the plant from direct sunlight during the midday hours. And rotate non-flowering cacti around their axis so that they are illuminated and warmed up evenly.
Due to a sharp temperature change, severe hypothermia, or, conversely, overheating, the roots of a cactus can die off, while the plant itself remains healthy and capable of rooting. The danger lies in the fact that you, not suspecting that the cactus has shed its roots, will continue to fully moisturize and feed it, and this can lead to the death of the plant - it will simply rot.
Check the cactus as often as possible, and if you determine that it has lost its roots, place it on top of light but nutritious, almost dry soil, cover it with pebbles for stability, protect it from direct sunlight, and spray it with water for the first time after three days. Watering a cactus without roots is dangerous; it only needs to be misted from time to time until it takes root.
Cactus pests
Of the pests, cacti are damaged by mealy root and mealy stembugs.
Root mealybug It is dangerous because it is invisible, but when examining the roots you can find small insects that leave behind tiny white “cotton” lumps. More often than other cacti, Echinopsis suffers from root scale insects.
To get rid of pests, the easiest way is to treat the plant leaf by leaf and water the soil in the pot with a solution of a systemic insecticide - Aktary or Aktellika, and then re-treat it two weeks later. If you do not want to use chemicals, remove the plant from the soil and rinse the entire cactus along with the roots under a strong stream of water, then keep the plant for 10-15 minutes in water at a temperature of 50-60 ºC. Then the cactus is dried for several days and planted in disinfected soil.
Stem worm, or hairy aphid, is a close relative of the root mealybug. The pest makes punctures in plant stems and feeds on their sap. It is also dangerous because fungal infections penetrate through these punctures, causing the cactus to rot. These pests can be difficult to see, especially those species that are covered with felt-like hairs.
To avoid troubles with stembugs, and at the same time protect the cactus from other pests, it is advisable to treat the plant and soil in the pot with an insecticide, for example, Actellik or Aktara, twice a year as a preventive measure.
Cactus diseases
Cacti are also affected by diseases - dry and black rot, late blight, rhizoctonia, helminthosporosis, fusarium, spotting and viral diseases.
Late blight, or black (red) root leg, causes rotting of the base of the stem and roots of cacti. In the fight against the disease, seedlings early stage diseases are treated several times with Benlat at intervals of 3-4 hours. In adult specimens, damaged parts are removed, and the sections are sprayed with a fungicide solution.
Fusarium, or fusarium rot, affects cacti in conditions of high soil and indoor air humidity. As a result of the development of the disease, the root collar and roots rot, the stem of the cactus turns yellow, wrinkles and falls. It is necessary to remove all damaged parts of the stem and roots, treat the wounds with crushed coal, sulfur or brilliant green. To avoid damage to the cactus by fusarium, do not allow mechanical damage to the plant and water the cactus with Fundazol solution from time to time.
Helminthosporosis, or wet rot, looks like watery dark spots covered with mycelium threads. The pathogens enter the soil along with the seeds.
Rhizoctoniosis- also wet rot, from which the stems of cacti darken, and the blackness rises upward through the vessels. Rhizoctoniosis develops in conditions of high humidity. The disease can be avoided by disinfecting the soil mixture for cacti and treating the seeds before sowing.
Dry rot, or fomoz, incurable: the cactus simply dries up from the inside, and nothing can be done. As a preventative measure, plants are sometimes sprayed with a fungicide solution.
Gray soft rot affects grafting sites or lateral parts of the stem. The plant tissues liquefy and turn into a mushy mass covered with a dark gray coating of mycelium. The infection is activated by chronic waterlogging of the substrate. At an early stage of the disease, the cactus can be saved by cutting out the affected areas and treating the wounds with sulfur, crushed charcoal or Nystatin.
Black rot or Alternaria blight, outwardly manifests itself as shiny dark brown or black spots in the form of streaks. It is necessary to cut out all these spots to healthy tissue and treat the cactus with a fungicide solution.
Spots (anthracnose, or brown spot, And rust) are fungal in nature, so treatment is carried out with fungicide solutions, but before spraying, the affected areas on the cacti should be removed.
A symptom of viral diseases are light spots on the trunk of the plant. For processing cacti from viral infections dissolve one Remantadine tablet in a liter of water, but do not place much hope on treatment, since the virus is very difficult to defeat.
Types and varieties of cacti
The Cactaceae family includes four subfamilies, each of which has fundamental differences in physiology and structure - the subfamilies Pereskiaceae, Opuntiaceae, Mauchienaceae and Cactaceae, which includes 80% of all cacti.
The Cactus subfamily is represented by plants that lack leaves and glochidia. Among them there are both epiphytes and xerophytes of various shapes - columnar, spherical, creeping or forming turf. There are many plants with edible fruits - ferocactus, echinocereus, mammillaria, myrtillocactus, peniocereus and others. We offer you brief description genera, species and varieties, as well as the names of cacti, which are most often grown indoors.
A plant with a powerful spherical stem, on which the ribs are clearly visible. Over time, cacti of this genus acquire a columnar shape. A special feature of astrophytum are tufts of light hairs on the surface of the stem that collect moisture. At the age of 8-10 years, astrophytums begin to bloom with large funnel-shaped flowers of light shades yellow opening at the top of the stem.
The name of the plant consists of two parts: “astro” - star (the cactus, when viewed from above, has the shape of a regular star) and “phytum”, which means “plant”. Astrophytums goat-horned, speckled, four-ribed, star-shaped and others are grown at home.
Or "rat tail" - a Mexican epiphyte with long, reaching one meter, and thin (only about 2 cm in diameter) shoots of light green color with vaguely defined ribbing. At first the shoots grow vertically, but then they droop and hang out of the pot. Aporocactus wattle is grown as a hanging plant. This species blooms at the end of April with large tubular crimson flowers up to 7 cm long, which look very impressive against the background of greenery.
One of the most numerous genera of the subfamily, which according to various sources includes from 150 to 500 species, sometimes completely different from each other. Common to all mammillaria are qualities such as small size and unpretentiousness. They are also easy to propagate and bloom quickly. Indoor mammillaria are small cylindrical or spherical plants that lack ribs. Cacti are covered with cone-shaped papillae, their spines are usually light, similar to hairs and bristles, and some species are covered with thick hairy pubescence - white or yellowish.
Mammillaria flowers are funnel-shaped, small, yellow, white, pink, red or greenish in color, often with a dark center. Most often grown at home:
- mammillaria elongata- a plant with a thin long stem, low papillae and golden spines, collected in a neat rosette. This species blooms with small white flowers;
- Mammillaria spinosa- a species with a spherical stem and white or brown thin and sharp spines. The flowers are bright pink;
- mammillaria bocassi- a cactus with a thick elongated stem up to 4-5 cm in girth, with long thin papillae. The central spine is hooked and brown; around it are several needle-shaped spines and several long, white hair-like spines. This species develops easily and blooms at home with medium-sized white flowers.
A genus of spherical cacti that was one of the first to appear in indoor floriculture. Representatives of this genus vary in color and size, they have strong curved spines and large white, light yellow or pink flowers with characteristic tubes. There are many species in the genus, all of which grow in South America. Both large species of the genus and miniature ones are grown in indoor culture. Chlorophyll-free forms with yellow, pink, purple or red stems are in great demand - they are grafted onto green cuttings.
Most often cultivated at home:
- Gymnocalycium gibbosum- a large plant with a greenish-blue stem in the shape of a ball, which eventually becomes cylindrical, and cream flowers. The cactus can reach 50 cm in height and 20 cm in diameter. The areola consists of a central spine and a dozen not so long radial spines. Gymnocalycium humpback has a variety with a stem and spines of almost black color;
- small-flowered gymnocalycium (Gymnocalycium leptanthum)– ribbed cactus up to 7 cm in diameter with radial spines pressed to the stem and white flowers with a reddish base of the petals;
- tiny gymnocalycium (Gymnocalycium parvulum)- the smallest of the species, only up to 3 cm in diameter. The stem of this cactus is spherical, with low ribs, and a dusty brown-green hue. The areoles are large, without central spines, and the radial ones are curved and pressed against the stem. The flowers are white, apical, up to 6 cm long;
- Gymnocalycium mihanovichii- a cactus with a flattened stem of a grayish-green color and wavy, unevenly convex ribs, which makes them seem to be located both vertically and horizontally. Light spines are only radial. The flowers have a greenish-pink hue, although there are varieties with pink, white and yellow flowers.
A genus of tree cacti with 46 species and many varieties. These are succulent trees and shrubs, which are divided into two groups: tropical forest cacti and cereus. Forest cacti, in turn, are divided into three subgroups:
- rhipsalis– epiphytes with a variety of stems (ribbed, cylindrical or flat) and small flowers or fruits. There are 12 species in this genus;
- phyllocactus– 10 epiphytic species with flat stems devoid of thorns and large flowers and fruits;
- Hylocereus– 9 epiphytic species of climbing and climbing plants with ribbed, spiny stems and large flowers and fruits.
Cereus, or candle cacti, are divided into two subgroups:
- northern cereus growing in the territory North America in Canada and Mexico, as well as in South America - Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. These spherical plants lack spines and bristles on fruits and flowers;
- southern cereus, growing in South America - Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay, and the Galapagos Islands. The flowers and fruits of this subgroup of cacti have spines and bristles.
Most often grown indoors:
- Cereus peruvianus- a plant that reaches 12 m in height in nature, forming shoots with a diameter of up to 10-12 cm with 6-8 roughly dissected flat ribs. At home, the cactus grows only up to 4 m. Young plants are light green, adults are gray-green. The areoles are equipped with a central spine up to 2 cm long and 4-6 radial spines up to 1.5 cm long. The spines are needle-shaped, red-brown in color;
- monstrous form of Cereus Peruvianus, or rocky cereus– an abnormal species common in culture, formed as a result of growth disturbances and deformation. This is an unpretentious fast-growing cactus, reaching only 1.5 m at home, although in nature it can grow up to 5-6 m in height and up to 5 m in diameter. Light green with a bluish tint, the stems of the cereus, growing fancifully, form unique shapes in the form of tubercles, fragments of ribs and other outgrowths, on which areoles with brown needle-like and thorn-like spines are located. This cereus is often used as a rootstock.
More often than other cacti it is used for breeding hybrids. In nature, Echinopsis grow in Peru - it is cool there, it rains often, but there is almost no frost. This is why Echinopsis adapts perfectly to home conditions.
The following types of echinopsis are grown in indoor culture:
- Echinopsis hookate- a green, spherical, slightly flattened cactus up to 8 cm in diameter with tubercles on the ribs. The light areoles contain from three to ten flexible and spreading radial spines bent back, up to 1.5 cm long. The central hook-shaped spine, up to 2 cm long, is usually one. White, red or pink flowers up to 15 cm long open on the sides of the stem;
- Echinopsis golden- dark green, spherical when young, and when mature, a cylindrical cactus up to 10 cm high and 4-6 cm in diameter produces many basal processes. The ribbed stem is covered with areoles with brown pubescence, central spines up to 3 cm long, surrounded by 10 radial spines up to 1 cm long. Numerous yellow-orange flowers with a diameter of about 8 cm are bell-shaped.
One of the largest genera of cacti, numbering about 190 species. You can learn more about these plants from the article, which is already posted on our website. The most commonly grown indoors are:
- prickly pear- a plant up to 30 cm high with small hooked spines, which, depending on the variety, can be white or red.
In addition to the described genera, species and varieties, cacti such as Chamecereus Silvestri, Cleistocactus Strauss, Echinocereus crested, Nonocactus Otto, Rebutia tiny, Trichocereus alba, Schlumbergera, Echinocactus iridescent and many, many others are grown in culture.
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