How the Decembrist reproduces: all possible ways
Probably, there is no such person who will remain indifferent when he sees a blooming mini-garden on the windowsill in a frosty winter. It is so unexpected and pleasant to see bright colors at a time when most indoor flowers are at rest. If you have a Decembrist growing up, you probably already understood that we are talking about this amazing cactus. Many people dream of having this unpretentious plant at home, but not everyone knows how the Decembrist reproduces. He does not have a trunk and branches as such, so the reason for the bewilderment of novice florists is quite understandable. However, despite this, it is, in principle, not difficult to breed a zygocactus, as it is also called. There are several ways to reproduce a flower. Some of them can only be done by experienced and knowledgeable craftsmen. Others can even master the flower business.
So, you can multiply the Decembrist at home in three ways:
- cuttings;
- vaccination;
- seeds.
Now let's figure out which of these methods is the simplest.
How to properly graft a Decembrist?
It is noteworthy that you can graft at any time of the year, but the best one is still to wait until the Decembrist fades.
Leaf plates, consisting of several segments, act as cuttings. They must be elastic, and you cannot cut them off - just unscrew them. It is advisable to take at least 3 cuttings in order to subsequently plant them in one pot. So the young bush will quickly become lush. Unscrewed cuttings must be dried, and then rooted in a small pot with a special substrate for cacti. You can put it in water, but there is a great chance of decay. When new segments begin to grow, the rooted Decembrist can be transplanted into a permanent flowerpot.
The nuances of reproduction of the Decembrist by grafting
A very interesting way available for home use if you have prickly pear or overexposure. They are used as rootstock.
The process itself is as follows:
- Choose a scion from the Decembrist: no more than 3 healthy segments. Without cutting it off, in the lower part, where the 3rd segment grows from the previous one, clean the last segment. To do this, cut the edges obliquely.
- Cover the cuts with coal and leave the scion in this form for 5 days to dry the wounds.
- Cut off the top of the rootstock and split it. The higher the trunk left, the more beautiful the result will be.
- Separate the scion from the old Decembrist and insert into the rootstock split.
- Fix the graft with a cactus thorn and wrap with thread.
- If new shoots appear on the rootstock in the process of taking root, remove them.
Reproduction by grafting will allow the Decembrist to "acquire" a trunk that he does not have. Thanks to this, cactus shoots hanging from a height look much more beautiful.
How does the Decembrist reproduce by seeds?
At home, this method is rarely used, since the main difficulty is obtaining planting material. For pollination to occur and seeds to form, you need to have in your collection at least two types of zygocactus with different colors. In addition, they should bloom at the same time. If everything matches up with you, this is a great opportunity to feel like a breeder and breed a new species.
It takes a long time to wait until the seeds ripen, at least 6 months. And they are contained in an oblong box resembling a rosehip fruit, inside the pulp.
The seeds of the Decembrist are sown directly on the surface of light soil, after having washed them in a solution of potassium permanganate. It is not necessary to cover it with earth and cover it with foil - the crops will germinate anyway. In the first year of life, the plant should be dived every 3 months. One-year-old cacti are enough to transplant twice a year.