Reproduction cacti
Propagation by cuttings. Like other plants, some cacti can be propagated by cuttings. The difference is that cuttings of cacti (except ripsalisov) never put in the water. Cut off the stalks to the spring, at another time of year it can be done only if the plant dies and need to save anything. From the fact that you are not sharing srezhete the spring, he did not suffer, and suffer the mother plant. Obviously, if a single stem of a cactus, then this method is not suitable, but if the barrel strong branch, we can cut the stalk. To do this, take a sharp knife, which is rubbed with alcohol. At the cut stalk (except Opuntia) into the cut stem to "sharpen" as a pencil. This ensures the formation of stronger roots. Then cutting necessarily dried for several days. Length drying depends on the size of the cutting. Thin small stems are dried for about a week, thick stalks with a large slice dried for at least two weeks. Location will be dried cuttings should be dry. It's fine if during the drying stalks little smorschatsya, turgor is restored, when they will root. After drying shaft put directly into the pot for preparing the soil, and strengthened pebbles or the upper drainage. The soil for rooting cuttings should be well disinfected and be very loose. Pot is put in pritenennoe, but a bright place and not watered at least a month. During this time the roots should appear. But keep in mind that the thicker and larger than the stem cutting, the longer will have to wait for rooting cuttings. I once went to a present cut off a huge crown tseriusa, length 25 cm and 8 cm in diameter. So I had to dry a little at first, this cutting 2 weeks, and then putting on dry land in the pot and strengthening expanded clay pebbles to wait two months until roots appear. Do not forget to sprinkle the cut on the mother plant, gray or coal dust. |
Reproduction babies. This is probably the easiest way to reproduce. It is suitable only for those cacti that make kids. We must remember that the strongest and most viable babies are closer to the top of a cactus. Some cacti kids themselves break off and falling to the ground eventually take root. In others they have to carefully remove with tweezers. This is sometimes the place from where the baby was taken not noticeable among thorns. And can happen that there is formed a failure, as it were, a void, it spoils the mother plant, especially if the baby was very large. Kids in contrast to the cuttings do not dry a little, they are easily rooted in vlazhnovatoy soil. However, breeding babies has a significant disadvantage - with long-term, repeated multiplication, the children, quality of the plants decreases.
Grafting - this is one of the methods of vegetative propagation of cacti having a definite purpose. As a rule, vaccinated in order to induce blooming cactus that is difficult to bloom. Vaccinated, when the cactus can be lost because he had lost the roots (for example, they rotted), or when you can not root the other way. Vaccinated, when the cactus is very complex in the content, if growing on their own roots. But for all the pros from vaccinations has a significant disadvantage - grafted plants, in most cases do not last, because it's still not a natural operation for the plants.
In carrying out vaccinations should observe the following conditions:- - To carry out vaccination should be in early summer, except when a cactus dies, for example, in winter, and lose valuable specimen is reluctant. But even then the result may not always be positive.
- - Rootstock (the cactus, which are taught) should have a good healthy root system and is in a state of growth. As the stock can be used only healthy cactus, which had been transplanted for at least a month before the vaccination.
- - All instruments should be sterile, so they are rubbed with alcohol. Both cactus, which will be used as rootstock and scion, it is better to wipe with a brush dipped in alcohol.
- - The cut must be fresh, not had time to dry.
- - Stock and scion must be aligned so that the cambial ring them on the cut matched as best as possible, so the diameters of the sections must be such that the diameter of cambial rings, too, were the same. This coincidence of rings cambium depends largely the success of vaccination.
- - Slices of rootstock and scion must be horizontal and smooth, and band connecting the two plants, firmly held them, but do not cut into the tissue of cacti.
Technique of vaccination: After cactus cooked and processed with alcohol, tool disinfected, cut off the tip of the rootstock and scion. Immediately, until slices have not started to dry out, they are combined so that the vascular bundles of cambial rings coincided maximum. To squeeze the scion to the rootstock recommend using a thread or a thin rubber band. I did: cut two thick nylon thread. At first, took one of them and one of its ends glued with tape or plaster to the wall of the pot. Throwing a string across the United cacti among thorns, and drew on the opposite end of the pot so that the thread does not cut into the skin of a cactus, but at the same time, firmly held the scion on the rootstock. Then just tape stuck the other end of a thread. Likewise, drew on the second branch, only the other side pot that both threads were arranged crosswise.
Care after vaccination. After grafting cactus should be put in dry, warm and bright place, but necessarily pritenennoe from direct sun. Watering sparingly, only when the soil dries thoroughly (do not allow full drying) and avoid getting water on the wounds and cuts in the place of vaccination. This cactus contain within two weeks, then bandage on the vaccination was withdrawn, and the cactus after gradually accustom to the bright light is transferred to a regular mode content. Spraying is not desirable to conduct the first two months.
Propagation by seeds. This is the most troublesome way, however, it is obtained from the seeds of the most strong and beautiful specimens of cacti. The seeds of cacti can be purchased in a store and you can get yourself, if you already have one kind of flowering cacti. For the cross-pollination is necessary to have two cactus, not related to each other, ie those who themselves were grown from cuttings of different plants or from seeds of different plants. The flowers from which pollen is taken should be fully flowering, pollen must be very easily separated, so that it could be collected on a cotton ball or a brush (you can use a feather pillow). Pollen from one flowering cactus flower is transferred to another, resulting in place a flower after a while formed berry.
For quality seeds, berries must ripen. Then she gently breaking open and take out the seeds, which can be stored in a paper bag, not forgetting to sign the name of a cactus and the date of receipt of the seeds. For germination is better to use a special teplichku, which you can buy in a store. If this is not, then the seeds are sown in the bowl. At the bottom it is poured drainage, then a layer of loose ground sheet and a layer of well-washed river sand. Drainage parboiled, and soil and sand roast thoroughly in the oven. Seeds are sown and the soil is not watered, and sprayed from the spray that would avoid erosion. The time required for germination, depending on the type of cactus. One must be a few days, others will sprout a month or even several months. Timing of germination depends also from the storage of seeds, it is clear that fresh seeds germinate faster than the stored one year or more. Once the seeds germinate, they represent the seedlings with two well-defined cotyledons, characteristic of all cacti, so on shoots never determine what is a cactus.
For the cultivation of cacti from seeds need a lower heating (soil heating). After all, for the germination of most seeds need a temperature of about 30 ° C. Actually building for heating is not very difficult to do. This takes a big flower pot and an electric socket with a bulb at 15 watts, with a cord. The cord is inserted into the drain pot to him casteth plug and socket is attached to the bottom of the pot. In the pot is placed on top bowl with seedlings. The sudden drop in temperature can lead to loss of crops.
In the literature, recommend watering the seedlings by immersion in a bowl of water, but so difficult to control the amount of water, and with a strong wet, seeds or seedlings may rot. It is best to spray them several times a day. After seeding closed glass bowl, leaving a small gap. You can also pull over a bowl of plastic bag, cementing his eraser in the package to cut a few holes. Regular airing - a prerequisite for normal germination and growth of seedlings. Aeration is conducted several times a day, while wiping the condensation from the film or glass.
After the first appearance of shoots, they need good light, but not in direct sunlight. The light should be bright and diffuse.
Question, when the first picks a fairly controversial among kaktusistov. Some suggest nosedive after the first appearance of the spines, while others determine the time - a year or two. The fact is that seedlings of cacti grow very slowly. I follow the advice of experienced kaktusistov - practitioners, swooped his seedlings for the first time after the cotyledons emerged between something like a thorn or even hairs. Frequent picks, on average one and a half - two months significantly accelerate the growth of a cactus. Thus, my cacti, I swooped down 6 times in the first year of life, and next year they were almost grown plants, and conducted no longer picks, but rather in the transshipment of fresh soil in the spring and midsummer.
Correct swordplay:- - You can not rip out the seedlings from the soil over the crown. They carefully dig, but remove the seedling better with his fingers rather than a metal tweezers. You can use tweezers, if he put on the ends of rubber tubes. Treat seedlings should be very careful, everyone, even microscopic wound may prove fatal for him.
- - Before the picks soil moisture and it recess. Excavated seedling transferred to a new place together with lumps of soil. The soil is not watered, but only sprayed. Bowl covered with glass and is located in the same conditions, ie for heating and light, as before.
- - If you want to remove the seedlings from heat, then this should be done no earlier than two weeks after the picks.
- - The seedlings in the winter and early spring especially need good light (avoid direct sunlight), so as not to jeopardize all crops, use additional artificial lighting. Fluorescent suspended at a distance of 10-15 cm from the bowls with seedlings, the duration of 8-12 hours of illumination. But to use artificial lighting is desirable only in the first and second year seedlings in the third year of seedlings should be dormant period in winter with a cool hibernation, so that they have successfully blossomed in the summer.