Schlumbergera - care and reproduction at home, photo varieties

Flower photo

Schlumbergera Decembrist - one of the most popular indoor plants. Belongs to the cactus family. It features drooping stems and well-growing branches..

At the ends are the teeth. The name of the plant was in honor of the French cactus collector Frederic Schlumberger. Although sometimes the flower is also called the Decembrist. The homeland of Schlumbergera is the southeastern region of Brazil.

Decembrists grow up to a height of 40-50 cm. In one season, several centimeters are added. The plant lives for several years.

Flowering is one of the reasons for popularity. Flowers appear at the ends of the shoots. Usually their size is about 2.5 cm. But sometimes large buds appear. Also a distinctive feature is the brightness of the flowers.

Also pay attention to the beautiful plants of the hymnocalicium and jatropha.

	Low growth rate. 5-10 cm per year.
	It blooms in autumn and winter.
	The plant is easy to grow.
	Perennial.

Beneficial features

Schlumbergera (Schlumbergera). A photo

There were no useful properties of the flower, no harmful ones either. However, it is believed that the plant can still bring some benefit, except for its beautiful appearance.

Florists believe that the Decembrist carries a positive energy. Some note that in the house in which the plant appeared, the number of quarrels was reduced.

The flower itself also requires returns from the owners. Schlumbergera loves when they talk to her, and when she is praised for flowering.

It is also believed that the flower can weaken the manifestation of allergic reactions and relieve insomnia.

Features of growing at home. Briefly

The main items for the care of Schlumberger at home are presented in the table.

Temperature mode	In summer, an indoor is required - approximately 27 ℃. In autumn, a lower one is needed - about 10 ℃. In winter, when flowering begins, again an increased temperature will be needed - about 20 ℃.
Air humidity	Spraying is required regularly, both in summer and in winter, if the temperature exceeds 16 ℃.
Lighting	You need bright diffused lighting, especially in winter. It should also be protected from direct exposure to sunlight.
Watering	In summer and during flowering, watering should be carried out often, in autumn, the frequency of watering should be reduced.
Priming	It requires soil with a lot of humus. It should also be well drained.
Fertilizer and fertilizer	Required during growth. Feeding for cacti or for flowering plants is suitable.
Transfer	Needed every 3 or 4 years. It is carried out at the beginning or in the middle of spring.
Breeding	Easy propagation by cuttings.
Growing Features	It is most convenient to grow in hanging baskets.

Care for the Schlumberger at home. In detail

Schlumbergera flowers rarely appear at room conditions. To increase the likelihood of flowering, you need to know the details of plant care.

Bloom

The Schlumberger plant is not accidentally called the Decembrist. Its flowering occurs just in December. Some species bloom in February.

Buds begin to appear in early December. At this time, you can not disturb the plant - rotate it, rearrange it in other rooms. Such actions can lead to falling buds.

Also at this time it is necessary to maintain humidity and feed the flower. The room temperature during flowering should be about 20 ℃.

If you provide the described conditions, you can see bright flowers in different shades. The most common colors are red, white, pink, purple, orange.

Temperature mode

In winter, the room temperature should not be higher than 20 ℃. If the temperature is elevated, the plant will not fade, but the buds from which the flowers develop may not appear. Another important condition for the development of the kidneys is a short daylight hours.

Also, too low temperatures must not be allowed. At temperature conditions - 3-5 ℃ the plant will die.
In summer, the plant will be comfortable at a temperature of 15-20 ℃.

But the heat should not be constant, otherwise at home Decembrist will not bloom.

Spraying

To ensure the flowering of schlumbergera, it is necessary to maintain high humidity. Spraying should be plentiful and constant, especially in the summer. In winter, spraying must be done with caution to prevent frostbite on the flower. The water with which it will be sprayed must be warm.

Lack of moisture will cause droplets to drop.

Lighting

A good decision on the location of the Decembrist would be to place it on the windowsills of the eastern and western sides. In these places, he will have enough sun, while the likelihood of drying will be significantly reduced.

To set Schlumberger over batteries and heaters no need.

Watering

With regard to this item for the care of room schlumberger, the features of the origin of the plant are taken into account.

In summer and during flowering, regular and plentiful watering is required..

The rest of the time it can be reduced to 1 time per week.

Pot

The root system of the plant is poorly developed, because under environmental conditions, the flower begins to develop near the roots of the trees. This means that initially it does not require a large pot. A pot of 10 cm in height and 6 cm in diameter will suffice.

Priming

Based on the previous paragraph, we can conclude that the Decembrist requires the most loose soil. You can cook it yourself. This will require 1 part of peat, 1 part of sand and 1 part of deciduous or sod land.

At the bottom of the pot you can make a drain. It must conduct moisture well, because Schlumberger does not like stagnation of water.

In no case should you plant a Decembrist in clay or loam. This soil conducts moisture poorly and limits air access. Other deviations from the described conditions are permissible, but keep in mind that the Schlumberger may not bloom.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

The flower can grow on poor soils. But in order to provide him with a beautiful appearance, top dressing is required. You need to feed the plant no more than 2-3 times a year during flowering and growth.

When buying fertilizers, you should pay attention to the composition. If there is nitrogen in the honeycomb, its content should be medium. An excess of this substance will lead to rotting of the roots.

Schlumbergera transplant

It is best to carry out a transplant during the period of plant growth. When choosing a pot, you need to consider the need for the root system to grow in breadth, and not in depth.

Therefore, the new pot should be of the same depth. The width of the new pot should exceed the width of the previous one by 2-3 cm.

The soil requires good drainage, because when transplanted, the roots are more prone to decay.

Young plants are transplanted every year, older plants - every 2 years.

How to prune a Schlumberger

There is an important point regarding pruning Schlumbergera - cutting a plant is undesirable. It is better to pluck heavily overgrown parts. Plucking is important because it leads to the appearance of new shoots, and new buds develop from them.

Rest period

This period begins immediately after the plant fades. During dormancy, you need to keep your home schlumberger in a cool place. Desired temperature is 15 ℃. Watering and spraying the Decembrist is rarely necessary. The main thing is to ensure that the soil does not dry out.

Is it possible to leave the plant without care during the holidays?

If you are planning a family vacation, it is advisable that someone water the plant during the absence of the hosts. It is especially dangerous to leave the Schlumberger without watering in the summer.

Propagation of Schlumbergera by cuttings

At first glance, it may seem that it is difficult to propagate the Schlumbergera with cuttings. However, this is easier than it sounds. To break off the handle, it must be rotated several times around the axis. Then the cuttings are dried and planted on moist soil. The root system of them begins to develop rapidly. At first, the new plant will not show signs of growth. But soon the kidneys will begin to appear.

There is also another interesting feature of the Decembrist. It can be propagated by grafting to another plant. To do this, cut off the top of another plant, make an incision on the stem and put a Decembrist stalk there. The junction is tied with thread. It can be removed after the plants grow together.

Diseases and Pests

The appearance of diseases in a plant indicates improper care. The following symptoms indicate an unsuitable environment:

1. Buds and flowers fall away Decembrist - sudden changes in temperature, drafts. Falling can also occur due to the movement of the plant.
2. Schlumbergera does not bloom - in autumn, the plant was in conditions with a temperature below 10 ℃.
3. Light spots on the plant talk about an excess of light.
4. Slowly growingthat means he lacks nutrition.
5. Wet, watery, or slippery spots talk about infection with viruses or bacteria. Infected specimens are almost impossible to save.
6. Root decay speaks of an overflow in the autumn or winter, or an excess of fertilizers. In this case, it is better not only to reduce watering, but also to root the plant again.

Some people think that if the shlubmeger is not a very demanding plant, then it is not necessary to observe all the conditions for care. This is the main mistake of gardeners.

Pests that may appear:

• spider mite;
• scale shield;
• mealybug.

The appearance of pests can lead to the death of the plant.

Types of home schlumbergera with photos and names

Truncated Schlumbergera (Schlumbergera truncates)

The stems of this species diverge from the middle and hang beautifully in different directions. Shoots can reach 40 cm. On the sides of the segments have sharp teeth. Truncated Schlumbergera flowers come in a wide variety of shades.

There are also several varieties of this type

Bridgeport

This plant is distinguished by its flowers, or rather their color. Plants of this variety are called snow-white Schlumberger. Most often, the flowers have a white color and a rounded shape. Sometimes there are pinkish flowers.

Cambridge

This variety is distinguished by the color and shape of the flower. At the beginning of flowering, you can see peach buds and blossoming flowers. But over time, they will turn yellow.

Christmas charm

Red purple color indicates that this plant is a variety of Christmas Charm. This color is most common. However, various shades of pink may also occur. Schlumbergera of this variety grows quickly, so it is perfect for a hanging pot.

Kris kringle

Flowers of a bright red color also appear on the plant. The variety also has short segments and compactness.

Lavender doll

This variety, on the contrary, is characterized by long segments. The flowers are large, lavender. To get a vertical bush, you need to pinch the plant every year.

Peach parfait

The plant is characterized by vertical growth. Therefore, it is better to place it in an ordinary pot, and not in a hanging one.

Santa cruz

This variety is characterized by red-orange bright flowers. It also differs in that the buds early begin to take on a bright color.

Twilight tangerine

The plant is notable for light orange or light pink flowers and wide stems.