Home care for mamillaria

The unpretentious decorative cacti Mammillaria are often found in greenhouses and home collections. Proper care of mamillaria includes creating the desired microclimate, a seasonal watering and feeding regime, as well as a timely transplant.

Description

The genus of plants Mamillaria is about two hundred varieties and varieties of cacti, many of which outwardly have little resemblance to each other. The homeland of most representatives of this family is Mexico, as well as the southern states of the United States, Colombia, Guatemala and Venezuela. The types of Mamillaria known today are striking in diversity. Even florists find it difficult to find two or three identical varieties of this plant. The shoots and flowers of Mamillaria also differ in size and shape. Depending on the species, the flowers of these cacti are pinkish, yellow, white, silver, coffee and other shades. However, all varieties have common features, thanks to which scientists attribute them to the same genus.

• Plants of the genus Mamillaria are completely covered with cones, which are called tubercles, or papillae. The upper part of these growths is small spines. Tubercles are arranged in spiral rows and cover the entire surface of the plant.
• During flowering, buds are knocked out between the tubercles. From them, cactus flowers appear, located in the upper part of the plant around the circumference, in the form of a wreath.
• Fruit pods with seeds are elongated, juicy, yellowish or green in color. They appear after the flowering period and fully mature in 7-12 months.

Many varieties of this cactus are quite persistent and do not require painstaking care. They tolerate cold, drought, and extreme heat equally well. Mamillaria is able to "fall asleep" for several months in order to wait out unfavorable conditions. This is due to the fact that in nature, cacti grow in harsh climatic conditions.

Most popular varieties

Decorative, indoor varieties of mamillaria are easy to find in every flower shop. They can be purchased separately or in the trendy Mamillaria Mix set, which consists of several types of blooming cacti. Among the two hundred varieties, there are quite capricious varieties. Caring for them is difficult and only professional florists can do it. Therefore, most often, undemanding common varieties are purchased for home collections.

• Wilda. The cactus is dark green in color, cylindrical in shape, completely covered with even white spines. The flowers are milky white with an expressive yellow core.
• Bokasana (bokasskaya). A medium-sized, elongated plant of a bluish-green hue. There are three types of thorns: the cactus is completely covered with short sharp "needles" and whitish down, and brownish "hooks" grow in the upper part. Flowers are small, pale cream shade.
• Mamillaria Zeilman. A short cylindrical bush with numerous "babies". The flowers are intense pink.
• Gracilis. Cylindrical, spines are of medium length and grow only in the upper part of the papilla. The flowers are light white-yellow.
• Prolifera, or shoot-bearing mamillaria. Thin, medium-sized stem with a large number of offshoots, dense white hairy spines. When flowering, it releases many small white flowers. Does not require pollination.
• Blossfeld. A spherical plant with a rich green color. On each areola, the papilla has one long spine and a bundle of short ones. Unusual two-tone color of flowers - pink with a bright stripe in the center.
• Mamillaria Baum. A fluffy ball-shaped cactus with bright yellow flowers.

This is only a small part of the cacti of this species that can be kept and grown at home. If there is already an adult cactus in the house, then it can be propagated to get young plants.

Reproduction by children and seeds

The most reliable and simple way to propagate the mamillaria cactus is cuttings. To do this, you need to cut off the largest healthy shoots of an adult plant - "babies". The cuttings must be dried in air for 24 hours, and then planted in a moist soil and placed in a lighted room. "Babies" are lightly watered every three days until rooting.

Important!

When propagated by cuttings, each generation degenerates more and more. It is much more difficult to propagate a plant by seeds, but florists advise this method.

The germination and viability of cactus seeds primarily depends on the freshness of the seed. The collected seeds can be slightly dried, but they should not be stored for more than a year.

Before placing the seed in pots with soil, they are soaked in warm distilled water. Sprouted seeds are placed in mini-pots with wet sand, covered with foil. Until the first shoots, the pots are kept in a warm room, ventilated once a day. After the thorns have formed, young plants can be transplanted into separate pots.

Microclimate for mamillaria: humidity and air temperature

The conditions for the growth and lush flowering of domestic cacti are similar to the natural climate of their homeland. Northern Latin America is not an arid desert. It is quite hot and sunny there, but long months of drought alternate with heavy rains.

It is quite easy to create a similar microclimate.

• Lighting. Mamillaria is that rare houseplant that is not afraid of direct sunlight. The cactus feels best on the windowsill on the south side. Only in this way the cactus will bloom without additional daylight. In summer, in hot sunny weather, it is recommended to "walk" the plant on the balcony or in the garden. The only exceptions are varieties lacking "downy" thorns. They should not be kept in direct sunlight in extreme heat.
• Humidity. It is not required to humidify the air in the room; mamillaria tolerates dry air well. In the summer months, the plant can be "tropics" by sprinkling a little cactus in the evening from a spray bottle.
• Air temperature. The year is divided for the cactus into "winter" and "summer" seasons. Their occurrence does not depend on the calendar, but on the air temperature. During the "hibernation" of smooth varieties in the room should be about 10-13˚C, 10-15˚C for fluffy ones. In summer, the most comfortable temperature is 21-23˚С. Although, most varieties tolerate thirty-degree heat without problems.

As you can see, creating a microclimate for this plant will not require special costs. The only equipment that will not hurt to purchase is a fluorescent lamp. It will be needed in an apartment that does not have southern windows, or for those cacti that have at least 15-16 hours of daylight.

How to care for mamillaria during periods of growth and rest?

Cacti do not require undue attention. Simply put, these plants need to be "watered lightly and sometimes fertilized." Even forgetful or overly busy people can provide proper care for homemade varieties of mamillaria.

Experts name three main components of care.

• Watering. Moistening the soil in a cactus pot depends on the season. In summer, a small amount of warm water is enough once every 2-3 days. In winter, you can water mamillaria no more than once a month. Some growers generally prefer not to water the cactus in order to give it the necessary rest.
• Top dressing. It is enough to apply fertilizers once a month.Top dressing should start in mid-April and end at the beginning of the "winter" - in late September or early October. For this, a cactus mineral complex is suitable. It is better to choose fertilizers from which an aqueous solution can be prepared - this way the substances are absorbed faster.
• Prevention and treatment of diseases. A plaque of cobwebs on the surface of a cactus, noticeably emaciated or drying shoots are the first sign of infection with plant diseases or pests. Most often, the cactus is overcome by spider mites and cactus scale insects. Prevention from them is the same - treating the surface of the plant once a month with a brush dipped in medical alcohol. Another common problem is nematodes living in poor quality or uncultivated soil. As a preventive measure, the soil for transplanting is fried in the oven. If the plant has already suffered, it will have to be treated with specially selected insecticides.

For the winter period, the growing season of a home cactus stops. At this time, it is better to take the plant out to a glazed loggia or to another cool room. You need to "wake up" the cactus after winter gradually. To do this, for several days in a row, it is transferred to heat for 3-4 hours.

How and why to transplant a cactus?

The thick root system of cacti is constantly growing, spreading to the sides. Therefore, it is recommended to transplant a young plant annually, an adult - once every 2-3 years. A flower pot should be chosen not very deep, 2-4 cm wider than the previous one.

You need to transplant the plant like this.

1. A drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the pot. On top, the soil substrate for cacti is poured to about half the capacity.
2. The cactus rhizome is carefully removed from the pot. The easiest way to do this is if the cactus can not be watered for several days before transplanting. The old soil must be thoroughly shaken off and the rhizome examined.
3. Cut off damaged, dried roots with a sharp knife.
4. Place the rhizome in a pot, sprinkle with soil.

Soil renewal is not only beneficial for the roots. Transplanting into fresh, high-quality soil will protect the plant from frequent diseases. Mid-April, when Mamillaria begins to wake up after the winter period, is the ideal time to transplant a home cactus. A few weeks before the start of active flowering, Mamillaria will have time to adapt to the new soil and gain strength.
A blooming cactus can be a lovely gift or a nice workplace decoration. Thanks to the varietal variety, you can easily choose a plant of this type for any interior. Taking care of one or more cacti does not take much time. Therefore, not even the most experienced florist will be able to create his own collection of these beautiful plants.