Round cactus with yellow spines. Flower "mother-in-law's tongue": care at home. If the cactus is sick

Echinocactus grows in the southern states of the USA and Mexico. The genus includes very few species, of which the most popular is gruzoni echinocactus.

“Hedgehog cacti”, as they are also called, can reach 3 meters in height and 1.5 meters in girth, while some of them can weigh more than a ton and are classified as centenarians with an age exceeding 500 years!

Echinocactus species photos and names

It lives precisely in Mexico, where its dimensions significantly exceed the prickly balls with a diameter of 40-45 cm familiar to the home environment. The spines are either straight or slightly curved, have a fairly high strength, oblong.

Just in connection with the last property, the whole family as a whole began to be called “hedgehog cacti” and, by the way, this is not their only unofficial name. The fact is that this species, after 13-14 years of development, changes its shape from spherical to barrel-shaped with dimensions up to 1.2-1.5 meters in height and up to 0.9-1 meter in width, thus from the “hedgehog cactus” turning into a "golden barrel".

The color of the spines includes pale yellow and, less often, white tones, which should be noted before buying this cactus, since the gruzoni echinocactus in the store, containing various additives in the name, such as “ red " or " rainbow ” (echinocactus red and echinocactus rainbow respectively), is not really a separate variety, as you might think at first, but just dyed a different color with ordinary food coloring, and maybe, much worse, with a dye from a printer.

It is better to avoid such “colored hedgehogs”, because, although with age they will clear themselves of foreign impurities (returning the spines to a natural yellowish tint), but until this happens, the owner may face serious problems during cultivation, which should not have been basically.

A little less popular, it is somewhat higher - 1.5-2 meters - and wider - 1-1.5 meters, has much fewer ribs - no more than 20-25. The greyish spines are straight in shape. For its taste, the species almost got into the endangered list in Mexico, where it has become an integral component of culinary sweets.

- the same spherical at the beginning of growth, then acquires a cylindrical shape. This handsome man from the north of Mexico has a relatively small height - 30-35 cm and curved brown-pink spines that turn white over time. This species has very high care requirements associated with poor seed germination and susceptibility to various diseases at a young age.

It differs somewhat from its “brothers” in its shape, namely, in flattened spherical outlines with ribs twisted in a spiral in the amount of 11-12 pieces. Even adult representatives of the species are characterized by a relatively small diameter of 25-30 cm and slightly thickened curved spines of a rich red color.

Unlike other types of Echinocactus flowering, it is easy to achieve horizontal flowering at home (its beautiful flowers have a length of up to 3 cm and a lilac-red color), following the basic rules of care.

It is notable for a myriad of spines up to 3 cm long, brown. At the same time, the dimensions of the age specimen are 150x125 cm in height and diameter. During the flowering period, yellow funnel-shaped flowers appear.

Indeed, it has multi-colored needles - yellow, brown-red or pink. When distilled in an apartment, it can grow up to 70 cm in height with 15-20 ribs and a small number of spines.

It is similar both in size and in the number of ribs to the previous species. At the same time, its spherical shape with bristling spines, to the greatest extent among all echinocactus, claims to be compared with a real hedgehog. Prefers to be in a large group, which can include up to 100 plants!

Echinocactus gruzoni home care

The rules for caring for echinocactus gruzoni are not particularly different from those common to most cacti. He needs bright light with a predominance of direct sunlight, and therefore it is recommended to place it on a south window.

In the summer, it does not hurt to take it out into the open air several times - while in the sun, it will be fully saturated with it, which will avoid the loss, blanching and thinning of some spines, which are often associated with a lack of lighting.

Despite the love of sunlight, the plant does not tolerate extreme heat very well, therefore, at temperatures above 30℃, it falls into a state similar to rest, with a slowdown or complete cessation of growth, which in general does not harm it.

Mammillaria is also a very beautiful and decorative succulent that is grown at home without much hassle, but still requires a few rules. You can find all the necessary recommendations in this article.

Watering Echinocactus

It is often impossible to water, you need to wait until the soil in the pot is almost completely dry. For irrigation, it is better to use well-settled water at room temperature.

There are no requirements for air humidity - in an ordinary city apartment, without spraying and other additional irrigation measures, he feels great. If the stem is heavily soiled, it is washed under a warm shower and cleaned with a toothbrush or a fine paint brush.

soil for echinocactus

The substrate for echinocactus gruzoni needs to be selected loose, breathable, neutral-acid. Store-bought soil for cacti is suitable, but with the addition of fine gravel or crushed brick.

Hand-made preparation of the soil mixture involves the use of leaf and sod land, coarse sand with fine gravel (brick chips) in proportion to 1: 2: 1: 0.5 as components. In addition, it is better to supply it with a small amount of crushed charcoal in order to prevent root rot.

The capacity for planting a hedgehog cactus should correspond to its superficial, not particularly widespread root system - a wide, shallow bowl will do.

Echinocactus transplant

A transplant, if produced, is in rare cases, if necessary. There are enough reasons for such caution: the first is the sensitivity of the root system to mechanical stress, the second is long and sharp thorns, from which even thick gloves will not protect.

Craftsman flower growers, however, came up with an interesting trick that helps a lot to avoid injuries from a cactus during transplantation - they put a wire loop between the needles, which simultaneously acts as a grip and a safe handle, by pulling which you can remove the plant from the substrate and move it to a new container.

Echinocactus should be fed once a month during the growing season with fertilizers for cacti and succulents.

Echinocactus Gruzoni flowering

It is not often that Echinocactus Gruzoni blooms, because only specimens over 20 years old with a stem that has expanded by 40 cm can bloom. But when this happens, its top is decorated with lovely single flowers of yellow color, whose diameter is approximately 5 cm, and length - up to 7.

Like most cacti, the shape of the flowers is tubular and has felt pubescence. The corolla is made up of many lanceolate petals with oblong yellow-brown tips.

Echinocactus Gruzoni rest period

From October until February, the cactus should rest. During this period, it should be moved to a cool room (temperature about 12℃). It is not recommended to create colder conditions, since freezing of the plant is not excluded, as a result of which it may become covered with brownish inclusions.

It also does not hurt to use a cactus container stand to protect its roots from colds. As noted above, the soil should dry out before each watering, so in winter conditions, when the risk of root rot increases significantly, any moisture can be completely eliminated.

Echinocactus propagation by seeds

Home Echinocactus can be propagated by seed and other methods. Seed germination is almost 100 percent, so it is recommended to use them for this purpose.

The procedure consists of the following steps:

Seeds are soaked for several hours in heated water.
They are sown without deepening into the sand in the middle or end of spring.
Cover with foil and place in a lighted room.
Periodically, the seedlings are ventilated, they do not water, but they are sprayed with a light solution of potassium permanganate to avoid the occurrence of putrefactive mold.
After the emergence of shoots (after 10-30 days), the sprouts swoop down in separate pots. During the first year, this must be done several times - even after the appearance of the first spines and when the seedlings reach a diameter of 4-5 cm, with the last time the substrate is changed to the mixture for adult cacti described above.

Diseases and pests

Echinocactus cause the greatest harm scale insects , ticks and worms .

The first can be seen when small plaques appear on it, the second by their activity contribute to the formation of brown dead spots, the third are identified by a characteristic whitish coating.

Please tell us about large round cacti with huge spines. In stores, they are sold in the size of a soccer ball. Is it difficult to grow such a cactus at home? Irina Tsarapkina,Nizhny Novgorod

Most likely, dear Irina, you are interested in echinocactus gruzoni(Echinocactus gusonii). This is perhaps the most popular cactus, which is liked by both amateur growers and venerable collectors. It got its name from the Latin Echinocactus: “echinos” means hedgehog, and the word “cactus” in Ancient Greece was called some kind of thorny plant, possibly burdock.

Echinocactus Gruzoni is a longtime and universal favorite. Now entire nurseries in tropical countries grow this plant for sale in countries with a colder climate.

The cactus is really good. He has everything super-cactus: huge light green spherical stems reaching 80 cm in diameter, pronounced high ribs in the amount of about 30 and long, curved spines. It is the spectacular spines and proportionality of the stem that give this plant a special decorative effect. For these qualities, it is called the “golden ball”, or “golden barrel”.

This cactus has another interesting nickname, which was awarded to him by German cacti growers: "Teschin's chair." Clearly, this is not because of beauty, but because of its powerful spines.

This plant is native to the subtropical deserts of Mexico. Large flowering specimens in the CIS can be counted on the fingers. The flowers are yellow, about 5 cm in diameter, appear at a very late age. In the conditions of the room, it is unrealistic to see them. But even without flowers, “gruzons”, as lovers call them, are distinguished by catchy beauty. These cacti live up to 200-400 years, so they can be inherited.

Which ones to buy?

On sale there are small seedlings the size of a large plum, and perennial giants. The most popular size is with a medium ball. In greenhouses, the plant reaches such volumes in about three years. In young plants, the spines are relatively large and are located on large tubercles. In older echinocactus, the tubercles form distinct ribs. Such a spectacular “thorn” is perfect both as a gift, and for decorating a house, and for a collection.

Growing "grouzy" is not difficult. It is only necessary to take into account that with a lack of light, which is more than likely under window sill conditions, it is unlikely that you will be able to grow such a handsome man as you can see in the store.

Plants grown on a window sill tend to be more elongated, with less hair on the crown and weaker spines. This is especially noticeable if you have purchased a large copy.

With a lack of lighting, its top will stretch, and the plant will gradually take on the shape of a pear with smaller spines at the top and no pubescence. Therefore, plants grown from small specimens look more natural.

Landing and care

As with all desert cacti, differences in day and night temperatures during the growth period are very important for echinocactus. This contributes to abundant dew, which is mainly the main supplier of water for desert plants, and also contributes to the formation of powerful spines and abundant pubescence. Keeping a cactus in the warm season on an open balcony or loggia will help grow good plants.

For planting a cactus, it is better to take wide shallow bowls, they have less danger of overflow, the soil dries out faster. And, therefore, it is less likely that with a sharp change in weather, the cactus will stand in damp and cold ground. Cold and dampness are the enemies of the cactus, they contribute to the development of rot, which can “eat” our “hedgehog” in a few days.

It is advisable to close the drainage hole in the bowl with a plastic mesh so that pieces of expanded clay drainage do not clog it and do not interfere with the outflow of water. Land for planting can be bought, now many mixtures for cacti are sold. But don't skimp on it. Read the composition of the soil and take the one where more different components are added, and not just peat. Unfortunately, it is the basis of all soil substrates, although it is the least suitable for this. It would be nice to add some charcoal (which is sold for barbecue), a little washed river sand, perlite or fine expanded clay to this mixture. The soil should be water and breathable with an acidity of about 5.5 (slightly acidic).

Planting a cactus has some differences from planting ordinary plants. Before transplanting, it is necessary not to water the cactus for several days so that the earth dries out. Having freed the roots from the old earth, they spread them in a bowl over a layer of prepared dry earth and carefully fill the soil so that only the roots are covered, and the cactus itself seems to be hanging in the air. After that, the earth is slightly compacted, and expanded clay, pebbles or colored stones are poured under the plant itself and around it. It turns out that the cactus, as it were, lies on the pebbles, not in contact with the soil, and only its roots are in the ground. The stem of the cactus is easily susceptible to decay, and in this way we isolate it from the soil, which may contain the pathogens of these rots. After transplanting, your pet should be put in a warm, bright place for several days and not watered for a week, at least. After all, during the transplantation, wounds formed on the roots, no matter how carefully you tried to do it. And the ingress of water on these wounds will cause the plant to rot. For this reason, try not to buy watered cacti in stores and do not water them after you bring them home. Indeed, during transportation, even the most accurate, the roots can be damaged and the plant will be destroyed. Believe that the cactus will not die of thirst this week, but it can from your pity and early watering. If you follow these simple rules, then transplantation can be carried out at any time of the year. They dried it, transplanted it into dry ground, under a cactus - expanded clay or pebbles, and into a warm place for a week. And don't water!

Watering

Now a little about watering. Just a little, because this is the only way to water cacti. If the average daily temperature is below 15 degrees, it is better not to water the plant. The roots do not absorb water, and the cactus simply stands in damp and cold soil, and this is not conducive to its health, rather, it can lead to rotting of the roots. If the weather is warm outside, then the soil should be moist. You can water well once and then let the soil dry out almost completely before watering again. The water temperature should be higher than the soil temperature, 30-35 degrees. Higher temperatures (up to 55 degrees) sometimes help the cactus grow if for some reason it does not grow.

With the above planting method, it is better to water from above, and not into the pan. In winter, even if it is warm, it is not worth watering. The cactus will grow, but with a lack of light, it will stretch and grow bald. Find him the brightest and coolest place (on the windowsill) and forget about him until about the end of March, when the first sun appears. During dry, cool wintering, the cactus wrinkles a little, flower buds are laid in flowering specimens, and the cactus ripens.

Spraying plants during the growth period has a beneficial effect on the growth of spines and pubescence. It is only necessary to spray so that by night there is no moisture left on the cactus stem. Water for spraying should be taken hot, if only the sprayer could withstand. When sprayed, the water cools instantly, and only a warm mist reaches the plant. Spray on your hand - if the temperature is comfortable for you, then so is your pet. And if you are stressed by water, expect this from a cactus. It can be sprayed with epin-type stimulants, but no special changes are noticeable on echinocactus. Watering with cactus fertilizers is also possible. You should not only water freshly transplanted plants, as fresh soil contains enough nutrients. Do not water with fertilizers and diseased plants. Remember, these are fertilizers, not drugs.

If the cactus is sick

Of the diseases in Echinocactus, root rot is most common due to improper watering. It happens that it is already impossible to save the plant. But if you notice this at an early stage, then you need to free the cactus roots from the ground, rinse them under running warm water and cut off all rotten roots. Sprinkle slices with a crushed activated charcoal tablet. Place the cactus in a warm, ventilated place for a week so that the roots can dry out, and plant the cactus only when you are sure that all wounds have healed. Don't expect any noticeable growth this year, it will be spent on root formation. In general, an increase in diameter of about 1 cm per year is considered normal for Echinocactus.

Insecticide treatment will help control insect pests. Don't wait for pests to show up. Preventive treatment of plants with systemic preparations (Aktellik, Aktara, Fitoverm or others) twice a year - in spring and autumn, will help prevent their appearance.

In general, growing echinocactus, subject to these elementary conditions, does not cause much trouble, because where ordinary plants cannot be left even for a few days without care, you can simply forget about cacti, and they will perfectly endure the time of your absence.

Sergei Demidov,

sales assistant TD "Azaliya"

You can find this article in the magazine "Magic Garden" 2010 No. 1.

The sansevieria plant is more commonly found under the name "mother-in-law's tongue." African flower forms long xiphoid leaves. The total height of the culture can reach more than one meter. Sansevieria is especially valued for its tall inflorescences with small, star-shaped yellow flowers. The pleasant scent of sansevieria can fill an entire room. The representative of succulents belongs to the Agave family. In its natural environment, the plant can be found in the savannas and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa and America. There are more than sixty varieties of culture. Among them, there are also epiphytic representatives (plants that live on trees and other green spaces). In most varieties, the leaves are painted in a dark green hue. There are also longitudinal, flat, oval, wide, thick and round shapes. Vegetative organs in the form of a spoon or pencil are especially popular. The leaves have a small sharp end. Removing the site may stop the development of the culture.

For indoor growing, it is advisable to place the flowerpot in a lighted room.

Lighting

The plant is able to stay in partial shade for a long time. It is desirable to provide the flower with uniform sunlight. The brightness of the leaves and the full development of the culture depends on the length of daylight hours.

If the flowerpot is located on the windowsill on the south side of the building, it is necessary to protect the sansevieria from direct sunlight.

Variegated varieties with a predominant yellow tint are less demanding on the illumination of the site than the classic green representatives of the culture. For successful cultivation, place the potted plant next to a window. Colored areas are particularly susceptible to solar radiation. Therefore, it is necessary to shade the windows in a timely manner with the help of blinds or roller shutters.

Temperature regime

An unpretentious plant can actively develop in standard room conditions. To grow sansevieria during the growing season, you will need to provide about + 18 - + 20 degrees at night. During the day, the temperature should be maintained in the range from + 21 to + 28 degrees. The plant can withstand hotter conditions.

In the winter season, with a significant decrease in temperature, it is necessary to reduce the amount of watering.

How to water sansevieria

The plant can go without watering for a long time.

Succulents are quite drought-resistant plants. You need to water the flower as the soil dries thoroughly. The culture can be without water for a long time. In the darkened area of \u200b\u200bthe room, it is necessary to reduce the frequency of soil moisture.

Sansevieria requires careful handling of the liquid. Water entering the socket causes rotting.

Sansevieria does not need additional spraying. It is recommended to clean the culture from dust in a timely manner. To do this, wipe the leaves first with a dry, clean cloth, then with a damp sponge. You can also use a special broom. The initial use of a wet cloth clogs the pores with dirt.

The plant tolerates dry air very well. A high water level in the environment reduces the plant's hardiness.

The nuances of a transplant

It is necessary to change the container and soil mixture as the culture grows. Young plants in a period of rapid growth should preferably be transplanted annually. Grown flowers - when the container becomes cramped.

For planting, prepare a container of medium depth.

The root system of the plant is undeveloped and superficial. Therefore, it is advisable to prepare a shallow container. The width of the container should be more than used by two centimeters.

For transplanting, you will need a low-nutrient, light soil with good throughput. In specialized stores, you can buy soil mixtures for succulents and cacti.

It is quite easy to prepare a substrate from soddy soil, leaf humus and sand of medium grain size on your own at home. After mixing, be sure to sterilize the soil. You can also disinfect the substrate by heat treatment in the oven.

How to prune a plant

Sansevieria should periodically remove all damaged and infected areas. It is also recommended to trim to maintain a decorative look.

The top layer of the substrate must be promptly cleaned of fallen inflorescences and leaves. Dried vegetative organs are an excellent medium for fungal sporulation.

Other features of mother-in-law's language can be found in the video:

How to grow a flower in a flower bed

Sansevieria is considered to be the indigenous room culture. In fact, the flower can be easily planted in an open area. With proper care of the mother-in-law, the tongue grows very quickly. In one growing season, a pot of sansevieria can fill up with small plants.

After the threat of spring frosts has receded, a flower should be planted in open soil. In the open air, the mother-in-law's language will change significantly. The plant blooms profusely throughout the summer season. In autumn, the formed sansevieria can be planted in separate pots.

Transplanting into open ground not only contributes to rapid reproduction. The plant significantly improves the appearance of the site.

Features of cultivation

The composition of the soil mixture

For growing adult sansevieria, you can purchase a ready-made substrate. At home, it is easy to prepare one of the options for the soil mixture:

Connect humus soil with river sand and soddy soil.
Add leafy soil, humus, ventilated peat and sand to the soddy soil.
In equal parts, prepare sheet and sod land. Then add humus, sand and peat.

At the bottom of the pot you need to lay out a drainage layer.

Be sure to lay out a drainage layer during planting. The substrate should be periodically loosened. The soil should be highly permeable.

How to feed the culture

At the end of May, you can gradually start feeding the plant. For full development, it is enough to use drugs twice a month. At the beginning of the winter period, the use of fertilizers should be stopped.

Experienced growers do not advise using fertilizers with a high concentration of nitrogen for variegated representatives of the culture. The chemical element promotes the production of chlorophyll. Which, in turn, causes an increase in green mass. The formation of buds and the duration of flowering will be significantly reduced.

How to choose the right container

Sansevieria should be transplanted in early spring. The procedure should be carried out as the flower grows. With proper care, the plant will have to be replanted annually.

For breeding a flower, it is advisable to prepare heavy, clay pots. You should choose a wide, stable container. At the stage of winter dormancy in a dry substrate, the plant may lean and fall.

The main problems and diseases of the plant

Failure to follow simple plant care conditions can cause wilting.

Sansevieria is valued for its "compliance". Failure to comply with growing conditions can still cause a significant decrease in immunity. As a result, the plant becomes a potential victim for dangerous pests and diseases.

The combination of waterlogging of the substrate with a sufficiently low air temperature causes the formation of dark spots on the leaves of the plant.

Yellowness is formed on the vegetative organs due to insufficient lighting. Similar symptoms can cause cramped space in a small container. Both factors should be excluded.

The softness of the leaves along the entire length leads to the bending of the vegetative organs. Leaves may also lean vertically. From insufficient sunlight, sansevieria leaves are stretched. The plant cannot support its own weight.

If the areas at the base of the leaves turn yellow or become soft, you need to check the outlet. Often, liquid enters the leaf group during watering. Prolonged exposure to water leads to fungal diseases.

If only the tips of the leaves turn yellow, dry or wither, the air in the room is too cold. It is necessary to gradually raise the temperature of the thermometer. The reason may also be insufficient lighting or excessive watering.

Prolonged exposure to a dry substrate causes wilting of the leaves.

Thrips, spider mites and mealybugs can settle on the plant. Large pests can be harvested mechanically. The leaves should be treated with a solution of green soap and chamomile. After 24 hours, you need to wash off the remnants of the funds. It is necessary to repeat the procedure at least 3 times. Large colonies can be destroyed with insecticides.

A tiny spider mite is impossible to notice. After the appearance of a characteristic white cobweb, a solution should be prepared from laundry soap. The cleaned flower can be treated with an insecticide.

Sansevieria is often infected with anthracnose. It is quite easy to recognize the disease by the characteristic small spots on the leaves. Inaction contributes to the spread of the disease. The marks increase in size. The central part of the spot becomes white. A shell of a green or yellow hue is formed.

Affected leaves will dry out in a few days. The appearance of anthracnose contributes to excessive watering. Excessive wetting of the substrate should be avoided. When infected, it is imperative to treat sansevieria with a fungicide.

Secrets of flowering and the use of culture

Indoors, sansevieria rarely produce flowers even with proper care. White flowers with long stamens emit a strong pleasant aroma. Brushes are formed on long peduncles.

All areas of sansevieria favorably affect human immunity.

Sansevieria is rightly considered a medicinal crop. Plant sections are used to effectively treat cystitis and inflammation of the appendages.

According to studies, the pike tail has a positive effect on human health. The plant increases resistance to viral and colds.

Cases of complete disposal of seasonal allergies are known. The plant also helps relieve chronic rhinitis.

Propagation of sansevieria

The plant at home is fairly easy to spread vegetatively. You can carry out cuttings of leaves, division of the rhizome and bush with lateral layering.

To divide the bush, you must use a clean, disinfected knife. The rhizome should be cut at the junction of the shoot with the parent plant. The cut point must be treated with crushed wood ash. Then land in a container with a prepared substrate. The plant should be watered evenly. Over the next 30 days, it is not recommended to moisten the soil. Layers of mother-in-law's tongue take root quickly.

Sansevieria cutting.

Cuttings are much more difficult to carry out. The method has a significant advantage. You can get several plants at the same time. For reproduction, it is necessary to prepare healthy, large leaves. As a rule, the lower vegetative organs are used. Cuttings with a total length of ten centimeters must be dried in the fresh air for 48 hours. Direct sunlight should be avoided. Then you can plant the leaves in a container with a moist substrate.

As a filler, it is recommended to use vermiculite or peat. The distance between the cuttings should be at least two centimeters. After evenly distributing the soil, you need to cover the container with a transparent jar or bag. After 20 days, roots will appear on the cuttings. After 2 months, a small plant will form babies. After another 90 days, it will be possible to plant the resulting stem cuttings.

Why the plant does not bloom

For flowering, it is necessary to give the culture a winter rest. It is necessary to feed the mother-in-law's tongue in a timely manner. To form buds in the summer, you can move the flowerpot to the open air. You can also take the plant to the balcony.

For lush flowering, you need bright sunlight and a spacious container.

You can stimulate the flowering of sansevieria with the help of bright sunlight.

planting material

The average price for a sansevieria pigtail 1 meter high is 9600 rubles.

This is the popular name for a spherical cactus, which in scientific circles is called Gruson's Echinocactus or Gruson's Echinocactus, as it is named after the German cactus collector Hermann Gruson. Other popular names for this indoor flower are a golden barrel or a golden ball, as well as a mother-in-law pillow. In indoor floriculture, only this type of echinocactus is most often used. They love the Gruzoni cactus for its unusual appearance and bright spines.

The plant itself comes from Mexico, grows quite large - it grows up to one meter in height and width in nature.

It has more than thirty ribs, on which yellowish spines grow in the areoles;
The spines are very powerful - up to 4-5 cm, in the areole there are 1-4 central spines and about 10, diverging to the sides;
The top is covered with yellowish fluff - due to the accumulation of young areoles with spines;
Flowering in this cactus begins in adulthood - upon reaching 20 years and only in nature;
Small yellowish flowers on a short tube covered with fluff are located in a corolla on the top of the cactus.

In our article, we will tell you how to care for this unusual and original cactus at home: how to organize lighting, watering, and a rest period so that the echinocactus feels good and pleases you with its healthy appearance.

Care

Lighting

The sunny side is well suited for this flower;
Without the sun, the plant stretches, turns pale, sometimes its thorns may fall off;
In spring, the golden ball can be moved to a sunny place, but this must be done carefully, for several days, so that the plant gets used to the bright light and does not get burned.

Temperature

The optimum temperature for this plant is 20-25˚ in summer and 10-15˚ in winter;
Echinocactus gruzoni does not tolerate heat well, it can stop growing.

Watering and moisturizing

In spring, summer and early autumn, echinocactus is watered as the soil dries;
You can spray and bathe the plant during the growth period. But when bathing in the shower, be sure to cover the ground with a bag to avoid waterlogging;
From mid-October - early November, watering is stopped, and the cactus itself is moved to a cool place with diffused sunlight.

Choosing a pot

The Mexican cactus needs a wide, shallow pot, since its roots do not go deep into the soil, but are located superficially;
It is very easy to choose the diameter of the planter: you need to add 1-2 cm to the diameter of the cactus;
The bottom of the pot should be covered with drainage pebbles by a third;
At the bottom there must be holes for the outflow of excess moisture.

The soil

The soil should be:

Leaf humus (1 part);
Peat (1 part);
Coarse-grained sand (0.5 parts);
Charcoal (a few tablespoons per pot).

You can also purchase a ready-made mixture for cacti or succulents in the store.

Fertilizer

In spring and summer, you can fertilize the room load. Take a ready mix of fertilizers for cacti and dilute with water according to the instructions. You can feed the plant no more than 1 time per month.

Transfer

Don't repot Echinocactus too often. A cactus can become seriously ill if its roots are damaged. A transplant is necessary if:

The pot has become clearly small for the cactus;
Rot has appeared on the roots, and the plant needs to be urgently saved.

If a flower has recently appeared in your house, do not rush to replant it - let it get used to the climate in your house. It is better to transplant a new plant 2-4 weeks after purchase:

Echinocactus gruzoni needs to be transplanted from dry land to dry;
Carefully remove the plant from the old pot and place it in the new one;
If the soil in the old pot was unsuitable, then it will have to be shaken off;
Put the echinocactus in a new pot and let it stand for a couple of days without adding soil;
When the roots are dry, pour the earth into the pot;
After a week, the plant can be watered.

Remember that when transplanting echinocactus, you need to be very careful. The needles of this plant can seriously injure hands and fingers. Use gloves, folded towels, and a wire loop to protect yourself from injury.

reproduction

The golden ball is a solitary plant, it rarely grows children, therefore it reproduces mainly by seeds:

It is better to sow seeds in the spring, in March-April;
You can pour them on wet soil in a small bowl with drainage;
Lightly nail them to the ground with water jets from a spray bottle;
Cover the pot with foil or glass;
It is necessary to ventilate the seeds for 10-15 minutes during the day, removing excess moisture from the film;
Seeds should germinate in two to three weeks;
You can dive small cacti in a month and a half, but it is better to postpone the transplant until spring, if space in the pot allows.

cuttings

Cactus can rot from an excess of moisture in the soil. Or it may have rotted roots. You can save the plant by cuttings:

Cut off the top of the echinocactus with a sharp knife (it is advisable to wipe the knife with alcohol to disinfect before use) and slightly sharpen it, like a pencil, around the edges. The cut can be sprinkled with ash;
Place the flower in a small, empty cup so that the cut does not come into contact with the sides of the cup. After 10-14 days, small roots should appear on the cut;
After that, the echinocactus can be planted in the ground.

Echinocactus gruzoni redand rainbow and how to care for them

In stores, you can often find gruzoni echinocactus with an addition to the name "Red" or "Red", or "Rainbow", while the plants themselves have multi-colored bright spines.

Don't fall for this marketing gimmick thinking it's a special kind of cactus. No, it’s just that in the usual Echinocactus Gruzoni, the spines are painted red (“Red” and “Red”) or - in front of you is a mix of cacti, in which the spines of plants are painted in various colors and shades (“Rainbow”).

Coloring is carried out either with ordinary food dyes, or even ink for printers. Sometimes this can affect the health of the flower, because the paint gets on the stem of the plant too. In areas covered with paint, chlorophyll is poorly produced. The plant can stretch and drop thorns. If you want to get a healthy Gruzoni Echinocactus that will grow on you for a long time, avoid bright unnatural spines - the spines of a real Gruzoni are yellowish.

But most often, this procedure takes place for a cactus without serious consequences. However, over time, as the echinocactus grows, the color of the spines will fade and gradually return to the natural yellowish color.

You need to take care of the red echinocactus in the same way as for the usual one. You can only try to wash off the paint by soaking a cotton swab in lukewarm water and gently rubbing the stem of the plant with it. But don't rub too hard to avoid damaging the thin skin of the cactus.

Diseases and pests

As with many cacti, spider mites, scale insects and mealybugs are dangerous enemies for gruzoni. You can effectively deal with them with the help of special store tools. If these pests have settled on your cactus, try to isolate it from other plants so that the pests do not spread.

Other problems for echinocactus gruzoni are the lack of light, an improperly organized dormant period in winter, as well as excess water, in which its stem or roots can rot.

Stem decay. In this case, the plant can be saved by cuttings;
When the roots rot, you need to replant the cactus, cutting off the rotten roots;
If the plant stretches, turns pale, sheds thorns, then it suffers from a lack of light. Move the cactus to the sunny window;
If one side of echinocactus gruzoni "shrunken", then, most likely, it stands with one side to a warm battery. He reaches for the heat, while the other side of it receives less nutrients. Try to rotate the plant more often.

Useful video

In general, gruzoni echinocactus is a very unpretentious and beautiful flower. Let him not wait for flowering, he himself is very colorful. It has an original spherical shape and large spines - everything for which flower growers love cacti.

Sansevieria (scientific name), which is popularly called mother-in-law's tongue, pike tail, is an evergreen herbaceous perennial succulent plant that lacks a stem. Sansevieria belongs to the asparagus family. The plant lives in the subtropical forests and savannahs of Africa, Asia and America. Proper care of the mother-in-law's tongue flower at home will make it easy to grow this plant.

Necessary conditions for growing

This indoor flower is valued by flower growers due to its unpretentiousness of cultivation. Since the flower looks quite attractive, it is often used in interior design. suitable for keeping not only beginner growers, but also those people who throughout their lives have not been able to grow a single houseplant. This is due to the fact that sansevieria occupies a leading position in all available ratings regarding its hardiness of growth.

But, despite this, the flower still has some needs, so before you buy sansevieria, you need to familiarize yourself with some agricultural practices for growing at home.

Location and proper lighting

Since sansevieria grows in its natural habitat with a lot of sunlight, it is best for the plant to provide bright lighting at home, for this it is recommended to place it on a southwestern or southeastern window sill.

If bright varieties are used for cultivation, then they need even more light in the room, since in shaded places the leaves begin to fade at the mother-in-law's tongue, become almost monotonous, and growth also slows down. Of course, sansevieria will not die if it does not have enough light, but the flower begins to develop worse.

If a houseplant is placed on the south side, then sunburn may form on the leaf plates, therefore, with this placement, the pike tail needs additional shading.

So that the flower does not grow at an angle, it must be periodically rotated in a circle.

Humidity and air temperature

The rules for caring for mother-in-law's tongue at home imply compliance with the temperature regime in the room, as well as the level of humidity in the air. In summer, the flower can be kept at any air temperature, even +30 degrees is suitable. With the advent of winter, sansevieria can endure a short drop in air temperature to +5 degrees, but it is recommended to keep a houseplant at a temperature not lower than +16 degrees. If the temperature is lower, then rotting of the root system may begin.

As for air humidity, the mother-in-law prefers dry air, the plant does not need to be sprayed, especially when it comes to keeping it at low air temperatures. Periodically, sheet plates can simply be wiped from dust with a damp cloth or sponge.

Features of plant care

Sansevieria requires a minimum of attention when kept at home. It is only necessary to follow simple rules of care, and the pike tail will feel good.

Flower watering mode

Sansevieria is a drought-resistant flower, so it should not be flooded. It is necessary to water the pike tail regularly, but at the same time moderately:

In summer and spring, the plant is watered once a week, immediately after the top layer of soil in the pot has dried. In cloudy weather, the plants are watered even less frequently.
In winter, sansevieria is watered no more than twice a month, immediately a day after the soil dries.

For irrigation, you can use rain, distilled or settled water at room temperature. It is also necessary to ensure that watering is not too frequent, especially when keeping the plant in cool conditions. Water should also not get into the sockets, as this can cause the leaves to be soft and lethargic, as well as yellowing and rotting at the bases.

Fertilizer application frequency

In winter, this unpretentious houseplant does not need to be fertilized at all, and from late spring to September, fertilizers are applied a maximum of twice a month. To do this, it is best to use a special top dressing for succulents and cacti. It is also allowed to use simple mineral fertilizers.

It is important to note that for varieties that have colored decorative stripes on leaf plates, the fertilizer dilution dosage should be reduced by 3 times. Otherwise, the leaves will turn solid green due to excess chlorophyll production.

Sansevieria pruning procedure

Trimming this houseplant is quite easy. It is only necessary in this case to observe the principles of moderation, since excessive pruning of the mother-in-law's tongue can cause a slowdown in the growth of a houseplant. During this procedure, only old, severely damaged and lost their decorative leaf plates are removed, and rotten and yellowed parts are trimmed. The ends of the leaves do not need to be trimmed.

Soil composition and transplant process

It is recommended to transplant this indoor flower in early summer or spring. Sansevieria has a good growth rate, so young plants will have to be transplanted after a year, and mature ones once every three years. If the root system began to bulge out of the pot, then this indicates that it is time to transplant the flower.

A new plant container should be selected with thick walls. It is best to use a shallow, but wide pot for this, since the pike tail has a powerful superficial root system. It is imperative to lay a good layer of drainage on the bottom of the pot, for which you can use expanded clay, broken brick fragments or pebbles.

Immediately after buying sansevieria, the earthen lump must be removed, since the store soil is most often oversaturated with peat and too depleted. After that, the root system must be examined for rotting or mechanical damage.

On top of the drainage, the thickness of which should be at least 1/3 of the entire pot, soil must be placed. For this, it is best to use a low-nutrient and quickly drying light soil. You can also take special soil mixtures for succulents and cacti, or mix in equal amounts:

leafy earth.
Turf land.
Coarse-grained river sand.

When the substrate for plants is ready, it can be planted in a pot. The root system is slightly pressed down on top of the earth, after which the plant is watered abundantly. After the transplantation procedure, tall specimens must be tied to some kind of support, as powerful leaf plates can outweigh, due to which the flower will turn over with the pot.

Pike tail breeding methods

Sansevieria at home can be propagated by dividing the rhizome, leaf, side shoots, and seeds. Propagation by seeds takes a long time and is also less efficient. Features of breeding methods:

Possible diseases and pests

Basically, no problems arise when growing any of the varieties of sansevieria. But some difficulties may still arise, which most often appear due to improper care.

If dark spots have formed on the leaves, then this indicates excessive watering at low air temperatures in the room that contains the indoor flower.

Yellow leaves indicate a lack of lighting or a too cramped pot. If the tips of the leaf plates began to turn yellow, wither and dry out, then this also indicates insufficient lighting in the room, excessive watering, as well as too low air temperature in the room.

If the leaves become soft and bend in half, then they simply stretch out in search of additional light, not supporting their own weight under them.

If the leaves began to curl, then this indicates that the flower has not been watered for a long time.

If whitish spots form on the leaf plates, this indicates the presence of a spider mite. To overcome this pest, the leaves of the plant should be regularly wiped with a damp sponge or a special insecticide should be used for processing. To avoid the appearance of spider mites, the air in the room must be regularly moistened.

In the form of light spots, thrips may appear, which are located on the surface of the leaves, and their larvae are most often found on the back of the leaves. To combat this pest, special insecticides are also used.

If the plant began to bloom, and the flower stalks begin to bend and turn yellow, then this indicates the presence of a mealybug. This pest is removed only by hand, after which the leaf plates are wiped with a damp sponge. It is also recommended to apply insecticides if there are too many pests.

Folk omens and superstitions

There is one belief that says that a pike tongue flower can harm a family, which is why it got such a popular name. Unpleasant signs of the mother-in-law flower tongue:

If this houseplant is placed in the bedroom, then it threatens quarrels in the love bed, and also promises treason. Spouses in this case may lose interest in each other.
If sansevieria is kept in the kitchen, then this will provoke discord in everyday life.
A flower in the living room promises quarrels on financial grounds.

Speaking about whether it is possible to keep the flower of the mother-in-law's tongue at home, it is not recommended here to start this houseplant for young families - those who have lived together for less than 1 year. There is an opinion among the people that this plant negatively affects the family life of the spouses, while scandals and quarrels over every little thing begin in the house.

However, inveterate skeptics say that the pike tail is not able to affect family life. And experts in the field of psychology believe that during the first year of marriage, the couple only rubs against each other, so it will be quite difficult to avoid petty quarrels and conflicts of interest.

Many also believe that a gift in the form of sansevieria has a negative effect on the homely atmosphere, which causes frequent squabbles and quarrels.

There are also superstitions and signs of sansevieria if it is in the workplace. In this case, folk signs attribute to this plant the ability to protect a person from various gossip and excessive attention from envious people.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that a plant called sansevieria also has great benefits. The flower is often used to treat otitis media, cystitis, inflammation of the oral cavity, as well as skin lesions. But experts do not recommend the use of sansevieria treatment during pregnancy, as it contains substances that have an abortive effect.