Everything you need to know about Mammillaria cactus care at home and outdoors

The popularity of Mammillaria in home floriculture is justified, they do not require special conditions of detention, are easy to care for and are able to resist the attack of pests. Species diversity also serves as a huge plus in favor of choosing this particular plant for interior decoration.

The article provides tips on the care and cultivation of cactus. Following them, even an inexperienced grower can grow it, and the plant will delight the eye with its magnificent flowers.

How to care at home?

Lighting

Mammillaria is a guest from warm countries, therefore the container with the plant must be kept in a bright place, access to which have direct sunlight. To do this, you can use the window sills on the south side or terraces. If the lighting is insufficient, the cactus will stretch and deform, leaning toward the sun.

In summer, if possible, mammillaria should be taken outside. For some species of this plant, daylight is not enough, so it is necessary to artificially extend it to 16 hours, especially with regard to the flowering period.

The rule of providing the cactus with direct sunlight is not applicable to non-pubescent species of mammals. On the contrary, they need to be shaded in the middle of the day or hidden under a canopy.

Watering

Frequent watering of mammillaria is contraindicated. In summer, during the period of active growth, two waterings per week are sufficient. You need to focus on the top layer of the earth in a container with a cactus. Two days after it has dried, the plant can be watered.

In winter, the earth is moistened no more than twice a month. The lower the room temperature, the less often the plant needs watering. Water must be used non-rigid, settled, room temperature.

Excessive irrigation for mammals is extremely dangerous. This can cause rotting of the roots and death of the plant.

Temperature

Comfortable for mammillaria temperature - 20-23 degrees. But they can easily tolerate extreme heat, so in summer no special temperature conditions for the plant are required. A daily temperature difference is desirable, but this is usually achieved in a natural way.

Important! In winter, Mammillaria begins a period of rest. In order to avoid failure of the annual cycle at this time, you need to maintain a temperature of 13 degrees. For fluffy species, the temperature should be at least 15 degrees. During the winter dormancy period, mammillaria gains strength for successful flowering.

Priming

For planting, soil is required, consisting of turf and sheet land and sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 1. It is also recommended to add crumb brick, charcoal, limestone or limestone to the soil.

It is important that the soil for cacti has a high content of mineral impurities, was porous and permeable, especially for species with thickened, turnip-like roots.

Pot

Both plastic and ceramic containers can be used to grow mammillaria, but plastic has a certain advantage: in it, the soil does not dry out and does not damage thin young roots. The pot should be wide and shallow, since the root system of the cacti develops over a large area, but not deep and forms a large number of side shoots.

It is very important that there is a drainage hole at the bottom to drain excess water.

Pruning

Mammillaria can be cut in case of deformationto straighten the plant or to restore the neat shape of an overgrown cactus.

The procedure is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. Wash hands. Disinfect the clerical knife blade.
2. Trim the required part of the plant. Sprinkle the slice abundantly with charcoal, wood or, previously crushed, pharmacy activated.
3. Leave the plant in a dark, dry place for a couple of days. Coal slices should dry.
4. If the cut material is planned to be used as a planting material, it is also kept for two days in a dark place, then put in a mug with water so that the cut is at a distance of 3-5 cm from the water, but does not dip into it. After some time, roots will appear from the cut. You can lay them on the ground in a container for further germination.

Transfer

Young plants are transplanted every yearadults every three years. The best time to transplant is spring. It is important to ensure that the dormant period of the plant is guaranteed to be over.

Consider how to transplant a plant:

1. The soil in the tank with the plant is dried, for this purpose watering is stopped 4-5 days before transplanting.
2. Take out a cactus along with a clod of old land.
3. The roots must be carefully inspected, if there are rotten or damaged, they need to be cut.
4. Drainage is laid at the bottom of a prepared pot.
5. The plant, together with a lump of old earth, is placed in a new container. Fresh earth is filled up to the desired level.
6. The soil is slightly compacted with fingers or a spatula and poured on top about one and a half centimeters of rubble. This will prevent the plant stem from decaying.
7. The first watering is carried out two days after transplantation, during which time the plant must adapt to new conditions.

Top dressing

Mammillaria gratefully perceives fertilizer only in summer. One feeding per month is enough. For these purposes, any complex fertilizer for cacti from a flower shop is suitable.

Flowering

So that Mammillaria does not throw buds during flowering you can not often change the position of the cactus or move it to another window. During this period, the flow of fresh air is very important for the plant, so it is recommended to take it to the balcony or to the garden. If the cactus bloomed in winter, it does not need to be fed, you should postpone this procedure until May (you can find out how often and when Mammillaria blooms at home here).

What to do after purchase?

After acquiring the cactus, it is necessary to hold it for a couple of weeks separately from the rest of the plants, in case pests do not immediately notice themselves. You can not put the plant directly in the sun. After the dark shelves of the store, he needs adaptation so as not to get burns. After the purchase, the plant is recommended to be transplanted, preferably by transshipment, it is less traumatic.

Preparing for the winter

Preparation for wintering is carried out from late August to October reducing watering, increasing the interval between them. During the resting period, mammillaria should be kept in a room where the temperature does not exceed 13 degrees. You can place the cactus on the glassed-in balcony on the windowsill near the window of the room. You should not worry about lighting at this time, since the growth of the cactus stops and there is no threat that the plant will stretch.

Reference! Watering is carried out once a month, in moderation, it is enough to moisten the top layer of earth from the spray gun.

Rules for outdoor placement

To place mammillaria in open ground, you should choose a suitable sunny place so that the cactus slide serves as a decoration of the site. Landing must be protected from the north winds. Every year, the soil under the cacti must be changed, at least partially, it will also be necessary to carefully remove all weeds.

As an additional mineral fertilizer, you can make wood ash. Watering is carried out in case of prolonged absence of rain. Water should be soft, not from the well. Around the cactus meadow, you must carefully mow the grass. If night temperatures drop below 5 degrees, cacti will need a film cover.

Breeding

Mammillaria breed well with young shoots. The shoot is cut off, kept for a week in the air so that the cutoff place dries, then it is planted in wet sand and gradually watered.

Also Mammillaria can be propagated by seed, which are pre-soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, and then planted in shallow containers filled with wet sand. The containers are covered with a film and germinated seeds at a temperature of 22-25 degrees. After the emergence of seedlings, the film is removed, and after the appearance of the first thorns, young plants are planted in separate pots.

Diseases and Pests

The plant has two main pests:

• Red spider mite. Leaves traces in the form of rust spots, the dehydrated surface is not restored. In the fight against it, insecticides are used, repeatedly processing plants for two to three weeks.
• Cactus scale insects. They are also being fought with insecticides.

The diseases most often affecting mammillaria are late blight and spotting. Against them, it is recommended to carry out preventive treatment with fungicides.

Also the plant is subject to rot. If decay is detected on time, it can be removed, thereby keeping the cactus healthy.

Mammillaria is an ideal option to start acquaintance of the florist with cacti, to master the nuances of caring for them. Compliance with simple rules will allow you to receive gratitude from the plant in the form of flowering pleasing to the eye.

Watch the video: 5 COMMON MISTAKES IN CACTUS CARE (October 2024).