Aporocactus: varieties and home care

In the modern world, there is a huge variety of unusual and bizarre plants that can decorate any home or garden. A stunning indoor flower like aporocactus is no exception. However, you should be aware of the intricacies of growing and the characteristics of this flower.

Aporocactus is an epiphytic plant belonging to the Cactaceae family. Most often it can be found in Mexico, especially on the rocks. Plants tend to form small thickets while clinging to rocky ledges and trees. Aporocactus has a stem that can be up to 100 cm long, with many branches. A large number of small spines are located on the same stem.

It is noteworthy that mainly in young cacti, the stems are directed upwards, however, with age, they gradually descendwhile changing the bright green color to a gray-green hue. There are also flowers, usually painted pink. But in nature there are many other shades of them. In length, these tubular flowers can reach up to 10 cm. The fruit is a round red berry with a small bristle.

Aporocactus has many species.

• Pleat-shaped. It is the whip-like cactus that can be found much more often than all the others. This is explained by the fact that its hanging stems usually grow up to 1 m in length, and the flowers are bright pink in color.

• Karen cactus, or Ackermann's disocactus, has stems of medium length and bright flowers of deep pink color. Usually this type is used to create new varieties, and not for home cultivation.

• Conzatti. This highly unusual species is notable for its bright green stems with small thorns. It grows mainly on large stones. The stems do not differ in special sizes: only 70 cm in length and 2 cm in diameter. On the shoots, you can see 10 ribs with dark tubercles. Flowers are remarkable: they are red, not pink, like in other species.

• Like the previous types, aporocactus martius has about 10 ribs on the stems, but they are not as pronounced as, for example, in the concattis. Small gray spines and very large (at least 10 cm) dark pink flowers are present.

Caring for aporocactus is not particularly difficult. But it is very important to take care of the plant, because with any negative impact it can die. It is necessary to observe several main conditions for its successful growth and development.

The lighting should be bright, but without direct sunlight, otherwise the plant will begin to rot. The flower pot is best placed on the west or east side of the house. If placed on the south side at noon, the plant must be shaded. A big problem for many flower growers is the winter period, when the plant often does not have the required amount of light and heat.

In spring and summer, the most optimal temperature for such a cactus is 20 °. The plant can also be sent outside, but in a shaded area.

As for the air humidity, it should not be too high.At the same time, in hot weather, it is recommended to use a spray bottle with warm water.

With watering, the situation is somewhat more complicated, since it is important to monitor the soil moisture and the condition of the plant as a whole. In spring and summer, watering should be abundant, but in no case should moisture stagnate in the pot. It is necessary that the soil is moist at all times. It is also imperative to remove excess liquid from the pallet. In winter, watering is reduced by about 2 times, especially if the period is characterized by particularly low temperatures.

Experienced gardeners recommend feeding from March to July. In this case, it is enough to apply fertilizers only once every 4 weeks. They must be special, designed specifically for cacti. At the end of flowering, feeding is completed.

Young plants should be transplanted no more than once a year, and older plants should be transplanted about once every 2-3 years. It is important that the pots are low, but at the same time rather wide, because the roots of the cactus are located relatively close to the soil surface.

The soil used should be as loose and breathable as possible, specially designed for cacti. If you don't find one in the store, you can cook it yourself. It is necessary to mix several ingredients in equal amounts:

• peat land;
• sod land;
• leafy ground;
• sand.

Reproduction of aporocactus can be carried out by means of seeds and cuttings. In the case of propagation by cuttings, the procedure is performed step by step.

• A long lash should be cut. Each piece should be at least 6 cm long.
• Then they should be left to dry for about 1 week.
• Then the cuttings are planted in wet sand mixed with peat in 2–3 cm depressions.
• The planting should be tightly covered with glass and removed to a fairly warm place.

Some insects are especially prone to harm to aporocactus.

• Shield. Such an insect can be found exclusively on indoor plants, and aporocactus is no exception. The main sign of the appearance of scale insects is brown spots - the places of settlement of these insects. Further, the leaves begin to turn yellow, and then the plant sheds its buds. Getting rid of scale insects is quite difficult, but possible. It is best to remove them by hand, as the use of insecticides often does not work. However, the most effective are the means "Aktellik", "Mospilan", "Aktara".
• Spider mite. Another rather mischievous and annoying representative. It is not as easy to notice as it seems: its dimensions are extremely small. In addition, the insect has a very inconspicuous color and is able to hide in the soil. The easiest way to recognize a spider mite is by the small white spots on the leaves or by the large thin cobwebs all over the flower. To combat the pest, it is best to use insecticides (for example, Fitoverm or Neoron). However, many gardeners resort to folk remedies: onion infusion or soap solution.

For information on how to care for Aporocactus at home, see the video below.