Gymnocalycium Japanese: a description of the cactus, features of home care, as well as similar flowers

In flower shops, one can often find bizarre and very elegant plants similar to both cactus and coral. The plain meaty leg is crowned with a red, and sometimes an orange or yellow ball with thorns.

What is the Japanese Gymnocalycium, how to care for it at home: temperature, watering, light, soil, pruning, top dressing, etc., how to propagate and what diseases is affected by a cactus? Find out below.

Botanical Description

The Japanese Gymnocalycium (Gymnocalycium Facilisis), nicknamed the "Little Red Riding Hood", was born thanks to the efforts of Japanese breeder Agee Watanabi in the forties of the twentieth century. The basis was taken Gimnocalycium Mikhanovich (Gymnocalycium mihanovichii) - one of the many (according to various estimates - from 50 to 800) species of the South American genus Gymnocalycium of the Cactus family.

Reference! The name "Gymnocalicium" comes from the Greek words "gymnos" - "naked" and "calyces", - "tube". This is due to the fact that thorns are completely absent on the flower tube of plants of this genus. Russian flower growers also often use the name "Holochashnik".

Alone red, pink or yellow cactus will not survive - the green pigment chlorophyll is necessary for the life of the plant. Therefore, pink specimens obtained as a result of selection were grafted onto a green donor plant, then red and multi-colored specimens were grown. At present, almost black varieties of hymnocalicium have been bred.

Home Care

Temperature

Like most cacti, Japanese Gymnocalycium is very thermophilic. In summer, he will feel great at a temperature of 20-30 ° C, in winter, the temperature should be lowered to 15-18 ° C, but not lower than 5 ° C.

Watering

Water for irrigation should settle for a day in an open container so that chlorine harmful to domestic plants evaporates from it. Hard water should preferably be passed through a filter. For irrigation use water at room temperature, since cold water is detrimental to the southern plant.

In summer, the plant is watered abundantly., but before each watering you need to make sure that the soil in the pot is completely dry. On average, in summer, the hymnocalicium is watered once a week. At the end of summer, the plant gradually begins to be watered less and less. In winter, watering is stopped, and only slightly moisten the soil. With the onset of spring, watering resumes.

Shine

Japanese Gymnocalycium loves bright places. In autumn and winter, it is desirable for him to provide additional illumination. However, unlike most cacti, it does not tolerate direct sunlight and can get burns, so it is advisable to shade the cactus in the spring-summer period.

Priming

The soil for the hymnocalycium must be selected slightly acidic or neutral, the plant does not tolerate acidic soils. You can use ready-made soil mix for cacti and succulents, or prepare it yourself. To do this, mix sand, humus, peat, charcoal and expanded clay or crushed brick.

Pruning

Pruning is necessary in case of decay of fabrics. Affected tissues are cut with a sharp knife or razor, then the cut is sprinkled with crushed fresh or activated charcoal, or dispersed sulfur - this will help stop the rotting process. You can water the cactus after at least 2-3 days after pruning.

Top dressing

In the spring-summer period, the Japanese Gymnocalicium is fertilized with top dressing for a cactus about once every 2-3 weeks, or even a month.

Attention! Excess fertilizer can have a very negative effect on the condition of the plant. In autumn and winter, you can’t feed the cactus.

Pot

Clay pots are preferred for cacti, as they evaporate moisture well, and cacti cannot tolerate fluid stagnation. A pot too large should not be used - its walls should be in contact with the roots of the hymnocalycium. To provide drainage, expanded clay, broken brick or even polystyrene need to be put at the bottom of the pot. You can add beaten eggshells.

Transfer

A plant should be transplanted on average once every 2-3 years. It is carefully removed from the old pot, the roots are cleaned from the ground, washed with warm water and dried for 2 days. Now the cactus is ready for planting in a new pot.

Wintering

In winter, a temperature drop of 15-18 ° C is required. Watering and top dressing cease.

Breeding

Seeds

Seed propagation of cacti is a rather time-consuming process, but allows you to get more hardy plants. It is used primarily by breeders.

It should be remembered that during seed propagation, the characteristic features of the variety are often lost. A small container is used for sowing. A mixture of sand and peat is taken as a substrate. It must be kept in the oven at high temperature for 2-3 hours to destroy dangerous microorganisms. Also, the soil can be steamed.

When the mixture cools down, it is poured into a pot, seeds are laid on its surface, then they are a little sprinkled on top. The substrate must be moist, it must not be allowed to completely dry. To do this, cover the container with a transparent lid or film. The temperature should be maintained at about 20 ° C. Seedlings should be expected in about ten days.

Attention! Since the seedlings of the Japanese Gymnocalicium do not contain chlorophyll, a few days after the emergence of seedlings, they must be grafted onto a well-growing and hardy cactus - for example, echinopsis.

Scions

In this case, vaccination is also necessary. The process of the hymnocalicium is separated by a rotational movement from the mother plant. The base of the process is cut with a sharp blade, which must first be disinfected. The rootstock is also cut. Slices of both plants are combined.

A soft rubber bandage should be applied to the vaccine for several days, which should not put too much pressure on the stock. Also, the vaccine is covered with a transparent cap (glass or plastic), making sure that it does not block the access of air. As long as the scion is not completely accustomed to the stock, the room temperature should be slightly higher than normal.

Disease

Red tick.
Thanks to its thick skin, the Gymnocalicium Japanese is quite resistant to this pest, which affects many types of cacti. However, young plants can still suffer from it. In adult plants, an area near the growth point may be affected. In this case, dry rusty spots appear on the skin. You need to wash the cactus with hot water or treat it with a solution of ethyl alcohol. If there are other cacti in the house, then to prevent their infection, the plant can be treated with special pesticides.
Worms.
Small insects, whose females are shaped like worms, stick to the roots and stems of plants. The insect bodies are pink, covered with a coating resembling cotton wool. To destroy parasites, the plant along with the roots must be washed for a long time in hot water or held in a hot bath. The temperature should be as high as the hand will withstand. Insecticides can also be used.
Root rot.
The main reason is excessive soil moisture. In this case, the cactus, along with the roots, is also washed with hot water, the roots are cut to a healthy tissue and treated with crushed coal with alcohol or antifungal drugs. The roots are dried, then a transplant is performed.

Similar flowers

In indoor floriculture, cacti of unusual colors are often found.

Stenopleurum. Also belongs to the genus Gymnocalicium. The stem is characterized by low ribs with transverse striation. As for the Mikhanovich Gymnocalycium, chlorophyll-free forms were obtained for this species.
Chametereus Sylvester. Like hymnocalycium, comes from South America, but differs in elongated stems. Breeders managed to bring out the chlorophyll-free yellow form of this plant.
Echinocactus Gruzoni. Originally from Mexico. Has a spherical stalk with long needles. On sale are often specimens with colored needles. This effect is achieved with the help of dyes, when they stop using the needles acquire a natural golden or white color.
Myrtle cactus geometric. Also comes from Mexico. The stems are elongated, at a young age painted in a bluish-green color.
Mammillaria Snowy. A spherical cactus resembling a snowball thanks to white pubescence.

Japanese Gymnocalycium is a very effective plant, simple enough to grow at home. Gather a whole collection of different colors and shades of this cactus, and your windowsill at any time of the year will resemble a coral reef!