Gymnocalycium is a cactus imported from South America. Got its name from the Greek words gymnos and calycium, which translate as "naked bowl." It is interesting that the process from which the buds of the plant appear is not covered with bristles or hairs, as in other cacti. The alternative Russian name is "holo-cup".
Description of the hymnocalycium
Gymnocalyciums are spherical cacti, flattened on top. The diameter of each ball can reach 15 cm in an adult plant. The maximum height is 30 cm.
Cactus is valued for large inflorescences. They come in various colors: yellow, white, pink, red and greenish brown. The color of the succulent itself is also different, it can be grayish-green or brown with a touch of light green.
In total, there are more than 80 varieties of hymnocalicium, differing in appearance. At home, specimens grown even in yellow or red are grown. They can grow only when grafted to another plant. The plant is distinguished by ribbed stems covered with tubercles.
Popular views
In the wild, the species of the hymnocalicium are not diverse, but many artificial indoor varieties have been bred by cultivators.
| View | Description |
| Nude or Denudatum | Round succulent up to 8 cm in height, covered with small spines. The color is grayish green, shiny. It has from 5 to 8 ribs and pink flowers up to 6-7 cm in diameter. |
| Star-shaped or stellatum (Gymnocalycium stellatum) | Flattened ball with many ribs. On the cactus, areola rows with a cannon are arranged in vertical rows, from which 3 to 5 spines grow. They look in different directions, which is why they resemble stars. |
| Gymnocalycium mihanovichii var. friedrichiae (Friedrich) | Due to the lack of chlorophyll, the cactus has a reddish hue. |
| Japanese | Hybrid of the previous grade. It can only sustain life by being grafted onto another plant. The advantage of Japanese succulent is a bright color: from yellow to red, burgundy and even black. |
| Mikhanovich | Spherical cactus with a gray-green or reddish stem. The inflorescence has up to a dozen sharp ribs covered with spines up to 2 cm long. The flowers are bright orange or scarlet, pink, white. |
| Damsy | In the spring, several large white flowers appear on it. |
| Anizitsi | From April to September, it shows flowering with the development of medium-sized white calyxes. As it grows, it can stretch very much. |
| Horst | It differs in buds of a lilac, cream or pink hue, which, when opened, reach a diameter of 10 cm. |
| Monville | Has cups of a white or pinkish shade up to 8 cm in size. |
In flower shops, you can often find a pallet with many small cacti with a diameter of up to 5 cm. It combines different types of hymnocalyciums. This composition is called a mix.
Home Care
It is important to consider the origin of the plant. Since succulent is native to South America, home care requires a small amount of moisture and access to the sun. If the sun is not enough, it will quickly lose shape and begin to hurt. However, an excessive amount of ultraviolet radiation also adversely affects it.
Location
Contain cactus preferably on the south window. To prevent burns on the plant, it is necessary to shade it or use tulle to create diffused light.
Gymnocalycium loves rooms saturated with oxygen. The room where he is standing must be constantly aired. In summer it can be kept on the balcony.
Temperature
A heat-loving plant from spring to early autumn requires a temperature in the range + 20 ... + 25 ° C. At the same time, overheating must not be allowed. Along with the change of season, temperature conditions must be rebuilt.
In autumn and winter, in the middle band of sunlight, there is not enough hymnocalicium. To avoid succulent diseases due to a lack of photosynthesis, it is necessary to suspend its growth. This effect can be achieved by lowering the average daily temperature to + 8 ... + 12 ° C. You can rearrange the cactus in a well-ventilated room with air heating up to + 15 ... + 18 ° C.
Watering, humidity
So that the succulent does not hurt, you do not need to spray it additionally. The optimum humidity level is low.
Watering the plant is necessary throughout the year. In summer, it is irrigated as the top layer of the earth dries up in the tank. From mid-October to the end of spring, watering is reduced. It is best to irrigate the earth with a warm, slightly settled liquid.
Soil, top dressing
For gimnokalitsiuma requires a special earth mixture. To prepare it, you need to take one fourth (100-200 g, depending on the volume of the pot) of the following components:
- peat;
- sand;
- humus;
- sheet earth.
To properly drain the soil, it is recommended to add brick chips. Expanded clay can be used as the lower layer. It is important that there is no lime in the soil.
Succulent does not require frequent feeding. It is enough to add fertilizer for cacti to the soil once every 2-3 weeks. Top dressing is carried out only in the spring and summer periods.
Transfer
Constantly replanting is necessary only for young plants. Change the capacity for them every year. The new pot should only be slightly larger in diameter. Transplantation is carried out in the spring. In this case, the earth mixture is used the one whose recipe is indicated above.
Bloom
The flowering of succulents begins in the second or third year of life. If the hymnocalycium is properly managed, the first buds will appear in April. Inflorescences open and hold until the beginning of autumn. After that, they fade, and ovaries form in their place.
Breeding
There are two ways to propagate a cactus - by seed or cuttings. Both are quite comfortable and are held at the same time, in the spring. It is advisable to start breeding immediately after the end of the winter period of rest.
If cuttings are selected as the main method, it is necessary:
- Disconnect the process from the parent plant by unscrewing it or simply breaking it off.
- Wither the sprout (let it wither slightly) for 3 days.
- Put in a pot with moist soil in an upright position. Do not stick deep into the ground so that the handle does not fall, you can use matches or toothpicks as props.
- After 2 weeks, check the stem for roots.
The duration of cultivation using seeds is practically the same. The breeding algorithm in this case:
- Place seeds on moist soil. Cover with a film.
- Open the film every day for 15-20 minutes to remove excess moisture. Otherwise, the sprouts can rot.
- Wait 2-3 weeks. After this period of time sprouts will appear.
- You can plant small succulents when thorns are formed.
Graft
Vaccination is not needed if standard varieties of hymnocalycium were purchased. However, hybrids without chlorophyll cannot exist without a carrier body. They need to be vaccinated with other succulents. In rare cases, the part of the plant that dies due to rotting of the root system is taken as a scion.
A healthy growing shoot is needed - a scion. On the succulent, to which the process will be attached, the stock is evenly cut. Slices should coincide in the slope, as well as the location of the conducting beams.
The stock and scion are connected with an elastic band or a load for about a week. For the process to succeed, it is important to cut the stems with a cleaned tool.
Diseases and Pests
Improper care leads to diseases in the succulent. Excessive moisture, sunburn, and drafts make the plant more vulnerable.
Fungal lesions
Fungi are pretty easy to spot. The main signs of the disease:
- the appearance of brown or dark spots;
- curvature of stems;
- rotting of individual parts of the plant;
- sluggish state.
The disease provokes excessive moisture in the soil and air, as well as a large amount of nitrogen in fertilizers or earth mixtures. To stop the development of pathology, it is necessary to remove the affected areas.
Places of cuts are processed with a special composition, and if it was not possible to pick it up, then with ash. It is best to purchase a professional fungicide.
If it was noticed that the soil in the pot is too wet, the cactus must be transplanted into a container with a new soil mixture. In the next 4 days after this, watering is not required.
Worm
After the mealybug, white traces remain on the plant. You can get rid of it with the help of an alcohol composition or Inta-Vir, Actellik and Vertimek insecticides.
If only a few pests are found, it is enough to moisten the surface of the succulent and the worms themselves with alcohol. In case of serious infection, treatment with a professional composition is required.
Aphid and spider mite
The spider mite and aphids do not lead to the immediate death of the cactus, but they still have a serious negative effect on it. Signs of pests - yellowing of individual sections of the cactus and drying.
Since the cactus does not tolerate excessive moisture, it is impossible to process it with soapy water several times. Instead, professional insecticides and acaricides should be used. Universal remedies for both types of pests are Actellik and Aktara. Processing is carried out every 7-10 days, in general 2-3 times.
