Rhipsalidopsis care at home

Cactus Rhipsalidopsis for many years familiar to Amateur growers.

He hails from the tropics of South and Central America.

This representative epiphytic in nature growing on trees, swimming in the warm rain.

A distinctive feature of their relatives from the desert is the love of moisture.

A plant with fleshy branching stems, which consist of flat plate segments. Aerial roots that appear in the place of articulation in contact with the soil, well rooted, and there are new plants.

Rhipsalidopsis — care tips

 Location and lighting

Cactus prefers bright, but diffused light. The best places to grow – Western and Eastern Windows. The plant can be put outside, while protecting it from direct exposure to the sun.

Temperature

Rhipsalidopsis at home grows well in warm areas with small changes in temperature (from 17 to 20°C in summer and from 15 to 17°C in the dormant period).

Watering and humidity

Watering a cactus quite often, the main thing – not to allow stagnation of water in the pot. Under natural conditions, rhipsalidopsis lives in conditions of high humidity.

Moisture taken from the air, as the root system is underdeveloped, with overflow, the plant may die. Summer requires regular spraying. In the dormant period watering should be reduced.

Fertilizer

Rhipsalidopsis feed during growing period several times a month. As a feed it is possible to use mineral fertilizers, in which a small nitrogen content, also can take a special fertilizer for cacti.

Transplantation and propagation of rhipsalidopsis

Transplanting is carried out immediately after flowering, usually this happens in the summer. Fit shallow and not too large pots. In the process of transplantation must be carefully removed from the roots of old earth.

Grafting cacti, is not worth much to deepen the stem into the soil, otherwise it will simply rot. Reproduction occurs through stem cuttings, grafting or seeds.

Pests and fight with them

Rhipsalidopsis quite resistant to pests and various diseases. However, not completely excluded

the probability of infection mealybugs, scale insects or spider mites.

Cactus can hurt fungal and bacterial infections. First, the disease causes decay of the small area, gradually hitting other parts of the plant.

In these places there are damp and slippery spots.

Disease antibacterial drugs does not provide effective results. The fight against the disease is possible only by removal of infected parts.