How to replant Decembrist at home, prepare the soil and choose a pot

Many indoor plants bloom in summer and autumn, but in winter there are not enough bright colors to please the eye.

However, there is a flower that is known to many as Rozhdestvennik or Decembrist; it blooms in winter, in the coldest months.

The plant is quite capricious and needs proper care, for example, timely replanting. Now we will find out how to transplant Decembrist at home, and what is needed for this.

Content:

• Decembrist, plant description and photo
• How to transplant Decembrist at home
• Soil preparation, choosing a pot for Schlumbergera
• The best time to replant, is it possible to replant during flowering?
• How to transplant an adult Decembrist
• How to plant a Decembrist shoot
• Is a Decembrist transplant necessary after purchase?
• Decembrist's withered leaves - how to revive the plant
• Why does the Decembrist not bloom?

Decembrist, plant description and photo

The Decembrist came to us from Brazil, where there are humid forests that promote its growth and reproduction. This plant has 17 names, one of them is Schlumberger or Zygocactus.

This flower is also considered a type of cactus, but the difference is that it does not have the spines that are so characteristic of this family.

Characteristic:

• Decembrist branches are green, flattened and hang neatly.
• The inflorescences are arranged in tiers and have the following colors: cream, lavender, raspberry, red, orange, pink.

The peculiarity of the Christmas tree is that it blooms when other plants are in the dormant stage.

The root system is weak and fragile, but the roots quickly recover and strengthen after damage.

If you provide proper care, this indoor plant will not cause much problems or hassle.

How to transplant Decembrist at home

The purpose of any replanting is to renew the soil to make room for the growing root system and saturate it with nutrients.

To transplant a zygocactus, it is important to know several nuances:

• The first transplant should be done after purchasing the plant in the store. In the future, this procedure is carried out depending on the age of the flower. Young shoots should be replanted every year, adults - every three years, and large and old bushes need to be replanted once every five years.
• You should not violate the frequency, as frequent replanting can lead to weakening of the root system and falling leaves.
• For the procedure you need to use slightly acidic soil and a wide flowerpot.
• After the transplant is completed, you cannot place the flower pot on the window on the South or West side. The plant is too weak and can get burned from direct sunlight.

However, these are not all the recommendations that are important to consider.

Soil preparation, choosing a pot for Schlumbergera

A flowerpot or pot should be shallow but wide. The width allows the roots to grow freely, the shallow depth prevents excess water from accumulating and causing the soil to become waterlogged. The pot must have several drainage holes.

It is better to purchase soil in a store, specially prepared for growing cacti.

The substrate must meet the following requirements:

• to be loose, airy;
• slightly acidic;
• rich in organic substances and minerals.

You can also prepare the necessary soil at home.

Mixed in the same volume:

• leaf soil;
• sand;
• turf soil.

Crushed coal is added for disinfection, and expanded clay and brick chips are added to the bottom of the pot for water permeability.

The soil is poured into the prepared pot, a small depression is made in the center, a shoot is inserted and watered with plenty of water.

The further condition and health of the plant depends on compliance with these recommendations.

The best time to replant, is it possible to replant during flowering?

Schlumbergera is very sensitive, especially during flowering. Any changes can lead to the dropping of buds and damage to the rhizome. Therefore, it is impossible to transplant during the flowering period.

The best period for this is spring, when all the flowers fall off on their own. By spring, the soil is depleted, and updating the mail will be very important.

In addition, after transplantation, the flower has another six months to strengthen, and light and warmth in the summer will saturate the foliage and prepare it for new inflorescences.

If it was not possible to carry out the procedure in the spring, you can perform it in the fall, several months before the first buds appear, but not later.

If there is an urgent need, when it comes to saving the Decembrist, you can replant at any time, but then you should not expect flowers this year.

How to transplant an adult Decembrist

For an adult Decembrist, the transshipment method is used.

You must act in accordance with the following instructions:

• Take a dry and clean pot, a couple of centimeters larger than the previous one.
• Disinfected, fresh soil is prepared.
• A new drainage is made. Expanded clay can be used from under other plants, but before use it must be processed, washed and dried.
• A third of the container is covered with a drainage layer. To ensure that it lies evenly, you need to shake the pot slightly and tap on it.
• Specialized soil, one centimeter thick, is poured out and leveled.
• You need to lay out newspaper or film on the floor. Take a Decembrist plant with a flowerpot and gently fluff up the soil around the edges without touching the root system.
• Holding the trunk, turn the flower over onto the floor and slowly remove it from the container.
• Shake off the soil from the roots, but only the soil that can be removed without effort.
• If the roots were not damaged, then the roots, along with the soil, are lowered into a new pot.

The plant is filled with substrate until all the roots are covered. To avoid emptiness, you need to tap the pot during this process. It is also important that the stem stands straight.

The soil is carefully compacted. If this work is done roughly, the root system can be damaged.

The soil is watered abundantly; if necessary, more soil is added, but the soil should not be filled to the edges of the pot.

Let's watch a video on how to transplant Decembrist at home:

How to plant a Decembrist shoot

Before planting the shoot, you need to carry out some manipulations:

• Option one. You can place the cuttings in a container with water, preferably warm. The shoot should not be all in water, but half. After a week, maximum 2, the first roots will begin to form, now the shoot is ready for transplanting into solid soil.
• Option two.To begin with, the cuttings are kept in water for three days and then planted in a special substrate. This will help the shoot take root. The top of the cutting is covered with a jar; it can be replaced with a bag or a special bag. Every day the jar should be raised for a couple of hours to ventilate. When the Decembrist releases the roots, the polyethylene or jar is removed. New stems will help you understand that the root system has formed.

Now the plant is ready to be transplanted into a flowerpot. Everything is done in accordance with the instructions for adult Decembrists. You can place several shoots in one pot at the same time.

Let's watch a video about transplanting shoots and propagating Decembrist:

Is a Decembrist transplant necessary after purchase?

After purchase, replanting is required, since a different soil is used for transportation, not intended for further growing the plant. If the transplant is not performed, the flower will begin to wither and subsequently die. The transplant should be done immediately after the zygocactus has finished flowering.

Along with the purchase of a flower, you need to purchase specialized soil that will contain the necessary nutritional minerals.

The procedure is carried out as follows:

• Using gentle movements, the flower is removed from the container.
• Particles of old soil fall off the roots.
• The roots are inspected to find any damage.
• Sick or injured areas are cut off. Then the roots need to be washed and dried, and the sections should be treated with crushed coal.
• Take a pot of the required size and do everything taking into account the planned replanting technology.

Decembrist's withered leaves - how to revive the plant

Drooping leaves in most cases indicate that the flower is damaged by infection.

Zygocactus suffers most from the following diseases:

• late blight;
• Pythium.

These diseases affect the root system, and ultimately the connection between the underground and above-ground parts is lost. Even with proper watering and care, the flower does not receive the necessary nutrients and the leaves begin to wither.

If timely assistance is not provided, the plant will slowly die.

To revive a plant, you need to follow simple rules:

• Regularly inspect the Decembrist to promptly see damaged areas and disease.
• If you start treatment at the initial stage, the flower may not be harmed at all.

For leaf lethargy, fungicidal preparations are used that can destroy the infection; the most effective are:

• Speed
• Maksim.
• Topaz.
• Fitosporin.

These preparations need to be treated with the leaves and roots of the flower. If after treatment no positive changes occur, the Decembrist plant is transplanted into new healthy soil, and the treatment is repeated again.

Why does the Decembrist not bloom?

The absence of inflorescences can occur for the following reasons:.

Sometimes a plant stops blooming if it is often moved from one place to another.It is better to decide on a place in advance and leave it alone, without even turning the flowerpot.

So, transplanting Decembrist does not require special skills and is not difficult. The main thing is to do everything according to the instructions and be careful with the root system of the plant.

An important factor is the time of transplantation; the procedure cannot be carried out during the flowering period. The best option for transplantation is early spring.