General characteristics of an exotic plant and the etymology of its name, advice on caring for a blossfeldia when growing indoors, rules for breeding a cactus, difficulties and ways of solving them, types. Blossfeldia (Blossfeldia), referred by botanists to one of the flora families on the planet, uniting a large number of representatives, which stood out as a result of evolution 30-35 million years ago, and it bears the name Cactaceae. The plant can "call" the mountainous regions of South America, or rather the western regions of Bolivia and the southern lands of Argentina, its native territories. Such cacti can be found on the slopes of the Andes from the eastern side, while "climbing" to a considerable height, where the temperature and humidity are very variable, usually such places are near waterfalls. There, the plants form groups, with high density, located in deep cracks in the rocks or on the ledges of the mountains.
Blossfeldia got its scientific name thanks to the traveler from South America Harry Blossfeld (1913-1986), who collected plants and seeds, and was also an avid collector of cacti. At the same time, he owned part of a company that was engaged in the cultivation of cacti in the United States.
Blossfeldia has a spherical stem, often flattened. Its diameter varies in the range from 1 cm to 3 cm. This genus of cacti has united about five species of dwarf representatives of the family. The color of the stem of the plant is distinguished by a dark rich green color scheme. There are no ribs, tubercles (papillae) or spines on the surface. Areoles differ in pubescence, only at the very top of the stem, arranged like a spiral.
Over time, near the main stem, the formation of lateral processes (children) occurs. Usually, such shoots on the sides begin to appear under the surface of the epidermis and they do not "come out" immediately, but wait until the Blossfeldia root system is quite well developed. At the same time, the length of the root processes can be almost 10 times greater than the part of the cactus located above the soil surface. The root itself is characterized by turnip outlines. Before the children are “released” into the light, the epidermis layer begins to undergo strong stretching, it becomes shiny, as it were, glossy and under it, small tubercles of the lateral processes are already clearly visible. But if the top of the root is under the rays of sunlight, then new shoots can form on it.
The appearance of buds begins long before the flowering process of the cactus begins, usually this period occurs in autumn and it looks as if tiny dots began to appear on the surface of the stem (almost at the very top of the head). Blossfeldia flowers blooming, stay on the cactus for only 2–5 days. The petals in the buds are painted white or whitish-cream, and the middle is cast in yellow. The flowers have a funnel-shaped corolla, which opens very wide, reaching 0.7–0.9 cm in diameter. The flower tube has a bare surface. The number of opened buds is multiple.
After the cross-pollination has passed, spherical fruits begin to form on the cactus. Such pollination bears the name - allogamy, in which pollen from the androeum of one flower falls on the stigma of the pistil of another opened bud. Such berries are yellowish-green in color and can reach 0, 2–0, 8 cm across. On their surface, there are short spines of a light color. Inside the fruit, there are dusty seeds with a light brown tint.
The plant is most often cultivated in a grafted form, since it is quite problematic to grow a cactus with a full-fledged root system. If you adhere to the rules of cultivation, then Blossfeldia will become a worthy example of a home collection of cacti, however, due to all the difficulties, it is believed that this plant lends itself to the skills of experienced florists.
Indoor Blossfeldia Care Tips
- Lighting for a cactus, you need a bright, but devoid of direct rays of the sun. To do this, a pot of Blossfeldia is placed on the windowsill of the east or west window, on the south one will need shading. Supplementary lighting is recommended in winter.
- Content temperature in the spring-summer period it is 20-27 degrees, and in the autumn-winter period they are reduced to a range of 10-15 units, but not lower than 5 degrees.
- Air humidity. Since in natural conditions the plant prefers to "settle" in rocky crevices located close to waterfalls, it is clear that the humidity there will be high, it is represented by fogs and small drops. Therefore, unlike many cacti, Blossfeldia loves very much when its stem is sprayed with warm water from a finely dispersed spray bottle. However, she can get used to the increased dryness of the air during the winter months, when heaters and batteries are working. Some growers install household steam generators or humidifiers in spring and summer - this will imitate natural conditions.
- Watering. In the summer months, abundant and regular moistening of the soil in the pot is recommended, but the substrate should have time to dry out before new watering. With the advent of the dormant period, watering the cactus is stopped. But if it is noticed that the soil in the pot is too dry, and its subsidence has begun, then half a glass of water is poured into the pot. When vegetation processes begin to intensify, watering is resumed. Do not water at any time with tap water - this will quickly kill the plant. Use only well-settled water with a temperature of about 20-24 degrees.
- Fertilizers for Blossfeldia are introduced during the growth period, when the cactus began to actively develop. The frequency of feeding is once a month and a half. It is recommended to use the usual fertilizer for succulents or cacti, only the dosage of the drug should be halved from that indicated on the label. If a cactus specimen is already an adult or grown on a rootstock, then the standard dosage of the drug will not be superfluous for it, but the feeding operation is done a little less often. With the arrival of autumn and throughout the winter, when the plant is resting, no fertilizing is applied.
- Dormant period Blossfeldia begins with the arrival of winter days. And if you do not properly maintain the requirements of the content at this time, then the plant will not bloom. Best of all, when the temperature readings decrease, the air in the room is kept dry, and watering and feeding are suspended.
- Transplant and recommendations for soil selection. This operation is very serious when growing Blossfeldia, as it will destroy the cactus if it is not carried out correctly. Since when cultivated indoors, the growth rate of a cactus is rather low than under conditions of natural growth, the transplant is rarely performed, only once every two years. Moreover, this operation should be carried out in the spring (preferably in March). The new container is selected one size larger than the old one. It is recommended to lay a sufficient layer of drainage material on its bottom, which will prevent stagnation of water in the pot. Also, after transplanting, the plant does not require watering for 14 days.
The substrate on which a cactus grows in nature has sufficient friability and is able to pass moisture well to the roots. Usually, soil mixtures are used for succulents and cacti with acidity values around pH 5, 8–6. But if the florist decided to mix the soil on his own, then for him it is necessary to connect:
- sod land (usually they collect mole soil and sift well from roots and grass);
- leafy humus (it can be rotted foliage from under deciduous trees growing in parks or forests);
- coarse sand and brick chips (it is carefully sifted from dust).
If Blossfeldia is obtained as a result of grafting, then a sandy substrate with higher nutritional values is best suited for it, in which half of the coarse-grain sand, soilless soil and a little clay are combined.
Blossfeldia breeding rules
Due to the fact that the cactus has difficulties with the formation of its own roots, only an experienced grower can propagate it. The plant does not forgive mistakes when carrying out not only transplantation, but also reproduction. Blossfeldia, which have their own roots, are very rare in the collections of florists. You can get a new copy by grafting seedlings. For the rootstock, Pereskiopsis is used, which is quite close to Pereskia, which is the oldest genus of cacti. The grafting operation can be repeated at a later time, but it is already used for grafting Hylocereus, which is an epiphytic shrub plant, or Echinopsis, which resembles a curled hedgehog in shape. However, grafting is not always crowned with success, as in the process of cultivation in such a blossfeldia there is a change not only in the size, but also in the shape of the stems.
For the vaccination, a sterile and sharpened knife is used, usually it is wiped with alcohol before work. Then, about 2 cm of the top of the rootstock cactus is cut off and a thin layer is removed at the base of the blossom of the blossom. The combination of two parts of the plants is quickly carried out, tightly pressing the sections of the stems to each other. It is important to monitor that when combining the conductive bundles (the main elements of the conductive system of cacti), the scion and rootstock completely coincide. It is then recommended to apply an elastic and soft bandage to the vaccine. They also make sure that there is no damage to the soft tissues of the epidermis of plants with a too tight or narrowed bandage. It is not removed until it is clearly noticeable that a new growth has formed in this place.
Seed propagation is used very rarely, only by experienced breeders.
Possible difficulties in growing Blossfeldia at home
The biggest problem for the cactus is insect pests such as aphids, mealybugs, and scale insects. All of them begin to "attack" the plant if the humidity in the room is too low. To carry out a pest control operation, it is necessary to remove the parts of the cactus that have been affected, disinfect the root system and the substrate in the pot. For this, insecticidal, acaricidal and fungicidal preparations are used.
The following troubles are also distinguished when cultivating Blossfeldia:
- flowering does not occur when the cactus lacks the level of lighting or the requirements for humidity or temperature were violated during the dormant period;
- the formation of a dark bloom at the base of the stem indicates the onset of putrefactive processes. Transplanting into a sterile pot and soil is necessary.
Blossfeldia facts for the curious, cactus photo
The native-rooted culture of the Blossfeldia is quite complex. Because of this, such cacti are not found very often in collections and interest in them is shown only among cactus growers.
Today, there is an opinion that the distinctive features in different species of this cactus are insignificant, therefore some experts adhere to the point of view that the genus is a monotypic series. At the same time, the taxonomic relationships of the genus have not been fully identified. Due to the similar morphological characteristics of the seed structure of Blossfeldia liliputana WERD. and Parodia microsperma F. A. C. WEBER (SPEGAZZINI) were introduced into the tribe Notocacteae. But if you rely on the research carried out by geneticists, then these cacti can be distinguished into a separate tribe Blossfeldeae.
Blossfeldia types
- Blossfeldia atroviridis Ritt. differs in stems of a dark green shade, spherical outlines, with some flattening. It often possesses growing lateral shoots. Areoles are rather strongly depressed into the surface of the stem. The petals of the flowers are cream-colored, their size is small, since when fully opened, the diameter of the corolla is measured only 0.7 cm. The tops of the petals are rounded. The native area of growth falls on the territory of Bolivia.
- Blossfeldia fechseri Backbg. The color of the epidermis of the stem is dark green, the surface is glossy. The stem takes a spherical shape, reaching a diameter of 1.5 cm. The stem has a strong branching. If the plant is grafted, then its top has the shape of a dome, but when the cactus has its own root system, then the stem is flat in the upper part. No thorns grow on the surface. The flowering process of this species occurs in the spring-summer period. At this time, the delicate buds of the cactus open, the petals of which are painted in a whitish color, almost transparent in the light. In the corolla there are petals with rounded tops. They grow sessile with a very small diameter, which can vary in the range of 0, 3–0, 5 cm. Fruits and berries are yellowish-green in color. Areas of natural distribution fall on the lands of Argentina (Catamarca). On the territory of our country, this plant is a rather rare guest in collections.
- Blossfeldia tiny (Blossfeldia liliputana Werd.). This cactus is characterized by a very low growth rate, however, over a few years, a large number of children (lateral processes) are formed in it, which can be separated and grown as independent plants in the form of miniature bushes. The stem has a spherical shape and a grayish-green color of the epidermis. At the top there is a flattening and even some depression. Areoles with very dense and woolly pubescence, but they do not give spines. The diameter of the stem can vary in the range of 1–1, 5 cm. Almost the entire stem is hidden under the soil surface, where it turns into a powerful root with a turnip shape. Flowering may begin 3-4 years after planting. At the top of the stem, buds are formed, which reveal a funnel-shaped corolla. The diameter of the flower reaches 0, 7–0, 9 cm. The flowering process stretches over time from late April to early autumn days. However, flowers on a cactus "live" for only five days. The native lands of natural distribution are in the northern regions of Argentina (Jujuy). There is a v form. caineana Card., which has a larger stem and flowers, in which the petals are painted in a whitish-cream tone, with a brown center in the middle. This subspecies grows in Bolivia.
- Blossfeldia pedicellata Ritt. This variety also has a spherical stem, with some flattening at the top. The areolas are located at a distance of 0.2 cm from each other. During flowering, buds with creamy petals bloom, reaching 1–1, 2 cm in diameter and the same in length. The fruits are in the form of berries, which do not exceed 0, 4–0, 7 cm in length. Native territories fall on the regions of Chuquisaca and Tomina (Bolivia).
However, the arrival of 2012 was marked by the fact that the genus Blossfeldia was recognized as monotypic, including only one single species - Blossfeldia liliputana Werd.
