Rebucia cactus is one of the most common plants in the whole world. Its amazing, slightly flattened balls closer to the ground are covered with many bright colors and easily fascinate gardeners. The numerous genus belongs to the Cactus family. Its representatives are common in the south-west of South America, and in colder countries they are grown as a houseplant.
Botanical characteristics
Rebucia is a genus of stem succulents. They grow in meadows among grass or in crevices of rocks at an altitude of up to 3 km. The plant has a thickened, long rhizome and rounded fleshy stems. At the top of the spherical stem there is a small depression.
Low ribs are arranged in a spiral, they consist of small tubercles. The thorns of the plant are short, stiff. They are painted in silver or yellowish colors.
Flowers are formed from the lower areoles on the sides or at the base of the stem. The flower has an elongated tube of fused glossy petals. The diameter of the bell does not exceed 2.5 cm. Petals can be painted in cream, pink, purple or scarlet. The core is covered with long yellow stamens. Flowering occurs in April-June. Each flower opens on a sunny day, and at night folds its petals. Flowering of one bud lasts about two days.
Indoor types of rebucia
The genus is very diverse, so listing all types of rebuts is rather difficult. Breeders are constantly expanding the range and introducing new hybrid varieties. Looking through the catalog with photos of Rebucia, it is difficult to make a choice, because each copy has a special charm.
Rebucia Demint. The plant has a spherical or oblong stem about 10 cm high and 6-8 cm wide. This species quickly forms daughter plants, so the pot is filled with many beautiful balls. On a dark green stalk there are up to 13 spiral-shaped, papilla-covered ribs. Areoles have grayish villi and several hard needles. The spines are 5-6 mm long. In June-July, many funnel-shaped flowers bloom at the base of the stem. Their diameter does not exceed 3 cm. Red-orange petals are slightly bent back.
Rebucia is tiny. The light green stalk in the shape of a flattened ball does not exceed 5 cm in height. The papillae are arranged in a spiral and covered with short, bristly spines. The needles are painted in silver or golden colors. Red tubular flowers bloom in June, their diameter is 3-4 cm.
Rebucia albiflora or white-flowered. The plant forms a dense curtain of many whitish balls. Tiny stems are densely covered with a whitish pile. Large flowers with a diameter of about 4 cm exceed the size of the stem. Cream petals with pinkish edges.
Dwarf Rebucia. The plant has a cylindrical dark green stem. Spines are located on the papillae in bunches and pressed against the stem. Its base is covered with large tubular flowers with pink or red petals. Flowers open in May.
Rebucia is senile. The spherical dark green stalk reaches a height of 8 cm and a width of 7 cm. Its surface is densely covered by low papillae with numerous whitish spines. The length of the needles is 3 mm. In spring, the plant produces many red flowers with narrow, strongly bent back petals.
Rebucia caniguerali. Cactus has the best resistance to drought. A small spherical stem densely covered with very long, stiff spines. Several small flowers are arranged in the form of a wreath at the top of the stem. Bluebells of flowers consist of whitish petals with a bluish border and a bunch of yellow stamens.
Rebucia Mansoner. The plant has compact spherical stems covered with spiral ribs. On the sides and bottom of the stems are large canary flowers. All buds open simultaneously, turning the curtain into a small sunny island.
Rebucia mouse. The cactus is a few prickly balls with a diameter of up to 5 cm. The entire surface is densely covered with whitish spines and is more like a fluffy fur coat of an animal. Orange daytime flowers have an elongated tube. The diameter of the opened petals is 5 cm.
Rebucia Krajnets. This species does not form a thick curtain and more often grows in the form of one oblong stem. The low ribs are covered with many tubercles with a short whitish pile and long silver spines. Scarlet flowers consist of narrow, twisted petals. The buds are not grouped around the stem, but on one side of it.
Growing
Reproduction of rebuts produce seed and vegetative methods. For sowing seeds, use flat, wide boxes with sterilized soil. Use a mixture of rotted sheet soil, sand and coal chips. Seeds before planting for a day are soaked in manganese. They are sown on the surface of the soil and slightly moisten the substrate. Cover the bowl and leave it in a bright place at an air temperature of + 15 ... +20 ° C.
Seeds germinate quite quickly. When the height of the stem reaches 2 cm, the rebuts are dived and transplanted into small pots. The entire first year of life, the cactus is protected from the direct sun and moderately watered.
A simpler and more effective way is to root the lateral processes. It is enough to separate the shoot and place it on the surface of the sand-peat substrate. There is no need to deepen the base, they create support for stability. The soil should remain warm and slightly moist. Already after 1-2 weeks, the Rebucia cactus will give roots and begin to develop rapidly.
Plant transplant
Small containers are selected for rebutia, so a highly branched plant will have to be transplanted often, every 1-2 years. Use shallow wide pots with large holes and a thick drainage layer. The soil for rebutia must have neutral or weak acidity. You can buy ready-made soil mix for cacti or make it yourself from the following components:
- soddy soil;
- charcoal;
- leaf soil;
- granite crumb.
Cacti are transplanted in the spring by transshipment so as not to harm the roots. Too thick curtains are recommended to be divided.
Care Rules
At home, caring for rebucia is not difficult at all. Even plants forgotten for a long time do not suffer and continue to delight owners with beautiful flowers, which can be seen in numerous photos of rebucia.
The cactus grows well and forms flower buds in a bright place. He is not afraid of direct bright sun, but in intense heat, frequent airing is necessary to avoid sunburn. Preferred windows are oriental or western orientations. In winter, you can rearrange the rebutia to the south side or use the lamp.
Rebucia grows high in the mountains, so it is adapted to temperature jumps and cooling. It can grow normally in the range from +5 ° C to +25 ° C.
Cactus is rarely watered in small portions of warm water. The substrate should dry well between waterings. With decreasing air temperature, watering is even less necessary. With excessive watering and damp, rebutia will begin to suffer from rot. Humidity does not matter much, but in winter it is worth moving the pot away from hot batteries.
In April-August, watering is combined with top dressing. Use a special fertilizer for succulents with a minimum nitrogen content.
Sometimes on the stems you can find a mealybug or red tick. Insecticides should be treated immediately from parasites. Repeated spraying is performed after 5-7 days.
