Cereus Peruvian: home care, monstrous cactus cultivation, as well as plant photos

Spectacular, fast-growing flowers are Cereus. Cereus belongs to the cactus, in nature grows of enormous size. Only a few species are suitable for growing in an apartment.

Cereus won the love of flower growers with rapid growth, large size and spectacular appearance. It is relevant to master the care of Peruvian Cereus at home. This species is most common in indoor floriculture.

Due to its ribbed surface, it is also called rocky.

Botanical Description

Cereus Peruvian is a plant from the Cactus family. The name translates from Latin as a wax candle. The birthplace of cactus is South America. Lives about 300 years. It was first described by F. Miller in 1754. Distinctive features of the cactus are long ribbed stems.

Young shoots of a bluish tint. With age, the color changes to gray-green. The stem has 5-8 ribs, on which areoles with 5-6 spines are located along the entire length.

Flowers can only be seen at night. White flowers up to 16 cm long appear on the flower tube. Fruits, round light yellow berries, can be eaten. In indoor conditions, despite rapid growth, most often reaches a height of up to 0.5 m.

Photo

Check out the photos of Peruvian Cereus below:

Home Care

Temperature. In the summer, it tolerates up to 40 degrees of heat. In winter, the temperature should be maintained between 9-12 degrees.
Watering. Watering will require warm, soft water. Watering in spring and summer should be moderate. About 1 time in 10 days. In winter, stop watering.
Important! Do not overfill Cereus, otherwise it may disappear and become ill.
Shine. Needs a lot of light. Choose bright windows.
Feeding a cactus. Feeding should be done once a month from April to July. You can use special top dressing for cacti or just add a complex solution of trace elements to the water that water the cactus.
Soil and pot. The pot should be moderately deep with a hole for draining water. Be sure to put a sufficient layer of drainage material on the bottom of the pot. The soil is neutral or slightly acidic. You can use ready-made mixtures for succulents and cacti.
Transfer. Peruvian Cereus can be transplanted no more than 1 time in 2 years, and then only in order to plant too large cacti.
Pruning. Pruning monstrous varieties is produced to form the desired shape of the cactus. In this case, unwanted processes are cut with a sharp knife.
The cut line should be minimal. Rotted areas of shoots are also cut. They are easy to spot by soft brown spots. It is necessary to cut the shoots around the rot with a sharp knife and treat with a disinfectant solution, for example, alcohol. Watering stops until full recovery.
Wintering. In winter, it needs additional lighting and a temperature of 9-12 degrees.

Monstrous form

Cereus having an irregular shape is called monstrous. At home, it does not bloom, but it has a unique look: the stem bends, overgrows with bizarre bizarre shapes. Propagated only by cuttings. Plant the cuttings in a spacious pot, put on a sunny window and water abundantly during the growth period.

Breeding

Cuttings. The best time for grafting is spring or early summer.
1. Choose healthy and fully formed stems.
2. Cut the shoots 8-10 cm long.
3. Dry them for several days.
4. Plant dried shoots in slightly damp sand or in the soil for cacti.
5. When the roots appear (after 2-4 weeks), transplant them into separate containers and care as usual.
The seeds. Seeds are sown in the second half of spring.
1. Fill the container with river sand, sow the seeds and moisten well.
2. Wrap the container in plastic wrap to create a greenhouse environment and place in a dark place.
3. With the advent of the first shoots, the container is moved to the window.
The light should be soft and diffused. The temperature regime is maintained within 25-30 degrees.

Outdoor cultivation

In the open ground planted in well-lit areas. However, in cold regions, where the winter temperature drops below the required 9-12 degrees, it is very difficult to grow cereus in the open ground.

Under natural conditions in the open ground propagated by seeds. It happens that some parts of the stems fall off from the cactus and later on they themselves germinate in the same pot - this is an analogue of propagation by cuttings.

Diseases and pests of cactus

Peruvian Cereus can be sick, like all plants. Inspect your plants regularly so you don't miss the onset of the disease. Unusual spots indicate infection by insects or improper watering.

Among the dangerous pests are:

Powdery Worm.
False shield.
Spider mite.
Shield.

The powdery worm manifests itself as white spots with a fluff. Tick through the web and red dots. Scabbard is easy to see with the naked eye on the stem of the plant.

In order to remove pests, it is enough to water with a special insecticide.

Soft brown spots on the stems indicate decay of the plant. Excess moisture leads to rot. Cut the affected areas as soon as possible and be sure to treat the incisions with alcohol. Refuse watering until the plant recovers.