What is the difference between cacti and succulents. Caring for cacti and succulents. Useful tricks. Other types of home succulents
Fans often refer to the Cactaceae family as all plants that have thorns and can store moisture in their bodies. Only with time comes the understanding that not all such plants belong to cacti, although they have a number of similar features.
As a rule, the presence of thorns and the ability to store moisture are a sign inherent in a large group of plants called succulents. We can say that almost all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti.
What are succulents?
Succulents are not a taxonomic concept and have nothing to do with taxonomy. Succulents (succulentus - juicy, fleshy) are general concepts. This is the name of a group of perennial drought-resistant plants that are able to accumulate moisture in a highly developed specialized tissue - water-storing parenchyma and have a number of morphological and physiological adaptations for its economical use during the dry period.
On our planet, wherever there are deserts and semi-deserts, native plants, regardless of their origin, adapted to the conditions of life in a similar way.
Today, there are about 15,000 species of succulent plants, which belong to 80 families. There are many succulents among plants of the families Cactaceae, Aizoaceae, Crassulaceae, Orchidaceae, Bromeliaceae, Asclepidacae, Agavaceae, Asphodelaceae, etc.
These plants are extremely diverse in form and adaptability to survival in conditions of low humidity.
It should be noted that succulents also grow in tropical rainforests, or, for example. But most often these are epiphytic plants, they grow on tree trunks and store moisture during rains, so that later they can store it in fleshy stems.
For example, the branches of cylindroopuntias have turned into oblong segments, on which cylindrical fleshy leaves grow, but they are temporary - after a while they dry out and fall off.
Spherical and columnar cacti are completely devoid of foliage. The stem has only spines and hairs. The thorns of cacti are not decoration, they play a very important role in their life. Such reservoirs of moisture as cacti in the middle of the desert could not go unnoticed for a long time. Therefore, thorns are practically the only defense against eating for most of them. In addition, spines and hairs protect the plant from heat, wind, heavy rain, and also delay dew and protect the surface of the stem from rapid drying.
How to distinguish a cactus from other succulents?
By what signs can representatives of the cactus family be distinguished from other succulents? Among the signs available to an ordinary cactus grower, it is necessary to dwell on the five most important ones: all cacti belong to the class of dicots (the seeds of these plants and their seedlings have two cotyledons); they are perennial succulents; cacti have a special organ called the areola; the ovary of the fetus in cacti is lower; cactus fruit is a berry.
From the point of view of an amateur, the most important sign that a plant belongs to the cactus family is the presence of areoles in them. We can assume that the cactus areola corresponds to the shoot and axillary bud deciduous plants. The upper and lower areolas have different functions. On the upper part, which corresponds to the axillary bud, buds and young shoots appear in species that branch. The lower part, which corresponds to the shoot, gives spines, which in cacti are easily separated from the stem: cactus spines are an independent organ.
The concept of "lower ovary" indicates that in cacti the part of the flower, from which, after fertilization, the fruit will develop, is located below the petals (as, for example, in cucumbers).
Cactus fruits, regardless of size and shape, are always typical berries: their small seeds are contained in a pulp covered with a leathery shell.
These five signs allow you to confidently establish whether your plant belongs to the cactus family. However, if as a result of the test, your initial diagnosis is not confirmed and your "cactus" turns out to be an "imposter" - this is not a reason for despair. It is rare to find a collection of cacti that does not include any other succulent. This environmental group plants are so large and diverse that it is almost impossible to ignore them.
In room culture, both cacti and other succulents are very widespread. Many cactus lovers collect large collections of these amazing plants.
Most succulents grow slowly and do not require special care, so they are the best for creating plant compositions, all kinds of desert gardens, miniature landscapes.
Cacti and succulents are some of the most popular indoor plants because they require minimal maintenance. However, this does not mean that you can leave a cactus near the computer to gather dust forever and ever without any supervision. We've put together some useful household tricks and tips to help you take care of your evergreen pets.
Transplanting succulents. Photo: One Kings Lane
Tips for caring for cacti and succulents
Cacti and succulents do not like large pots, but are very sensitive to the choice of soil. At the same time, they can be assembled into an interesting interior composition, which will not take up much space in the room.
Photo: Joojoo
Advice: suitable soil option for cacti and succulents: 1/3 leaf ground, 1/3 non-limestone sand, 1/3 pebbles, lava, pumice, or other coarse-grained material. At the same time, it is important that the soil is loose and passes water well, which should not stagnate. Of course different varieties have their own specifics, this is just a basic option.
It is optimal to arrange the plants on the windowsill (optimally, if the window is facing southeast), because they need a lot of sun. Remember that cacti really do not like when they are rearranged from place to place and it is desirable that they be turned to the sun on the same side (you can make marks on the pots for this). Otherwise, your pets may not bloom. If you want to correct the curvature of the stem or rearrange the cactus, it is better to turn it on the other side to the sun in the spring.
Photo: Guia para Decorar
Remember that most cacti are desert dwellers, so watering should be as close to natural conditions as possible, that is, be rare, but plentiful. As a rule, it is enough to water cacti once every 3 months, and in winter period doing so is completely unnecessary. Water the plants during cold weather better in the morning, in the hot - in the morning.
Photo: One Kings Lane
Depending on indoor air humidity and temperature, succulents are watered somewhat more frequently, usually once every few weeks, although some species are able to accumulate moisture, which is enough for a fairly long period.
Transplanting cacti and protection from thorns
Have you brought a small cactus or succulent from the store and decided to transplant it into a bigger and prettier pot? Insert a pencil with the eraser up into drainage hole pot, and if the soil is dry, it will easily pop out of the pot along with the plant.
Cactus Gymnocalycium riojense. Photo: rareynolds1
Larger cacti transplant, alas, is not so simple. And the main danger is not the plant, but your fingers. To protect them from sharp thorns, make a simple grip with several layers of newspaper. Fold the sheet from the bottom up so that you get a thick paper tape about 8 cm wide. Wrap a fork around the cactus, firmly press the ends of the tape, and gently pull the cactus up out of the pot.
Reminder: to get rid of the smallest thorns on your fingers, use adhesive tape pressing it against the affected area.
To protect cacti and succulents from diseases, ventilate the room where they are located more often, this will be useful not only for them, but also for you. However, remember that cacti are quite sensitive to drafts! Try not to be too zealous with watering cacti, as excess moisture can cause their roots to rot.
If the damage is minor, remove the pests, and wipe the plant with a cotton swab dipped in medical alcohol. If the infestation is severe, spray the plant with a solution of 1 cup water, 1 teaspoon corn oil, and 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid.
Advice: aphids often appear on cacti. In this case, experts advise gently wiping the cactus with an old toothbrush dipped in soapy water.
Photo: Joojoo
As you can see, growing cacti and succulents is not difficult at all, but for those who often forget to water indoor plants, this is generally perfect option! Of course, if you take this matter seriously, you will discover a lot of intricacies of caring for these amazing plants however, the basic principles are still quite simple.
Let's figure out what the name means and to which family this plant belongs. The cactus got its name because of its characteristic spines.: from other Greek. κάκτος means "thorny plant".
The family of dicotyledonous plants Cactus (lat. Cactaceae) belongs to the order Clove. The family includes 150 genera, and the number exceeds 3000. More Comparative characteristics succulents and cacti.
Representatives of the Cactus are perennial succulents with thick, fleshy, almost completely ribbed stems. Succulents (which in Latin means succulentus - juicy) are called perennials dry places, water reserves that are stored in leaves or stems (cacti - in English Cactus). However, it should be understood that cacti and succulents are far from the same thing.
Succulents store water in the fleshy leaves, which the cactus does not have, the stem and roots. Succulents are not a family or a group, but rather plants united common property- the ability to retain moisture inside. Simply put, succulents are a broader concept.
Cacti are flowering plants. It would be a mistake to call it a flower, because a flower is an organ of a plant. However, many types of cactus bloom. The plant has a great variety of unusual properties and signs. For example, the unique pigment of a flower, a wide variety of shapes and sizes of stems - from tiny two-centimeter balls to tall plants several meters high.
A distinctive feature of cacti is a special organ of the areola, which is a modified axillary bud with kidney scales in the form of hairs or spines.
Cacti have the original structure of the flower and fruit: they are the tissue of the stem. The flowers and fruits of the plant almost always have buds, and they, in turn, belong to the stem, which is responsible for photosynthesis. The flowers themselves are often solitary, sometimes collected in a racemose inflorescence, located on the cephalia - a special ledge.
Cacti are not just green stems strewn with . They have quite interesting blooms. The sepals blend into the petals, which come in white, yellow, pink, purple, red, and multi-colored. The flowers are very small, and sometimes their diameter reaches 20 cm.
The fruits are berry-like, bright, with many small seeds. Many cacti are edible.
flower photo
Here you can see all the photos of the most beautiful cacti (cactus), in a pot and outdoor:
law of growth
Cacti are indeed very unpretentious and beautiful plants , but their significant drawback is slow growth. Although it is believed that cacti love dry soil and do not need frequent watering, they grow best during the rain, if we talk about wild plants. In addition to the level of humidity, it is also important for them sunlight. Therefore, cacti begin to grow actively in the spring.
It is easy to determine the beginning of this phase, because in many plant species it manifests itself externally. For example, in some, the tops of the spines become brighter, there are more spines, the skin of the upper part of the stem acquires a different, more saturated shade.
The vegetative period is characterized by a temporary slowdown or cessation of growth. The fact is that flowering takes a lot of energy, so the plant simply does not have “strength” to grow.
In winter, the cactus has a dormant cycle. and they need it the most useful substances. In spring, the plant begins to bloom, it needs more moisture, fertilizer, a lot of light and heat. Flowering continues in summer.
More details about how cacti grow are described.
How to determine age?
It is impossible to determine the age of the cactus visually. There are only two options to find out: track it from the moment of sowing or ask the one who grew it. The age of a cactus is calculated by dormant periods. If, for example, a cactus grows for three years in the same conditions - from humidity to lighting, then all three years is one year of the life of a cactus. If in 5 years a cactus had one dormant period, then it means that it is not 5 years old, but only the second year (and read about how many cacti live at home and in nature).
How much a cactus grows depends, first of all, on the species. Some species can, with a properly selected pot, reach several meters in height. But in any case, it is easier for wild cacti to reach their maximum height than domestic ones. The famous "Queen of the Night" can reach 20 m in height.
History of origin: where is his homeland and how does it grow in nature?
Now about where the homeland of cacti is located. The first mention of cacti is found in Spanish newspapers in 1535. Then they started growing them. Cacti first came to Europe after the expedition of Columbus to America. In the 1830s, in his works, Carl Linnaeus described 22 plant species, which he named Cactus. In this century there were many descriptions and information about cacti, a fashion arose for the cultivation of these plants. Their country of origin is considered to be South and North America. Where else do cacti live, we will tell further.
Cacti are distributed mainly on this continent, including in deserts. In addition, representatives of some species grow in Africa, Mauritius and Madagascar, are found in Australia, India, and the Mediterranean countries. In general, cacti live on all continents except Antarctica.
How does it adapt to its environment?
Now about why the cactus grows thorns instead of leaves. For nature, cacti have been awarded with special grooves, through which water accumulates to the roots and accumulates in them. The spherical shape promotes small evaporation of moisture. The formation of cracks is prevented by the ribs on the stem.
Thick skin protects the plant from heat, and the spines and villi create a protective shadow. In addition, the spines have the unique ability to attract water drops electrostatically, as well as protect the plant from hungry animals and promote pollination. The cactus does not have leaves, so as not to waste precious moisture.
Can you keep it at home?
Cacti have long been learned to grow and keep at home in a room. Houseplants are not poisonous at all. The maximum they can annoy you with is to prick with their thorns (find out how not to prick yourself with a cactus and what to do if this happens).
Benefits and calorie information
Cactus fruits are widely used in cooking because they differ useful properties(learn more about fruits and their uses). They have a low calorie content - only 41 kcal per 100 grams. edible fruits contain a large amount of carbohydrates (5.97 g), fats (0.51 g) and proteins (0.73 g). Cacti help fight hypertension, diabetes lower cholesterol levels.
Find out more about the benefits and harms of a cactus for humans at.
What can be cooked?
All parts of the plant are edible except for the thorns.. Juices are made from cacti that quench thirst well, sugar substitute syrups that can be consumed by diabetics.
Dishes from cactus fruits
The fruits are consumed not only in their raw form, but also jams, conserves, marmalade and even seasonings are prepared from them. The fruits of some species have not only pleasant taste, but also healing properties. Cactus stalks are also eaten: they can be pickled, fried, boiled, baked, stewed, made into a salad.
Beverages
Not only healthy refreshing juice is made from cacti, but also alcohol. The "king" of this direction is prickly pear, which is widespread in Mexico. The most famous cactus drink is Baitra liqueur, which is produced in Malta.
Not so long ago Czechs learned how to make diet beer from a cactus, which has not yet achieved recognition worldwide, but is popular in Europe. Mexicans make strong cacti alcoholic drink"Sahuaro", which is used not only in its pure form, but also in cocktails, and also goes well with martinis.
Features of care
A cactus at home needs a sufficient amount of light, so it is better to place the pots on a south or east window. But only if we are talking about desert views! Forest cacti, on the contrary, prefer western and northern windows.
In summer, the cactus is best placed on the balcony to provide large quantity fresh air. In winter, they need a cool place (15-17 degrees) and shade. Contrary to popular belief, the cactus needs abundant watering. It is better to use water for this. room temperature, and ideally - rain or melt water.
reproduction
At home, a cactus in the following ways:
- Children (sprouts).
- cuttings.
- Seeds.
- Inoculation.
The first two methods are the easiest.
babes
- From mother plant children are detached (1.5-2 cm).
- Children are fixed on a glass of water at a distance of 5-7 mm from the water to the cactus.
- As water evaporates, it is added. It is better to maintain a temperature of 25-30 degrees.
- After the formation of roots, the children sit down. Around the cactus, you can sprinkle virmiculite, zeolite, coarse sand or small stones.
cuttings
- Healthy and strong parts of the cactus are selected.
- The upper part of the cactus is cut off, sharpened, dried for about 7 days and rooted in the ground.
- For better rooting the lower part of the cut cactus is placed in a warm solution of Kornevin (1 tsp per 0.5 l of water) for several hours. Then it is dried for 2-3 days and planted in the ground.
seeds
Rarely successful. On some of the sprouts that appear, a fungus appears, others lose roots, dry or rot.
Bloom my star!
Cacti may not bloom at all if there are no suitable conditions for this. Some species begin to bloom as early as the age of three, some will need as much as 10 years for this. usually begins in the spring, after a dormant period. It is quite difficult to achieve flowering of a plant, and suitable conditions is not always enough for them.
Needs alternation life stages, which are observed in vivo growing cactus. Therefore, if you want the cactus to bloom, you need to choose one of two ways: either make every effort for the desired result, or choose unpretentious species.
Diseases
Diseases of cacti are most often caused by bacteria, lower fungi, mycoplasmas, and viruses. Their impact can lead to the death of the plant, and rare and valuable species. To avoid infection of cacti, again, favorable living conditions will help.
Among the diseases of cactus, the most common are:
- spotting;
- viral mosaic of epiphyllums;
- euphorbium mosaic virus;
- jaundice;
- witch brooms prickly pear;
- dry and wet rot;
- mushroom growth and others.
You can learn about diseases and pests of cacti.
Cacti, like any plant, require careful, care and special conditions. Home flowers sometimes need to be taken care of like their own children, because it is the owner’s attitude towards plants that determines health, beauty and their normal development.
We often confuse cacti with succulents. All these plants are adapted to drought, their tissues are thick, fleshy, often even pungent! But how do cacti differ from succulents from a botanical point of view?
One is prickly, the other is not. This is the principle.
succulents
Succulents are very well adapted to drought. These fleshy plants can indeed retain water in their leaves, stem, and roots. Moreover, they have special structure: leaves usually small size covered with a thick epidermis, sometimes with a waxy or even hairy coat. Purpose: to keep as much water as possible in the leaves.
In terms of classification, succulents do not belong to either a group or a family. Rather, we are talking about plants with common morphological characteristics, but having nothing in common with each other.
cacti
Cacti are succulent plants that contain water in their tissues, thanks to which they can withstand long periods of drought. All cacti belong to the same family: cactus. Cacti are distinguished from other succulent plants by the presence of areoles, small hairy or woolly tufts located at the base of their spines.
Most cacti have needles. In some, they are small, jagged, thin, bundled. Usually they are very difficult to get out of the skin. The thorns of cacti are like the branches and leaves of other plants, which in the course of evolution turned into thorns in order to lose less moisture, protect the plant from herbivores, let in sunlight, and in some cases create an insulating layer between the plant and the hot air of arid climatic zones. .
To summarize, cacti are succulent plants with thorns, while succulents are usually not thorny. And as always, exceptions prove the rule, there are thornless cacti and thorny succulents.
On a note:
In addition to typical areoles, the structure of flowers and fruits will also help determine whether we are dealing with a cactus or another plant. However, these characteristics are not often used (besides, the plant must bloom!).
Succulents: what a variety!
Succulents can be found in numerous botanical families, the existence of which few people know. Their characteristics are more or less obvious: there is no doubt that echeveria is a succulent begonia it's not so obvious.
Family Tolstyankov is one of the most typical families of succulents: it includes numerous succulent plants such as Crassula, Kalanchoe, Echeveria, Sedum, Sempervivum. Did you know that according to the classical classification, succulent plants of the genus Haworthia belong to the family Lileynykh(How lilies or muscari), as well as aloe (aloe vera)? Dracaena And sansevieria with their tough, thin and pointed leaves, they are not at all like juicy and fleshy lithops(“living stones”), but they also belong to succulents. The stems of some water-reserving succulents are more eye-catching than their leaves, such as those of beaucarneys. Finally, some types milkweed(family M olochaeal) look like cacti (we are talking about cactus-shaped plants), but they are not: for example, Euphorbia heptagonus often found in stores on the shelves among cacti.
Despite the fact that the melon is a “purebred southerner”, summer residents grow it not only in the south. And all because this culture is exceptionally tasty and very healthy. And varieties “for the market” do not always have high taste qualities, not like fruits from their own garden or greenhouse. True, the melon has its own "secrets", but they are not particularly difficult. Therefore, if you have not yet grown a melon on your hundred square meters, you must definitely try it, at least once!
Salad "Red Sea" with squid, crab sticks and red caviar - a light and healthy snack that is suitable for a pescatarian menu, it can also be cooked in fast days when fish and seafood are allowed on the menu. The salad is simply extremely tasty and it is prepared easily. Buy frozen squids. I do not advise you to cook a dish with giant squid fillet, although it looks appetizing and tempting, it has a sharp ammonia flavor that is difficult to get rid of.
From ordinary fruit trees columnar are distinguished by a compact crown, low height, and the absence of lateral branching. With a slight habitus, these miracle trees are distinguished by their ability to form large crops of large, tasty and beautiful fruits. On 1-2 acres, you can place up to 20-25 columnar trees - varieties of apple trees, pears, plums, peaches, cherries, apricots and other crops of different maturity. Our article will tell about the features of creating a columnar garden.
August can be a little sad - the autumn that will follow long winter already on the doorstep. But the flower beds are still full of multicolor, and their colors create an atmosphere of warmth and joy. The rich palette of August flower beds mainly consists of yellows, oranges, and crimson tones. And it seems as if the garden has become warmer and the color of the sun has increased. What flowers should definitely be planted in flower beds so that they brighten up the inevitable departure of summer with flowering?
Peach jam with bananas is fragrant, thick, healthy and, most importantly, it has half the sugar than regular jam. This is a quick jam with pectin, and pectin powder is known to reduce the sugar content in jam, or even make it without sugar. Sugar-free jams are fashionable sweets nowadays, they are very popular among supporters healthy lifestyle life. Peaches for harvesting can be of any degree of maturity, bananas too.
Coriander is one of the most popular spices in the world, and its greens are called cilantro or cilantro. Interestingly, cilantro leaves no one indifferent. Some people adore it and are happy to use it in any salads and sandwiches, and they love Borodino bread for the special flavor of coriander seeds. Others, referring to the smell that evokes associations with forest bugs, hate coriander and flatly refuse to approach bunches of cilantro even in the market, let alone plant it in their garden.
Saintpaulias are making a comeback and redefining the cute blooming violets that love to live on any windowsill. Trends in the "market" for uzambara violets indicate a rapid increase in interest in plants with unusual leaves. More and more admiring glances are attracted not by unusual colors of flowers, but by exotic variegated colors of leaves. Variegated saintpaulias are almost no different in cultivation from all the others.
Sweet and sour pickled cherry tomatoes with red onion and basil marinated with balsamic vinegar and mustard. Such pickled vegetables will decorate any festive table They are very tasty and fragrant. Marinade filling is a completely different story: it turns out a delicious brine, the only drawback of which is a small amount. Onions choose sweet, red. Cherry - strong, slightly unripe, the smallest. Fresh basil is suitable for both green and purple.
My first acquaintance with hydrogel took place a very long time ago. Back in the nineties, my husband brought funny multi-colored balls from Japan, which greatly increased in size if they were filled with water. They were supposed to put bouquets or use them for some other decorative purposes. Of course, at first it was funny, and then I played enough and abandoned them, I don’t even remember where they went. But I recently returned to the use of hydrogel. I will share my experience in this article.
Watermelon and summer are inseparable concepts. However, not in every area you will find melons. And all because this African plant takes up a lot of space, is quite demanding on both heat and the sun, and also on competent watering. But still, watermelon is so loved that today not only southerners have learned to grow it, but much more northern summer residents. It turns out that this capricious plant you can find an approach, and if you want, then get a decent harvest.
You can cook red gooseberry jam in 10 minutes. However, it should be borne in mind that this is the time required for cooking jam without preparing berries. It takes a lot of time to harvest and prepare berries for processing. Cruel thorns discourage any desire to harvest, but you still have to cut off your noses and tails. But the result is worth it, the jam turns out to be excellent, one of the most fragrant, in my opinion, and the taste is such that it is impossible to tear yourself away from the jar.
Monsters, anthuriums, caladiums, dieffenbachia ... Representatives of the Aroid family are considered one of the most popular categories of indoor plants. And not the last factor widespread- variety. Aroid presented aquatic plants, epiphytes, semi-epiphytes, tuberous and lianas. But despite such a diversity, because of which it is sometimes difficult to guess the relationship of plants, aroids are very similar to each other and require the same care.
Salad "Donskoy" for the winter - savory snack from fresh vegetables in a sweet and sour marinade with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. IN original recipe regular or apple cider vinegar, but with a combination of wine vinegar and light Balsamico is much tastier. Salad can be prepared without sterilization - bring the vegetables to a boil, put them in sterile jars and wrap them warmly. You can also pasteurize blanks at a temperature of 85 degrees, then cool quickly.
The main collected mushrooms: porcini, boletus, boletus, chanterelles, boletus, mossiness mushrooms, russula, milk mushrooms, volnushki, saffron mushrooms, honey mushrooms. Other mushrooms are collected depending on the region. And their name (other mushrooms) is legion. As well as mushroom pickers, which are becoming more and more every year. Therefore, there may not be enough for all known mushrooms. And I know for sure that among the little-known come across very worthy representatives. I will tell you about little-known, but tasty and healthy mushrooms in this article.
The word "ampel" comes from the German word "ampel", meaning a hanging container for flowers. Fashion for hanging flower beds came to us from Europe. And today it is very difficult to imagine a garden where at least one hanging basket. In response to the growing popularity of container floriculture, a large number of ampelous plants, whose shoots easily fall outside the pots. Let's talk about those that are valued for their beautiful flowers.
