Rebutia (Rebutia): a botanical description of the cactus, the principles of care at home and in the open ground, as well as methods of reproduction and photo plants

Of all the diversity of flora on Earth, some of the most undemanding in care are cacti. Arid climate and soil poverty in the natural habitat often allow them to grow with minimal effort.

One of the representatives of this family is Rebucius - a miniature cactus, characterized by beautiful inflorescences of various colors. Read on about this plant, namely: how to care at home and in the open ground; how to breed; what to do after flowering.

Botanical Description

Rebutia (Rebutia) - a dwarf plant belonging to the Cactus family. It has over a hundred varieties. Argentina is homeland, but is now ubiquitous in many arid regions of Australia, America, Africa and Asian countries. A variety of cacti was discovered in 1985 by Karl Schumann, which gave them a name in honor of the famous French winemaker and cactus merchant P. Reboot.

A cactus of this species does not grow more than 5-6 centimeters (different small cacti are described here). The plant is covered with heterogeneous numerous spines. The stem is spherical. On the surface are visible spiraling low ribs in an amount of at least eleven pieces. Funnel-shaped flowers on long pedicels. Large.

Reference. Unlike other types of cacti, Rebucia buds grow from the base of the stem, which gives the plant a more unusual look.

In some cases, there is another name for this cactus - the minuscule. It should be noted that Rebucius is a cactus. The main difference is the presence of the areola, from which thorns grow, as well as fruits in the form of a berry. These are fundamental differences from the Succulents genus close to cacti.

Popular Views:

Tiny rebucia - a spherical stem no more than six centimeters in diameter. Blooms large, reaching six centimeters with red flowers. The flowering period is in early March.
Rebucia senile - the stem can reach seven centimeters. The difference between the variety is a large number of radial spines that have a silver color (find out about cacti without thorns here). The flowers are bright red with a whitish pharynx.
Rebucius Marsoner - a spherical stem, on the sides of which buds are located. The flowers have a rich yellow tint and open simultaneously.

Also popular among flower growers is Rebucia the Beautiful, Solar and a variety of Ritter.

Photo

The photo shows what a cactus called Rebucius looks like.

Rebucia is tiny.

Rebucia is senile.

Rebucius Marsoner.

Rebucia the Beautiful.

Rebucius Ritter.

Home Care

A cactus of this species is completely capricious in care, even a beginner grower can easily grow it. The plant belongs to the mountain species, so it can be content with minimal care.

Temperature

It is important to pay attention to the temperature regime in the winter, as soon as the plant blooms thanks to the cold wintering.

Ideally, the temperature should be between 8 and 12 degrees. The rest of the year, the indicator on the thermometer for these plants is not so important. The temperature is suitable both indoor - 22-24 degrees, and hotter - 30-35.

Watering and humidity

Rebucia does not like dampness like any other type of cactus, although it is not sensitive to infrequent waterlogging. Water should not fall on the stem. The frequency of watering is set based on the rate of evaporation of moisture and the temperature in the room. In summer, watering is usually done no more than once a week. If the cactus is under the scorching sun, then the frequency of watering can be increased.

In winter, when kept in cold watering should not be done. If the plant is very young, then you can limit yourself to just a few drops to maintain its vital functions. When in room conditions, humidity is reduced to a minimum, focusing also on room temperature.

The water must be of high quality, suitable as settled or distilled, and rain without lime. The water temperature is approximately 23 degrees. Humidity does not play a big role. However, you should pay attention to dust, which can settle on the plant and adversely affect its condition. Therefore, in the morning, Rebucius should be neatly and in small portions sprayed from the spray gun.

Lighting

It is necessary to provide the plant with a large amount of light. Rebucius is not terrible direct sunlight, so the southeast and southwest windows are perfect for its location.

When the window exits to the north side, fluorescent lamps of a certain spectrum can be used.

In the absence of an optimal amount of light, the cactus stretches, loses its decorative appearance and ceases to bloom.

Priming

It is better to use a ready-made substrate for cacti and succulents. If necessary, you can prepare the soil yourself, taking in equal proportions river sand, sheet and turf land.

Important! Mandatory use of drainage. The main condition is that the soil must allow air and water to pass through, and heavy soil will not work.

Pruning

The plant does not need pruning.

Top dressing

Any purchased fertilizer for cacti will do. They are brought in during the period of active growth from spring to July. Enough 3-4 feedings per season. Top dressing in winter is not performed.

An excess of nitrogen should be avoided in relation to other active components in the fertilizer, since it can cause rotting of the roots.

Pot

Since Rebucius is growing rapidly, a wide but not deep pot is suitable for its good growth and development. Transplantation An adult cactus is transplanted no more than once every three years, and a young plant as it grows. Typically, a transplant is performed in April or September. Do this in the middle of the season before the onset of the flowering period or during it should not be.

Cactus is transplanted only from dry land to dry. In no case should you water it during or after transplantation.

Soil is used special or they are made by themselves in the ratio indicated above. Be sure to put drainage on the bottom of the pot. When transplanting, an earthen lump is preserved. This condition does not apply to newly purchased plants. The store substrate is most often devoid of all nutrients, so when transplanting it should be completely eliminated.

After transplanting, the pot with the plant should be put in a shaded place and watered after 5-7 days.

Wintering

It should provide the plant a cold wintering with a temperature not exceeding 12 degrees. Reduce watering to a minimum if the plant is very young or eliminate it completely. Feeding and transplanting is not necessary.

Features of the content in the open ground

In the summer, Rebucia will feel great in the open ground. It looks great and breeds next to lily plants. Additionally, watering it is not required.

Note! In case of heavy rains or frosts, the plant should be closed to prevent its decay and death.

Breeding

Seeds

Not the easiest and most troublesome way. For seed ripening, cross-pollination is not required. They should be collected after ripening and stored in a dry place until spring.

In early March, having previously disinfected the seeds in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate, they plant. Sow in shallow pots with good drainage and suitable soil., which includes in a ratio of 2: 2: 1 sheet land, coarse sand and crushed charcoal. Next, cover the pots with film or glass. The resulting greenhouse must be kept at a temperature of 15-20 degrees by regularly airing and slightly moistening the substrate.

As soon as the seeds germinate, plants should be transplanted into small containers, protecting from excessive amounts of direct sunlight. With this method of reproduction, Rebucius can bloom no earlier than the second year.

From the video you will learn how to grow Rebucia from seeds:

Lateral processes

Rebucia is quite branched, therefore to propagate the plant using lateral shoots is not difficult. In the spring or in the middle of summer, the shoots can be carefully separated from the main plant. The injured area should be sprinkled with crushed charcoal. Separating the baby, it needs to be dried for 24 hours and planted in a moist and warm substrate. For these purposes, both sand and sterilized soil are suitable.

Bloom

The buds of Rebucia form at the end of the wintering period. Moving them to a warmer window in spring, you should put the pot in the light exactly on the side that the plant stood during wintering.

On a note. Some species of Rebucia bloom until autumn, alternately releasing 1−2 flowers, while other varieties are pleased with their flowering in two stages - in spring and closer to autumn, but bloom in whole bouquets.

In size, the flowers vary depending on the variety. They can be both small, no more than 15 millimeters in length, and reach more “impressive” sizes of 6 centimeters. Flowers also differ in shape and structure, although they are all funnel-shaped. You can observe both bell-shaped and almost tubular shape.

Not the least role is played by the color of the flowers. In this cactus, they are most often red, with a wide variety of its shades (cacti with red flowers are described here). Coloring can be opaque, brilliant or sparkling. There are also all the transitions from yellow to red. Less commonly, you can see Rebucia blooming with white or multi-colored petals. A large variety of colors in most varieties is successfully complemented by a delicate exotic aroma.

The main conditions for flowering:

wintering at a temperature of no higher than 12 degrees;
lack of watering in the winter;
feeding in the phase of active growth;
compliance with the necessary lighting for the plant.

What to do after flowering?

After flowering, Rebutia produces fruits in the form of berries containing a large number of seeds. You can wait for their maturation to collect seeds for independent cultivation of new plants or leave them on a cactus. Over time, they will spill out themselves and sprout next to the mother plant, forming whole colonies of seedlings.

After the flowering period, if necessary, the plant can be transplanted. If transplanting is not required, then the cactus should be placed in a suitable wintering temperature to ensure flowering in the next year.

Diseases and Pests

Important! The main problem encountered when growing Rebucia is root decay. The cause may be an excessively nitrogen-rich fertilizer or excessive watering combined with low temperature.

If the plant has weakened as a result of improper care, then a scab, a red spider mite and a mealybug can settle on it. To eliminate pests, you will need to use systemic insecticides.

Similar plants

If there is a desire to acquire similar plant species to create a prickly and flowering collection, you should pay attention to:

Astrophytum - a larger species of cacti, blooms in white or yellowish-white inflorescences;
Echinopsis is another extensive variety of flowering cacti;
Gymnocalicium is a succulent plant with large flowers up to 10 centimeters.

Conclusion

A cactus of the appearance of Rebucius will delight even a beginner grower with its flowering. This plant is easy to care for, unpretentious and rarely susceptible to disease, which makes it almost ideal for home growing.