UNIT 2 CACTI and SUCCULENTS Growing Environment
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UNIT 2 CACTI AND SUCCULENTS Growing Environment Structure 2.0 Objectives 2.1 Introduction 2.2 What are Cacti and Succulents ? 2.2.1 Stem Succulents 2.2.2 Leaf Succulents 2.2.3 Root Succulents 2.2.4 Surface 2.2.5 Spines and Thorns 2.2.6 Flowers 2.2.7 Fruit and Seeds 2.3 Identification of Cacti and Succulents 2.4 Growing Environments 2.4.1 Light and Air 2.4.2 Temperature and Climate 2.4.3 Humidity 2.4.4 Soil or Soil Media 2.4.5 Use of Water 2.4.6 Fertigation 2.4.7 Cleaning of Indoor Cacti and Succulents Plants 2.4.8 Shifting and Recycling of Indoor Cacti and Succulents Plants 2.5 Planting of Cacti and Succulents 2.5.1 Reporting of Cacti and Succulents 2.6 Propagation of Cacti and Succulents 2.6.1 From Cutting and Division 2.6.2 From Grafting 2.6.3 From Cross-pollination 2.6.4 From Seed 2.7 The Enemies of Cacti and Succulents 2.7.1 Insects and Pests 2.7.2 Diseases 2.7.3 Cultural Damage 2.8 Classification of Cacti and Succulents 2.8.1 Cacti 2.8.2 Succulents 2.9 Indoor Growing Cacti and Succulents 2.9.1 Cacti for Indoor Pot Plants 2.9.2 Succulents for Indoor Pot Plants 2.10 Let Us Sum Up 2.11 Key Words 2.12 Further References 2.13 Answers to Check Your Progress Exercises 19 Indoor Plants Including Cacti and Other Succulents 2.0 OBJECTIVES This unit will give you details about the cultivation of Cacti and Succulent and how we can grow them as indoor plants like other indoor plants. People generally think that Cacti and succulent are not indoor plants. Infect Cacti and succulent are very good ornamental plants and play an important role in interior decoration like other indoor plants. You will study here: Important feature of Cacti and Succulents and their types. Essential environmental factors, both major and minor to grow Cacti and Succulent indoor decoration of a house. Soil media, potting, repotting of plant, use of water and nutrient for proper growth of Cacti & Succulents. Potting methods of Cacti and Succulents, Pot’s repotting, cleaning and recycling and their propagation methods. Enemies of Cacti and Succulent with their control. Classification of Cacti and Succulents and important species of both for indoor cultivation while few are described in detail. Their growth is not affected by changes of indoor climate as compared to other indoor plants, when use for interior decoration. Cacti and succulent can survive for a longer period indoor with less light, water and humidity and all the factors essential for their cultivation indoor have been described in details. Cacti and succulent are more important than other plants but most of the people are unaware about their importance to use than as indoor plants, you will find here it’s all cultural and maintenance practices here: 2.1 INTRODUCTION Cacti and succulents have a very important place in interior decoration of house. These plants create a refreshing change in interior decoration from conventional indoor house plants. They need different climatic environment from other indoor foliage plants. Because of their tenacity, they endure, sometimes thriving, when other indoor foliage plants languish and fall due to very adverse environmental climate. Their strange appearance and often geometrical forms add an unusual beauty that other indoor plants cannot offer. There are succulents species that will survive all but most dimly lit interior, and if grower is willing to rotate plants from lighter to darker location and vice-versa, even setting with inadequate light can be occupied by living succulent. All these studies about their cultivation and maintenance you will find here in detail. The origins of Cacti and succulents are thought to be very ancient in terms of the development of plant forms. There is a vast range of Cacti and succulent having infinite variety of size, shape and colour, used as interior plantation. In general when people purchase new species of Cacti and succulent, you will be faced with a task of successfully growing them indoor. Clearly, the proper maintenance of Cacti and succulents is every bit as important as acquiring them in the first place. 20 It is often assumed that Cacti and succulents or no care, when grown indoor, Cacti and Succulents because they come from deserts. In fact, their basic cultural need are similar to those of other indoor foliage plants, except that Cacti and succulents require less water and most are sensitive to cold. Although they cannot tolerate a great deal of neglect when grown indoor. They are likely to retreat into dormancy in winter. The successful cultivation as indoor house plant, they are also require appropriate level of light, temperature and humidity in different range as other foliage plants require when plants indoor. These are major factors to develop mini - climate for cacti and succulents in interior decoration. The other factors, such soil media, propagation, cultural practices, feeding of fertilizer, watering, cleaning, recycling of plants are equally important. Repotting or top dressing, pest and disease control, are also equally important factors to grow them indoor. The requirement of all these factors is totally different from other indoor foliage and bulbous indoor plants. This units will provide you all the information about the successful cultivation of Cacti and succulent, grown indoor. The factors which are essential to develop congenial environment to grow then interior or cultivation. Other information like cultural practices, propagation methods, fertigation, soil mixture, watering method, Potting & Repotting, Pest and disease control, etc. are also available within this units. 2.2 WHAT ARE CACTI AND SUCCULENTS ? The plants adapted to dry or desert conditions are collectively known as xerophytes and Cacti and Succulents are also belong to this group. Total xerophytes plants species are more than ten thousands and are members of many different plant families. Succulents are xerophytes that have developed storage structures, in which they hoard water, enabling to survive in drought period. The succulents various considerably, as do the structure used to store the tissue, namely the leaves, stems and roots. Cacti and succulents are the largest group in plant kingdom in the world, containing around 10,000 species. You will find below the description of different kinds of Succulents. 2.2.1 Stem Succulents These plants retain large volume of watery mucus in their stems, which are most often round, columnar, or barrel shaped. Nearly all Cacti are stem succulents and do not have any leaf to reduce moisture lost through evaporation. Some stem succulents also come under group of succulents with/without leaves or rudimentary, which fall in drought. The stem contains the green pigment chlorophyll used in photosynthesis for food production. Some jungle Cacti are epiphytes, which anchor themselves by their roots to other plants where there is decaying vegetation. They do not need to conserve moisture in the humid shade of the jungle. Instead, they mostly have flattened stems with a large surface area to absorbed as much light as possible. The reduction of leaves is not necessary for stem succulents as many stem succulents maintain large leaves during their growth season and lose them during dry periods. The major family which have stem succulents are the Asclepiadaceae, Cactaceae and Euphorbiaceae. 21 Indoor Plants Including Cacti 2.2.2 Leaf Succulent and Other Succulents This large group includes the Cactus – Pereskia and many succulents – Aloe sp., and Haworthia sp. etc. The plants of this group consist of stem less pair of leaves. Most of the leaf succulents, consists of fleshy leaves horne on thin, somewhat fleshy stems. The most common growth habit in this group of succulents is a rosette of fleshy leaves. However many extremely succulent species are composed of pair of leaves which form small clusters. The major families of succulents which have leafy succulents are – Asclepiadaceae, Crassulaceae and Mesembryanthmaceae. 2.2.3 Root Succulents A number of succulents survive in long dry condition by storing water underground in their tuberous, or swellen, roots. Since the roots are below the soil, loss of moisture occurs slowly. There is less risk of damage to the plants from grazing animals or bush fires. The leaves and stems of many root succulents are deciduous. Other species top-growth is shed, during long drought and then regenerates from the roots. The stem and leaf can be thick, fleshy to provide the plants additional water storing capacity as in ‘Senecio coceinefflora’. In cultivation, root succulents with large tubers such as Brachystelma are grown with the tubers exposed to prevent rot. 2.2.4 Surfaces Both Cacti and Succulents have developed a wide range of surface textures. These stiking features are the result of adaptation to different habitats, but they have similar protective functions. For example, some species from high altitudes or area with fog have a felted or hairy surface. It helps to trap moisture from the air. In hotter regions light- colored foliage reduce heat absorption. Succulent leaves & Cacti stems have stomata or pores to minimize water loss. In cacti and many succulents, these stomata / pores are closed by day. When the temperature drops at night, the stomata or pores open to absorb carbon dioxide, which used the next day for photosynthesis. 2.2.5 Spines and Thorns All Cacti and Succulents have spines, which are modified leaves. In Cacti, spines grow from areoles and detach easily but in Succulents, spines grow directly from the stem tissue which do not detach easily. Spines vary widely in shape, texture and length. Some are short and bristle, others are softly curved but viciously barbed.