Hatiora - signs, is it possible to keep an indoor flower at home?

The Hatiora succulent is a perennial shrub in the Cactaceae family. The plant originated in the Brazilian rainforests, where it naturally grows up to 2 meters tall. Currently, four species of Hatiora are known to be suitable for indoor cultivation.

With regular care, the Hatiora (pictured) can reach half a meter in indoor conditions and is popular with gardeners for its unusual stem shape, lush blooms, and lack of thorns. With simple care, the plant will delight its owner for years to come, as it can grow for a long time in comfortable conditions.

Is it possible to keep a hatiora at home? Signs and superstitions

According to folk beliefs, hatiora should not be kept in the home. It is believed that this plant causes men to leave the home, which can lead to family breakups. The drooping stems of the flower symbolize female loneliness, so some women hesitate to bring hatiora into the home.

It's believed that succulents thrive in homes where there are regular quarrels and conflicts, leading to drunkenness among the male half of the family. The owner of the home becomes irritable and angry. Furthermore, the flower reduces sexual energy, causing passion between spouses to wane, which can lead to divorce.

It is not customary to give a hatiora that is not in bloom, as the relationship with the recipient will deteriorate sharply.

Some cactus owners claim that this succulent is poisonous. However, this claim is unsubstantiated, and it is not listed as poisonous. However, to be on the safe side for children and pets, keep the plant out of their reach.

Besides this, there are also opposite, good beliefs:

1. The unexpected flowering of a cactus after a long period of dormancy foretells good changes.
2. For a young girl, a blooming cactus foretells an imminent wedding.
3. For a married woman, the blooming of the hatiora symbolizes the arrival of children. The color of the flowers determines the sex of the unborn child: dark flowers indicate a boy, light flowers indicate a girl.
4. If a succulent blooms in a complete family, it means prosperity or good earnings.
5. Placing a flower in the hallway protects the owners from negative energy and ill intentions of people entering the house.
6. A blooming hatiora, presented as a gift, brings prosperity to the home.

Despite these signs, the flower is often kept at home, as it pleases its owners with lush flowering.

Characteristics of Hatiora and species diversity

Hatiora has a fibrous, shallow root system and is distinguished by its lack of leaves in the traditional sense. The plant's stems consist of small, individual evergreen segments, which develop rootlets that allow the plant to absorb moisture from the air. Different species of the plant have different segment shapes: flat, cone-shaped, and cylindrical.

The flower stalks resemble small bells with numerous petals of various colors: yellow, pink, red. Flowering begins in spring and continues for several weeks.

The succulent's crown is spreading and resembles a skeleton, hence one of its names—dancing bones. Indoors, the plant can reach half a meter in height. Due to its extensive branching, the plant requires support.

Only a few species of Hatiora are grown at home:

1. Hatiora rosea. The most striking representative of the Cactus family, with drooping stems. Each segment is ribbed, green with a few pink streaks, and covered with small white rootlets. Each segment is 25 mm long. Beautiful pink buds form at the ends of the shoots, which later bloom into tubular flowers up to 4 cm in diameter.

   

2. Hatiora greseriana. It has drooping shoots consisting of bright green segments up to 25 mm long, which turn brown at the base over time. The flowers are bright, large, pink or bright scarlet.

   

3. Hatiora salicornia. The upright shoots are composed of bright green, cylindrical segments, densely branching. Each segment reaches 28 mm. Bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers develop at the ends of the shoots.

   

4. Hatiora Germina. This epiphytic succulent is distinguished by short shoots consisting of small cylindrical segments (up to 5 cm) with slight serrations in dark green hues. The flowers, 2 to 2.5 cm in diameter, are bright pink. The cactus itself reaches a height of 30 cm.

   

5. Hatiora salicornioides is a shrub-like succulent with drooping stems composed of club-shaped segments up to 5 cm long. A mature plant reaches 50 cm in height. The bright yellow buds are bell-shaped, 1 cm long. As the plant grows, the stems gradually woody and turn brown.

   

The secrets and difficulties of caring for Hatiora at home

To ensure that the Hatiora delights with its lush blooms and develops normally in a home environment, it is necessary to provide it with good care.

Lighting

The cactus doesn't tolerate bright sunlight, so it should be kept in a location with filtered but adequate light. However, placing it near north-facing windows is not recommended, as this may negatively impact flowering. If you have a shaded balcony, you can move the plant outdoors in the summer.

Temperature and humidity

Maintaining the right temperature and humidity levels for the Hatiora is key to its proper development and lush flowering. Therefore, it's important to monitor the room temperature very carefully, as the succulent dislikes sudden temperature changes.

In autumn, when the plant enters its dormant period, the temperature should be between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius. Given the succulent's natural habitat, maintaining high humidity is essential for proper care. During hot periods, it especially needs misting, and during the dormant period, excessive moisture will not be beneficial.

Watering and fertilizing

Regular watering and fertilizing with mineral fertilizers are essential for proper care. Use settled, room-temperature water or warm, boiled water. However, overwatering can lead to root rot and bacterial infections.

Fertilizing depends on the growth phase of the hatiora. During periods of rapid shoot growth, nitrogen fertilizers should be applied twice a week, and during periods of abundant flowering, potassium fertilizers should be used.

Diseases and pests

Bacterial and fungal diseases often affect Hatiora. To identify the disease, a thorough inspection of the plant is necessary.

When a succulent is infected with a bacterial infection, rapidly spreading wet spots appear on the segments. If antibacterial treatments are ineffective, the infected shoots should be removed. If the plant is heavily infected, a healthy segment should be removed and grown into a new plant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqhIQ2JV5FA

Late blight and fusarium wilt are the most common diseases of perennials. Late blight develops due to constant overwatering, leading to root rot. Furthermore, the plant can become infected when repotted into already contaminated soil.

A diseased succulent wilts, and its vibrant color fades. To cure the plant, it is treated with a fungicide solution. Mechanical damage to the shoots can cause fusarium wilt, which is also treated with fungicides.

In addition to fungal and bacterial diseases, Hatiora can be affected by various pests:

• scale insect;
• whitefly;
• spider mite;
• mealybug.

How to propagate and transplant a houseplant

The primary method of propagating houseplants is by cutting segments. It's important to remember that the segments to be propagated by cuttings should be pulled from the shoot by hand, as if twisting them, without using any tools.

Let's look at the step-by-step algorithm for rooting a cutting:

1. Break off the selected cutting with several lobes (2-3) from an adult plant.
2. The base of the broken cutting must be dried and treated with crushed charcoal.
3. Prepare a peat-sand mixture and plant the cuttings in it for rooting.
4. Water the planted material moderately.
5. Place the containers with planted cuttings in a greenhouse, maintaining a temperature of 20 to 24 degrees, while ventilating regularly.
6. After rooting for a month, the young plant is planted in a permanent pot.

Sometimes cuttings are placed in containers of water, pre-treated with a Kornevin solution. After a while, they begin to root.

Another way to propagate perennials is by sowing seeds for seedlings. However, for this method to be successful, experience in breeding is required. The seeds are sown very quickly into a moist soil mixture to maintain germination. After sowing, maintain a constant temperature (20-25 degrees Celsius) and humidity in the greenhouse.

The seed germination process is very long and painstaking. Once the seedlings have germinated, they are moved to a bright location without removing the cover. After three weeks, the young plant begins to acclimate to the surrounding environment. The germination rate from seed is low, making this method of cactus propagation difficult and not always suitable for amateur gardeners.

Frequently asked questions about growing

Hatiora is a wonderful perennial epiphyte with beautiful bell-shaped flowers. Profuse flowering depends largely on proper care.