Among a large number of exotic indoor plants, garrison stands out. She will decorate a flower corner, giving it an unusual look. And her wonderful flowers will drive any grower crazy. The secrets of the proper cultivation of garrison, we will share in the article.

Origin

Garrizia grows in South and Central America. Under natural conditions, large - up to 6 m in height. At home, its size is smaller.

Did you know? Succulents are not so whimsical in their care that with some they even create jewelry in which they grow. The only thing that is required from the owner of such jewelry is regular watering (at least once a week).

Houseplant Description

Garrizia is a genus of plants that are divided into two subgenera: garrisia and eriocereus. Garrisia belongs to usberty. This is a cactus plant that grows in the shape of a small tree. The Latin name is Harrisia (Eriocereus) jusbertii. Its shoots are long (up to 3 m), thick (up to 6 cm in diameter) and creeping. They form a bush.

Root system	Developed, superficial.
Stem	Thin and ribbed, with thorns.
Leaf shape	Modified into thick needle spines. Reach 3 cm in length.
Leaf color	White, brown, with a black tip.
Flower shape	The flowers are tubular, large, on a long stalk. Blossom at night.
Flower color	More often white. Cream and light brown shades are less common.

Garrizia belongs to succulents. This is the life form that plants with special tissues make up for the supply of water. Therefore, their stems and leaves are thick, fleshy.

What to do immediately after purchase?

After you have bought the garrison and moved it home, first spray it with warm water. This will help the flower recover after transportation. During the first days after the purchase, monitor the appearance of the garrison. If spots appear on the stems and their color changes, she is sick, treatment is required.

Home care and growing

For the flower, you need to choose the right location, create a suitable microclimate and provide the right capacity and soil. Care is also required in the form of watering, top dressing, trimming and transplanting. Consider the features of growing garrison at home in order.

Learn how to plant indoor flowers in a pot.

Location selection

In spring and summer, it is better to put a garrison on a balcony, terrace or loggia, because it needs fresh air. If this is not possible, regularly ventilate the room in which the garrison pot is located. In winter, also aerate, avoiding direct cold air falling on the flower.

Microclimate

Garrizia is a photophilous flower, so a sunny window sill is suitable for it. But at the same time, the flower must be protected from the effects of drafts in order to prevent the appearance of diseases. Also, direct sunlight should not be allowed to enter, as they can burn the stems.

If you position the garrison on the north side with insufficient lighting, it will not bloom. Garrizia is suitable room temperature. In winter, it should be kept in a slightly cool room at a temperature of +10 ... + 15 ° С. The humidity for the garrison should be no more than 55%. With an increase in this indicator, the flower will begin to hurt.

Important! It is possible to prevent the formation of plaque on the walls of the pot if you use soft or distilled water for irrigation.

Dredging and selection of containers for planting

Garrison land must be nutritious. A slightly acidic soil is suitable.

It should have the following elements:

• leaf humus (40%);
• clay soil (40%);
• coarse sand (20%).

An important process is the choice of capacity. Garrizia will fit a ceramic pot with thick walls. You can choose a plastic container. The main thing is that there are drainage holes in the pot that will not allow fluid stagnation.

Through the walls of ceramic pots, the liquid evaporates, and salt deposits form on the inner walls. Contact of the roots of the garrison with these salts is harmful. Therefore, periodically wash the pots to get rid of the accumulation of salts. Despite this, it is better to choose ceramic pots, rather than plastic, because of better stability. And this is important for the garrison, given the size of its shoots.

Important! Three days before transplanting, the plant is stopped watering. Resume watering a week after the procedure.

Plastic pots retain moisture for a long time. Therefore, selecting them, watering, reduce by three times. The pot should not be cramped, otherwise the garrison will stop growing and will not bloom. Choose a wide container so that the plant covers half of its surface. Then the earth and, accordingly, the roots will breathe. The height of the pot should be greater than the length of the roots so that they have free space for growth.

Watering and fertilizer

Recommended Reading

How and how to feed indoor plants at home

Garrizia, like all succulents, loves moderate watering. Water it when the topsoil is dry (about 2-3 times a week). Use water at room temperature. Watering is increased during the period of active growth - from spring to early fall.

During dormancy, the plant is not watered. In the summer, when the heat outside, the garrison is sprayed with water at room temperature.

Also, garrison needs regular top dressing. Fertilizers are applied during the period of active growth. Feeding specially for cacti can be bought at flower shops. They are used according to the instructions (usually every two weeks).

Pruning and transplanting

The time for transplanting the garrison is spring. Replant it as it grows when the pot becomes small. The soil for this must be nutritious. It’s good to add some humus and crumb brick to it. Pruning enlivens the flower. Stems are often pruned if they have grown in length, and the plant needs to be shaped. Extra side shoots are also removed.

To trim, you need a sharp and clean pruner. With it, the branch points on the stem are removed. In doing so, be careful not to damage the main stem. If the stem has reached the desired height, its growth point is also cut off. Remote branches and "kids" can be planted in a separate container and grow a young plant. In order not to get hurt about the thorns, use thick gloves to perform the procedure.

Read also how to properly and when to transplant indoor plants.

Breeding methods

Harrisia is propagated in spring in two ways:

1. By the cut. It is cut with a sharp knife. The size of the shank should be about 5 cm. The place of cut is treated with charcoal. Then the stalk is left for 1-2 days to dry. After planted in a soil rich in vitamins. In it, you can add leafy, soddy ground and coarse sand. Water the stem regularly through the pan so that it takes root faster.
   

2. The seeds. Before sowing, they are soaked in a 1% potassium permanganate solution, then they are wrapped in a damp cloth and left for a day in a warm place. In the soil for sowing should be wet pebbles and drainage. Having sown the seeds, the pot is covered with a film. So they will rise faster. Watered regularly with warm water. As soon as the first shoots appear, the film is removed. When the cacti grow, they pick. After that, they are transplanted into a separate pot in a permanent place.
   

Dormancy and flowering features

The rest period lasts in autumn and winter (from October to March). At this time, reduce the temperature of the room in which the garrison stands (to +10 ... + 15 ° C). Humidity may be the same. The main thing is not to allow an increase in its level. You can not water the plant during dormancy. Garrisia blooms from March to September. The flowers are beautiful and large, reaching 20 cm in diameter. With proper care, the garrison begins to bloom at the age of 3 years.

Possible growing difficulties

When growing a garrison, problems are not excluded - insect pests and diseases, which we will discuss later on.

Important! Make sure that as a result of spraying the entire surface of the plant is wet. If there are dry patches, the pests will climb on them, and the procedure will not be useful.

Pests

Common pests of garrism are mealybug and spider mite.

It is easy to identify the mealybug by its characteristic appearance: it is covered with a white coating, similar to flour, hence the name of the pest. Worms multiply rapidly, and in the process, females secrete a substance similar to cotton wool, where they lay their eggs. Pests live in the intercostal grooves of the plant and on the tops of young shoots. To get rid of the mealybug, spray the flower with 0.1% solution of Karbofos, Actellika or Benlata according to the instructions.

Another remedy is 0.1-0.2% solution of ether sulfonate. It is possible to spray them with a garrison both for the destruction of pests and for the prevention of their appearance. If there are not many pests on the stems, they can be carefully collected using a cotton swab on a stick previously moistened with a solution of alcohol with water (1: 4).

Important! To prevent diseases, from time to time treat the garrison with special means for their prevention, which can be bought at a flower shop.

If rusty spots appear on a plant, it is infected with a spider mite. Affected areas of the stems will never regain their former color. As the garrison grows, the spots become less noticeable. A spider mite can only be seen under a magnifying glass because it is very small. The main thing is to notice signs of wrecking in time. Otherwise, the plant cannot be saved.

The pest got its name from the features of life: in places of its large accumulation on the plant, a plaque similar to a web forms. Methods of combating the spider mite are the same as those with the mealybug. We add only that it is possible to treat the plant with Confidor or Prestige preparations according to the instructions indicated on their packaging.

Disease

One of the diseases is rotting of the root and stems. The reason for this is often waterlogging or watering with too cold water. Signs of the disease are yellowing of the plant, wrinkling of its surface. The stem softens and the flower dies. If the degree of decay of the handle is large, it is removed and discarded.

With an average degree of disease, the affected part of the plant is cut off, and the sections are sprinkled with charcoal or sulfur. The plant is transplanted into a new pot with a new substrate. Disease prevention - proper watering and sterilization of equipment during plant transplantation.

Garrizia can get Fusarium. Its signs are the rusty color of the affected parts of the stem, the stunting of the flower and its pallor. The affected areas are cut with a sterile knife, and the stem is treated with fungicide. After it is better to transplant the garrison into another pot, treating it and the soil with “Futilavin” or “Trichophytum” according to the instructions.

A dangerous disease is antocrosis. Round light spots appear on the surface of the garrison. Affected areas dry, harden and crust. If the plant is not severely affected, sore spots are cut off, and the remaining areas are sprinkled with coal powder. As a result of the disease, the plants will not return to their previous form.

Also a problem is the lack of flowering. This happens with insufficient lighting, increased soil moisture and irregular fertilizer application. Garrizia will not bloom if you do not follow the rules of its maintenance during the dormant period. Frequent rearrangement from place to place and turning the pot to the sides also have a bad effect on the garrison, especially during budding. The buds form on the side that is in the shade. If you turn them to the sun, they will dry up and fall off.

Garrisia usberti is an exotic flower that requires careful care. If you follow the advice given in our article, the garrison will delight you with wonderful flowering and a long life.