How to buy healthy seedlings of vegetables and flowers. Caring for adenium at home - the secrets of experienced gardeners Desert rose - adenium

Goals:

• introduce students to indoor desert plants (names, features some plants, characteristics of life and placement);
• cultivate interest and love for indoor plants.

Materials and equipment:

• living objects - indoor plants (aloe, chlorophytum, cyperus, crassula, cactus);
• images of cacti in the desert;
• World map;
• flags for strengthening the name of the plant on the map;
• dates, aloe leaf;
• glass of water;
• multimedia equipment, PP presentation.

Progress of the lesson

I. Organizational moment

Children are sitting at their desks. There are images of the desert on the board. There are indoor plants on the table.

The lesson is accompanied by a computer presentation.

Teacher. Guess:

Breathes, grows,
But he can’t walk. (Plants)

Today's lesson we will devote to an unusually beautiful, fabulous creation of nature - plants. But not simple plants, but those that you can see on your windowsills.

Guys, do any of you know the names of the indoor plants in your class? ( Children's answers).

In late autumn or winter, when there is snow outside the window and the trees are devoid of flowers and leaves, at this time these plants delight us with their green splendor! Why is this happening? Why do we keep them at home and care for these plants?

II. Introductory conversation

To answer all these questions and get to know plants better, we need to go on a trip around the world. After all, these plants are real travelers, coming to us from distant countries!

"Journey!" That's the word!
It makes me want to sing with joy.
"Journey!" I want it again
To sit on Jules Verne all night.

Our path will lie through sun-hot deserts, where ugly but hardy plants lead amazing life almost no water. We will find ourselves in the gloomy wilds of humid forests, where among the huge number of giant plants we will hardly find our friends. We will travel around the world together with modest plants standing in pots on our windows.

This journey is extraordinary: it will be mental and at the same time real (which is happening now), because the plants we will meet during the journey are real, living, growing in your classroom or at home.

But before heading off to distant countries, it would be nice to first remember about our plants, how they live with us in the fall and winter. To do this, we, like real travelers, will fill out an “entry visa”, in which you need to answer questions and choose the correct answer.

The teacher gives students cards in advance to complete the task, in which children must write only the number of the correct answer. (Appendix No. 1)

The words are written in a column on the board: 1. Leaf fall. 2. October. 3. September. 4. Autumn. 5. Deciduous. 6. Conifers. 7. Maple. 8. Spruce. 9. Larch. 10. Kidneys. 11. Needles. 12. Winter.

Teacher questions:

Guess the riddle:

1. “I came without paints and without a brush and repainted all the leaves.”

2. The first month of autumn.

3. Leaves falling from trees.

4. Which trees have not shed their green outfit for the winter?

5. Maple, poplar, birch, rowan - what are these trees called in one word?

6. Forever green plant.

7. What are the leaves of coniferous plants called?

8. What is the name of a plant whose needles fall off in the fall?

9. What remains on the branches in place of fallen leaves?

10. At what time of year do plants seem to go to sleep?

(Answers: 4, 3, 1, 6, 5, 8, 11, 9, 10, 12)

Immediately after recording the answers to the questions, students check their work.

– Now you can go on a trip to the native places of our house plants!

III. Main part

In today's lesson we will go...

But where - you need to guess the rebus. (Appendix No. 2)

Right! Into the desert. When they say “desert,” anyone will continue: “Sahara.” Sahara Desert means desert in Arabic. Before us is a huge sea of ​​sand, bright and hot sun, heat + 50Cº. There is a camel caravan, and any traveler is thirsty. But suddenly the camels stretch their necks and start running faster: there is a green dot ahead - an oasis! Green island among sand, water and palm trees! A wonderful plant in the desert!

1. Date palm.

Homeland - Africa, Sahara Desert.

Date palm. Its name means “bearing fingers.” Date fruits are compared to fingers ( fruit display). The Arabs say about her: “The palm tree is the queen of the desert, bathes her feet in water, and her beautiful head in the fire of the sun’s rays.” It grows in the desert only where water comes to the surface. For desert dwellers, date palms have been both their life and joy for many centuries. The shade from date palms protects from the sun. Palm tree trunks were used to make pillars and doors for houses, and the leaves were used to cover the roof. Mats, bags, and baskets were made from dried leaves. And they prepared food from the fruits - dates: juice, sugar, wine, and even baked bread. These fruits were dried, fried, and fed to camels. Undoubtedly, the inhabitants of the desert without date palm couldn't live!

All “travelers” - students, write down the names of the plants they meet in their environmental diaries. They also attach a flag to the world map near the country where the houseplant grows.(Appendix No. 3).

But for this plant (demonstration of a houseplant) I can’t watch without excitement, it takes my thoughts to the most distant times. To find out all the most interesting things about this plant, we need to mentally travel back to those distant times in Egypt, when people who knew how to write were highly respected.

Beautiful hymns have come down to us over thousands of years on crisp yellow scrolls.

Dedicated to the Sun, scary tales and stories.
Egyptian scrolls with writing are called papyrus. Translated from Greek, papyrus means “gift of the river.”

2. Papyrus (cyperus)

Homeland - Africa, marshy shores Nile River.

These strange sheets of paper are called papyrus. This is a plant (point to it) and its name translates as “gift of the river.” It was from this that the so-called paper, papyrus, was made. In places where papyrus grows, the banks of the river form green thickets 3 and even 5 meters high. (Unfold and show papyrus).

The green wall is made up of straight, triangular stems as thick as an arm. At the top of such a stem, a thick bunch of long and narrow leaves hangs to the sides.

Papyrus rhizomes taste like almonds. The Egyptians ate them raw and roasted.

On such strange paper, tied with laces, they wrote poems about the sun, fairy tales and stories. These scrolls were up to forty meters long and one meter wide. Some of them have survived to this day, and they are about 5 thousand years old.

Everyone remembers Chukovsky’s fairy tale “Doctor Aibolit”. And who will remember the name of the river in Africa, where the famous doctor hurried to treat animals? (Limpopo). You and I will go for Doctor Aibolit. Here in southern Africa, in the Karoo Desert, one remarkable plant grows, which probably helped the doctor treat the sick.

3. Aloe

Homeland - South Africa.

This is aloe show). It is sometimes also called agave, believing that it blooms after a hundred years. Aloe grows in the desert, where the plant has to live for a long time without water. And that’s why aloe leaves don’t even look like leaves. They are thick, fleshy, convex below and concave above. The edges of the leaf are jagged, but without spines. The juice in the leaves is bitter, but very healthy. If you cut or burn your finger, cut a piece of aloe leaf, cut it in half and apply it to the wound. It will tighten quickly. An infusion of aloe leaves with honey is drunk as a medicine that helps the body fight disease.

Experiment No. 1 “Why water flows so easily from aloe leaves.”

If you pour water on a leaf, the water rolls into balls and the leaf remains completely dry. If you break off an aloe leaf and dip it in a glass of water, it will suddenly become shiny and as if silver. If you rub the leaf with your finger, it will turn bright green and smooth. It turns out that we have erased the matte gray coating of wax, the same as that found on plums (conclusion: wax protects the aloe leaf from wetting and thereby from large evaporation of moisture).

Now let's take a break and play game "One-humped camel"

The camel is the ship of the desert. It can go without food and water for a long time thanks to its humps, in which it stores moisture reserves. A camel can run very fast, but most often it walks sedately across the desert sand. This relay race involves 12 participants at a time. You need two magic balls for each team (6 in total). So, each pair, consisting of two participants, stands behind each other, bends down, and the second holds onto the belt of the first. A ball is placed on the back of the first participant and he holds it with one hand so that the balls “hump”They fell to the ground. After all, if a camel’s hump falls off, it means its reserves have run out and it may die. Holding the ball and not letting go, participants must make their way to the chair.

Let's continue our journey and let's look at this wonderful plant with hanging branches, at the end of which there are bunches of narrow leaves, then we will get acquainted with our neighbor aloe.

4. Chlorophytum

Homeland: South Africa, Cape of Good Hope.

It grows on the shore South Africa- Cape of Good Hope. And they call it chlorophytum, which translates as “green plant with tufts.” At the ends of each vine there is a small ready-made plant from which a new one can be grown.

One of the most popular succulents grown at home is the Crassula. Its tree-like branches are covered with shiny, plump, spoon-shaped green leaves that sometimes have a crimson tint at the tips.

5. Crassula arborescens

Homeland: Cape Province in South Africa.

This plant is also called “Money tree”. This plant is unpretentious and can adapt to minimal care, which is why it is very popular among gardeners. Name " money tree“The fat woman got it because she is able to influence the financial situation of her owners and can even attract prosperity to the family. So, if you believe in such signs, be sure to get a fat woman and learn how to properly care for it.

Our next stop... But to understand where we landed, let's look at strange plants, which look like green sticks and balls covered with sharp spines.

5. Cacti

Homeland - Mexico.

We are in the country of cacti - Mexico. The cacti growing here reach enormous sizes and different forms(columns, half a meter thick, balls, flat cakes). Cactus thickets look scary. The trunks look like monsters that are about to move and grab you with their terrible claws. So what is beautiful and interesting about them?

The cacti look fantastic ( show cactus). They have a large and thick stem, and instead of leaves there are thorns on it. Cacti look like huge hedgehogs. They grow in the desert, where there is almost no rain. Their entire structure is adapted to accumulate and retain moisture. Cacti in the desert are like barrels of water. During rains, their roots quickly absorb water. And with the onset of drought, their small roots dry out, while the thicker ones remain alive. The cactus is a very hardy plant and can go without water for a long time. Cacti are quite edible. In their homeland, thornless cacti (there are some!) are used as livestock feed. People also eat them. They fry cacti, boil them, make juice and jam, the taste of which is very similar to the taste of an orange. And the Indians used to use one type of cactus with long spines as a comb. So green prickly balls have every right to stand and show off on your windows.

The brightest and characteristic feature The desert has low humidity. Water vapor in the air of deserts cannot condense normally, therefore, the atmospheric humidity there is very low. Plants get used to dry air. Therefore, people from the desert (compared to some other indoor plants) sometimes need two hundred times less moisture, both in the form of water intended for irrigation and atmospheric water. Deserts are not exactly the same in different areas of the globe, so it is important to know which continent a desert plant comes from.

IV. Consolidation and generalization of material

Teacher: Our trip around the world with our houseplant friends has come to an end. We visited the deserts of Africa and Mexico. We looked into the old days, into the life of plants among the ancient Egyptians and Greeks.

Unfortunately, the world of plants is huge and we will not be able to learn about all the plants in one lesson. But what we heard is enough for us to answer the questions:

1. Think and answer why these plants look the same in winter as in summer?
2. Why do we call them indoors, because in their homeland they grow in the wild?
3. What are their benefits?

Children's answers.

Now we run down the plane and here we are at home, in the classroom. And the companions of our journey are here, with us, standing on our table.

V. Summary of the lesson

All real travelers love to talk about their observations. Let's try and remember the most interesting things about our plants.

– What new did you learn?

Used Books.

1. N.M. Verzilina "Travel with indoor plants", publishing house "Children's Literature", 1958.

Aloe (agave)

R propagated by cuttings and suckers, the first ones are pre-dried before planting in sand or sandy-turf soil. Rooted in warm rooms(although they take root at 14-16 degrees), without covering, with very little watering, without spraying. Plant in sandy loam-turf soil with a small admixture of leaf soil in a small container with good drainage. Keep in full light, water in winter time is shortest. They rot from dampness stem and roots. Adult specimens are replanted after 2-3 years.

cacti

Cacti are propagated by seeds in the spring , cuttings (some in winter, most - in summer), pieces of roots, shoots in the spring and grafting into winter time.

Leaf-like cacti are propagated by cuttings(eg prickly pear, leaf-like and arthropod cacti). In the first, the cut of the cutting dries out in 2-3 days, and in the second, it heals within a day. After the cut has dried or healed, the cuttings are planted in a clean sand and kept under glass at 20-25°.

In the first days do not water, then water very moderately. Rooted cuttings are planted in small pots. takes root in light soil without a cover. Cuttings can be rooted from spring to autumn.

For adult specimens, use leaf soil with an admixture of up to 1 lime (construction seedings). grows well in sandy loamy turf-humus soil. Dishes take a tight one with good drainage. Transplantation after 2-3 years or less. For an arthropod cactus, it is recommended to take fibrous turf soil in half with peat and leaf soil (up to “A” of sand is added to this mixture) or a mixture of 2 parts of rotted tree bark, 1 part of leaf soil and 1 part of humus soil.

Cacti need fresh air and plenty of light. Due to dampness in winter, not only their root system, but also their trunk rots, causing the plants to die.

From pests Scale insects and scale insects are especially dangerous Therefore, their appearance must be carefully monitored and immediate measures must be taken to destroy them. Let us briefly describe the most commonly grown cacti.

Hedgehog cactus (Echinocactus)

Leaf-like cactus (phyllocactus)

Artifolia cactus (epiphyllum)

10 most spectacular indoor plants from the desert Among indoor plants, the original inhabitants of the driest places on the planet have always enjoyed special love. The well-deserved reputation of desert stars is explained simply: no other plants can boast of such ease of care and endurance. Although not all succulents and cacti belong to crops found naturally in semi-deserts and deserts. Even so, the choice among true desert endemics is very large - from bright blooming stars to modest living stones. The special character of plants native to deserts Natural conditions The desert areas of our planet are so harsh that only extremely hardy plants have been able to adapt to them. But there are by no means a small number of them: hundreds of species of the hardiest plants thrive even where everything around seems lifeless, competing for precious moisture with representatives of the fauna that are no less well adapted to drought. Low and uneven humidity with sharp changes in precipitation between seasons, very low humidity air, scorching sun, extreme hot African or more moderate North American temperatures have led to the fact that in the process of evolution, plants adapted to desert areas acquired exceptional features: - the ability to be content with a minimum amount of moisture, sometimes hundreds of times less than for inhabitants of even a temperate climate; - variable metabolism - the ability to absorb carbon dioxide at night and close the stomata to stop the evaporation of moisture; - a sharp change in periods active growth and complete rest - seasonal, pronounced vegetative activity, followed by deep “sleep”; - absence or minimal number of stomata, leathery leaves protected by a wax or fatty coating. Cacti and succulents are often associated with desert plants; to many, all plants from these groups seem the same in character. But not all succulent crops come from deserts and even semi-deserts. After all, many succulents migrated to rooms from mountainous regions, where there is a problem of shortage nutrients, moisture and sudden temperature changes is no less relevant, although we are talking about completely different nature climatic conditions. Most popular cacti and almost half of succulents grow in the subtropics, in mountainous and even forest areas. So not all succulents are from the desert, but all desert plants are definitely succulents. They are able to store water reserves in shoots or leaves, have fleshy water-storing tissues and thick skin, and few stomata. All these adaptation mechanisms are most clearly manifested in cacti. Indoor plants of desert origin have not lost a single feature of their natural ancestors, even if we are talking about decorative forms and varieties that have undergone long-term selection. It is believed that adaptation to extreme conditions of deserts and semi-deserts is irreversible. Such plants, even in the interior, remain ordinary inhabitants of deserts, accustomed to far from typical humidity, temperatures and lighting. One of key features desert plants – an extremely narrow “specialization”. Such crops have adapted to the difficult conditions in deserts to such an extent that they can no longer adapt to any other conditions, having lost their ability to acclimatize. Their entire metabolism is structured completely differently than that of plants from other climatic zones. Those who want to grow desert plants should study their nature well: in order to succeed and admire the drought-resistant stars long years, they will have to recreate the conditions they are already familiar with. Standard care will not work for such plants. All indoor plants that came to us from desert places have other characteristics in common: 1) drought resistance; 2) love of sunshine up to the need to be under direct sun rays, extreme sensitivity to any shading and insufficient lighting; 3) thermophilicity; 4) love for differences in night and day temperatures; 5) the need for a long and strict dormant period for subsequent flowering. There are many similarities in caring for desert crops. Such plants require careful and infrequent watering; during the resting phase, they can often do without it at all. Feeding for desert stars is rare, and the substrate must be specific - light, sandy or rocky. Let's take a closer look at the brightest desert stars, which are especially popular in modern interiors. 1. Star Cactus Astrophytum Astrophytums are one of the most colorful desert cacti. These are slow-growing plants with massive ribs that make the unbranched stems look like a star when cut. The soft hairs are collected in tiny tufts, which gives the cacti a unique “pointed” pubescence. The cactus blooms indoors, surprising with large yellow flowers with a red throat and a pubescent tube. This is an easy-to-grow cactus that does not like transplanting or deepening the root collar. It is distinguished by its light-loving, drought-resistant, and demanding soil composition. 2. Invulnerable prickly pear Capable of creating entire thickets and impassable areas, prickly pear (Opuntia) in indoor culture lose their aggressiveness. These cacti are found in different conditions, but it’s not for nothing that they became a symbol of the Mexican deserts. Flat, jointed stems, often teardrop-shaped or oval shape, they surprise you with their spines and thin bristles, which, due to their jagged edges, can be very difficult to pull out of the skin. Unique rooting abilities and a powerful superficial root system make this cactus very tenacious. And single bright flowers in a half-bloomed state they are reminiscent of roses. Growing prickly pears will not cause any difficulties even for novice gardeners. Cacti develop quickly and love abundant watering in spring and summer, very scanty in winter. Prickly pears are not afraid of sudden temperature changes; they can spend the summer in the garden and are very light-loving. 3. “Hedgehogs” of echinocacti One of the largest spherical cacti, which loses its spherical shape only at a very advanced age, flaunts numerous ribs and golden spines. In indoor conditions, Echinocactus not only does not reach its true size (in nature, Echinocactus can exceed one and a half meters in height), but it almost never blooms. But the beauty and symmetry of the plant, decorated with densely arranged colored spines - gold, red, orange or golden brown - is so unique that the popularity of the “hedgehog” cactus does not seem so surprising. Growing echinocacti is very simple, but you need to ensure that the substrate is light and slightly acidic, the lighting is the brightest, and wintering is cool. Echinocacti are watered even in winter only once a week, but this cactus does not tolerate sudden changes in humidity and will prefer to spend the summer in the fresh air. 4. New varieties of interesting aloe A few decades ago, aloe (Aloe) was going through a period of undeserved oblivion, but today it is again included in the list of the most fashionable succulents. Boring and faceless specimens of ordinary aloe vera are already history. Today, flower growers around the world have paid attention to amazing varieties and types of aloe, which are ready to give odds to even the most original indoor desert stars. Similar to the bizarre inhabitant of the deep sea, Aloe marlothii, flower-shaped elegant rosettes of variegated aloe (Aloe variegata), unique multileaf aloe (Aloe polyphylla) with its leaves arranged in a complex spiral in flat rosettes, etc. - these are new favorites. But all aloes, without exception, remain succulents with fleshy leaves, collected in a basal or apical rosette, with a crescent cross-section, a pointed tip, sharp teeth along the edge of the leaves and bluish patterns. All aloe - both old and newfangled - are amazingly unpretentious. They love annual transplants, fresh air and cool wintering. Like all desert stars, aloes are sun-loving, but somewhat more tolerant of low light. They require fairly abundant summer watering and do not really like feeding. 5. Fan gasteria Shortened to the point of being completely invisible, the stems of these succulents allow you to admire only the beauty of the leaves. In some species of gasteria (Gasteria) they are located in dense classic ones, in others - in double-row rosettes of striking symmetry, in which tongue-shaped leaves, often with a rounded tip, seem to have been manually laid out in “stacks” or fans. Old leaves of Gasteria lie down, while young ones can be almost erect. White warts give dark, tough leaves a variegated effect. And those formed in very large quantities daughter rosettes allow the plant to be easily propagated or grown in “colonies”. Gasterias are fast-growing succulents that will need to be replanted annually. Gasteria prefer to overwinter in cool conditions. But otherwise they are unpretentious, shade-tolerant, easily forgive mistakes and are watered quite abundantly in the summer. 6. Blooming miracle - lampranthus Among gardeners, these plants are still better known by the old name of the most common species - deltoid oscularia (Oscularia deltoides), but other representatives of the genus Lampranthus, which included oscularia, deserve attention. These are unique shrubby succulents with strongly branching shoots that lie down with age. They form real leaves, although the greenery looks unusual. Gray-blue, thickened triangular leaves with jagged edges make these succulents one of the most original. But the real show of lampranthus begins only when flowering starts. Small chrysanthemum-shaped flowers of pink or lilac colors bloom in such numbers that it is sometimes impossible to see the special green oscularia underneath them. The most difficult thing in growing lampranthus is choosing correct watering. Even in summer they are carried out rarely and very carefully, but in winter they are almost stopped. This succulent should spend its resting period in the cold, but bright lighting is a good idea. necessary for plants whole year. Without access to fresh air Lampranthus are very difficult to grow. 7. The thinnest shoots of Othonna The most unique of the succulents, Othonna, is a plant whose true desert character is not easy to recognize even upon close examination. Lodging and drooping thin purple shoots are combined in this unique plant with long and thick leaves (with a length of up to 7 cm, the diameter of the leaf reaches 3 cm). The leaves are arranged in rare pairs, gracefully spaced, and captivate with the beauty of their elongated teardrop-shaped (or lobe-shaped) shape. The round cross-section of the leaves is not their most unusual feature. After all, the waxy coating on the fleshy greens seems special. This succulent even blooms, releasing small yellow baskets of flowers, which make it obvious that the plant belongs to the Asteraceae family. For all its outlandish beauty, ottone is one of the easiest succulents to grow. Even in summer, the plant is watered about once a week, avoiding overwatering. Not just light-loving, but sun-loving Otton loves light soil, cool wintering and fresh air. 8. Round-leaved portulacaria trees It would be a big mistake to compare portulacaria with another tree-like succulent - the crassula. After all, portulacaria are special plants. Shrubs, which in indoor conditions develop in the form of densely branching, amazingly beautiful, compact trees, look amazingly impressive. Round, fleshy leaves with bright colors sit opposite on fleshy, drooping shoots. The plant is easy to shape, even creating silhouettes reminiscent of bonsai, and the presence of several variegated forms allows you to choose plants to your liking. Portulacaria love to spend the summer outdoors and are not afraid of even the midday sun. They are easy to grow, because even in summer the plant prefers moderate watering, and they are fertilized very rarely. 9. Guatemalan miracle - Hechtia Guatemala One of the most unusual plants not only in the list of desert stars, but also among exotic indoor crops. The shortened stem is not visible under the stunning rosette, which looks artificial. Dense “bundles” of hechtia (Hechtia guatemalensis) contain long and very narrow linear leaves that can stretch up to half a meter. The spiny edge, grayish color, scaly bottom and reddish coating turn Hechtia Guatemala into a sparkling star in bright light. But this succulent also manages to surprise with its flowering - panicles of white three-petaled flowers. Growing this original crop is easy. To flower, it needs to be provided with a cool winter, the light regime must be stable, and watering must be very careful. Otherwise, hechtia is a typical unpretentious succulent, surprising with its endurance 10. Silver pebbles of pachyphytum oviferum One of the most unusual and “precious” indoor plants, pachyphytum (Pachyphytum oviferum) surprises with its texture, shape, and color. Shortened shoots are not visible under obovate, round or oval in cross-section, resembling either outlandish pebbles or decorative pebbles, leaves reaching 5 cm in length and 3 cm in diameter. The fleshy, waxy leaves are grey-white, but their texture makes them appear bright silver in the shade, with a hint of rose gold in bright light. They seem to be strung or scattered in slides on the soil, seeming like an artificial decoration of the interior. Silver pachyphytums also bloom in an original way, producing bright red flowers on long pubescent pedicels. Growing this silvery miracle is no more difficult than any ordinary succulent. In summer, pachyphytum will not refuse a place on the balcony, but even there it is content with scanty watering, it is sun-loving and magnificent in any temperature. Even a cool winter is needed only for flowering.

Among indoor plants, the original inhabitants of the driest places on the planet have always enjoyed special love. The well-deserved reputation of desert stars is explained simply: no other can boast of such ease of care and endurance. Although not all succulents and cacti belong to crops found naturally in semi-deserts and deserts. Even so, the choice among true desert endemics is very large - from bright blooming stars to modest living stones.

Growing cacti at home

The special character of plants native to deserts

The natural conditions of the desert areas of our planet are so harsh that only extremely hardy plants have been able to adapt to them. But there are by no means a small number of them: hundreds of species of the hardiest plants thrive even where everything around seems lifeless, competing for precious moisture with representatives of the fauna that are no less well adapted to drought. Low and uneven humidity with sharp changes in precipitation between seasons, very low air humidity, scorching sun, extreme hot African or more moderate North American temperatures have led to the fact that in the process of evolution, plants adapted to desert areas have acquired exceptional features:

• the ability to be content with a minimum amount of moisture, sometimes hundreds of times less than for inhabitants of even a temperate climate;
• variable metabolism - the ability to absorb carbon dioxide at night and close the stomata to stop the evaporation of moisture;
• a sharp change in periods of active growth and complete dormancy - seasonal, pronounced vegetative activity, followed by deep “sleep”;
• absence or minimal number of stomata, leathery leaves protected by a waxy or fatty coating.

Cacti and succulents are often associated with desert plants; to many, all plants from these groups seem the same in character. But not all succulent crops come from deserts and even semi-deserts. After all, many succulents migrated to rooms from mountainous regions, where the problem of lack of nutrients, moisture and sudden temperature changes is no less pressing, although we are talking about completely different climatic conditions. Most popular cacti and almost half of succulents grow in the subtropics, in mountainous and even forest areas. So not all succulents are from the desert, but all desert plants are definitely succulents. They are able to store water reserves in shoots or leaves, have fleshy water-storing tissues and thick skin, and few stomata. All these adaptation mechanisms are most clearly manifested in cacti.

Indoor plants of desert origin have not lost a single feature of their natural ancestors, even if we are talking about decorative forms and varieties that have undergone long-term selection. It is believed that adaptation to extreme conditions of deserts and semi-deserts is irreversible. Such plants, even in the interior, remain ordinary inhabitants of deserts, accustomed to far from typical humidity, temperatures and lighting.

One of the key features of desert plants is an extremely narrow “specialization.” Such crops have adapted to the difficult conditions in deserts to such an extent that they can no longer adapt to any other living conditions, having lost their ability to acclimatize. Their entire metabolism is structured completely differently than that of plants from other climatic zones. Those who want to grow desert plants should study their character well: in order to succeed and admire the drought-resistant stars for many years, they will have to recreate the conditions they are already familiar with. The standard one will not suit such plants.

All indoor plants that came to us from desert places are united by other characteristics:

There are many similarities in caring for desert crops. Such plants require careful and infrequent watering; during the resting phase, they can often do without it at all. Feeding for desert stars is rare, and the substrate must be specific - light, sandy or rocky.

Let's take a closer look at the brightest desert stars, which are especially popular in modern interiors.

1. Star cactus astrophytum

Astrophytums are one of the most colorful desert cacti. These are slow-growing plants with massive ribs that make the unbranched stems look like a star when cut. The soft hairs are collected in tiny tufts, which gives the cacti a unique “pointed” pubescence. The cactus blooms indoors, surprising with large yellow flowers with a red throat and a pubescent tube.

Astrophytum asterias. © seedsexotic

Distribution area: USA and Mexico.

This is an easy-to-grow cactus that does not like transplanting or deepening the root collar. It is distinguished by its light-loving, drought-resistant, and demanding soil composition.

2. Invulnerable prickly pear

Capable of creating entire thickets and impassable areas, prickly pears (Opuntia) lose their aggressiveness in indoor culture. These cacti are found in different conditions, but it is not for nothing that they have become a symbol of the Mexican deserts. The flat, segmented stems, often teardrop-shaped or oval-shaped, are surprising with spines and thin bristles, which, due to the jagged edges, can be very difficult to pull out of the skin. Unique rooting abilities and a powerful superficial root system make this cactus very tenacious. And single bright flowers in a half-bloomed state are reminiscent of roses.

Opuntia. © C T Johansson

Distribution area: Australia, Central and South America.

Growing prickly pears will not cause any difficulties even for novice gardeners. Cacti develop quickly, love abundant watering in spring and summer, and very little in winter. Prickly pears are not afraid of sudden temperature changes; they can spend the summer in the garden and are very light-loving.

3. “Hedgehogs” of echinocacti

One of the largest spherical cacti, which loses its spherical shape only at a very advanced age, flaunts numerous ribs and golden spines. In indoor conditions, Echinocactus not only does not reach its true size (in nature, Echinocactus can exceed one and a half meters in height), but it almost never blooms. But the beauty and symmetry of the plant, decorated with densely arranged colored spines - gold, red, orange or golden brown - is so unique that the popularity of the “hedgehog” cactus does not seem so surprising.

Echinocactus, or Hedgehog cactus (Echinocactus)

Distribution area: deserts of Mexico and the USA.

Growing echinocacti is very simple, but you need to ensure that the substrate is light and slightly acidic, the lighting is the brightest, and wintering is cool. Echinocacti are watered even in winter only once a week, but this cactus does not tolerate sudden changes in humidity and will prefer to spend the summer in the fresh air.

4. New varieties of boring aloe

A few decades ago, aloe (Aloe) was going through a period of undeserved oblivion, but today it is again included in the list of the most fashionable succulents. Boring and faceless specimens of ordinary aloe vera are already history. Today, flower growers around the world have paid attention to amazing varieties and types of aloe, which are ready to give odds to even the most original indoor desert stars. Looks like a bizarre creature of the deep sea aloe Marlota(Aloe marlothii), flower-like elegant rosettes aloe variegated(Aloe variegata), unique aloe multifolia(Aloe polyphylla) with its complex spiral leaves in flat rosettes, etc., are new favorites. But all aloes, without exception, remain succulents with fleshy leaves, collected in a basal or apical rosette, with a crescent cross-section, a pointed tip, sharp teeth along the edge of the leaves and bluish patterns.

Aloe marlothii. © Stan Shebs

Aloe variegata

Aloe polyphylla. © Linda De Volder

Distribution area: deserts of Africa and the American continents.

All aloe - both old and newfangled - are amazingly unpretentious. They love annual transplants, fresh air and cool wintering. Like all desert stars, aloes are sun-loving, but somewhat more tolerant of low light. They require fairly abundant summer watering and do not really like feeding.

5. Fan Gasteria

The stems of these succulents, shortened to the point of being completely invisible, allow you to admire only the beauty of the leaves. In some species of gasteria (Gasteria) they are located in dense classic ones, in others - in double-row rosettes of striking symmetry, in which tongue-shaped leaves, often with a rounded tip, seem to have been manually laid out in “stacks” or fans. Old leaves of Gasteria lie down, while young ones can be almost erect. White warts give dark, tough leaves a variegated effect. And the daughter rosettes formed in very large numbers make it easy to propagate the plant or grow it in “colonies”.

Gasteria. © skyviewsucculents

Distribution area: deserts of Africa.

Gasterias are fast-growing succulents that will need to be replanted annually. Gasteria prefer to overwinter in cool conditions. But otherwise they are unpretentious, shade-tolerant, easily forgive mistakes and are watered quite abundantly in the summer.

6. Blooming miracle - lampranthus

Among gardeners, these plants are still better known by the old name of the most common species - oscularia deltoid(Oscularia deltoides), but also other representatives of the genus Lampranthus, which included oscularia, deserve attention. These are unique shrubby succulents with strongly branching shoots that lie down with age. They form real leaves, although the greenery looks unusual. Gray-blue, thickened triangular leaves with jagged edges make these succulents one of the most original. But the real show of lampranthus begins only when flowering starts. Small chrysanthemum-shaped flowers of pink or lilac colors bloom in such numbers that it is sometimes impossible to see the special green oscularia underneath them.

Lampranthus deltoides, or Oscularia deltoides

Distribution area: deserts of South Africa.

The most difficult thing in growing lampranthus is choosing the right watering. Even in summer they are carried out rarely and very carefully, but in winter they are almost stopped. This succulent should spend its dormant period in the cold, but bright lighting is a measure that plants need all year round. Without access to fresh air, it is very difficult to grow lampranthus.

7. The thinnest otton shoots

The most unique of the succulents, Othonna is a plant whose true desert character is not easily recognized even upon close inspection. Lodging and drooping thin purple shoots are combined in this unique plant with long and thick leaves (with a length of up to 7 cm, the diameter of the leaf reaches 3 cm). The leaves are arranged in rare pairs, gracefully spaced, and captivate with the beauty of their elongated teardrop-shaped (or lobe-shaped) shape. The round cross-section of the leaves is not their most unusual feature. After all, the waxy coating on the fleshy greens seems special. This succulent even blooms, releasing small yellow baskets of flowers, which make it obvious that the plant belongs to the Asteraceae family.

Otton capensis (Othonna capensis). © cactusjohn

Distribution area: deserts of South Africa.

For all its outlandish beauty, ottone is one of the easiest succulents to grow. Even in summer, the plant is watered about once a week, avoiding overwatering. Not just light-loving, but sun-loving Otton loves light soil, cool wintering and fresh air.

In winter, every summer resident is looking forward to spring and is happy to open the season with the first plantings of flowers and vegetable crops for seedlings. But, unfortunately, the space on the windowsill is limited, and it is not always possible to place it in the apartment required quantity seedlings in cups. In addition, some of the crops may simply not grow, some will die... And for us, summer residents, no matter how much we plant, it’s not enough! Therefore, almost every gardener buys at least some seedlings.

Growing annuals in the garden has at least two advantages over growing perennial flowers. Firstly, most popular annual plants bloom profusely throughout the growing season. Secondly, many annuals sow freely and appear in the garden year after year with minimal participation from the grower. Which annuals can be planted only once, and then, following simple techniques, can be seen in the garden every season?

You can make jellied meat and meat salad with onions from pork knuckle. The shank, especially the hind shank, is a very tasty and affordable part of the pork carcass that you can feed small company. A 2 kg shank will make a bowl meat salad and a large plate of jellied meat. There will still be some meat broth left over, which I advise you to use to cook cabbage soup or borscht. For this dish, we take a hind shank weighing from 1.7 to 2 kilograms; I advise you to ask the butcher for the meatiest one.

Eggplants require sunny but short days, medium-warm temperatures without sweltering heat, sufficient moisture, but without flooding the root system. Provide such conditions in open ground Most regions of Russia are quite difficult. Therefore, previously eggplants were grown only in protected soil conditions. With the development of selection, it became possible to grow eggplants in open ground not only in southern regions, but also in middle lane.

Among predator plants, the sundew rightly claims to be the brightest and most expressive beauty. This plant attracts, first of all, its unusual textures and play of colors. But the feeding mechanism of this swamp and quite hardy miracle is so exotic that it is very easy to forget about sundews as plants, primarily ornamental ones. Sundews are quite demanding when it comes to humidity, but they are not that difficult to grow in ordinary living spaces.

Chocolate cake with custard made from simple and affordable ingredients, it turns out so tasty that rarely anyone limits themselves to one piece. The sponge cakes are moist and feel like they are made from real dark chocolate, even though the recipe only calls for cocoa powder. The creamy custard is delicate and light and goes well with chocolate sponge cake. All this splendor of tastes complements coconut flakes, the ingredient is simple, but in this recipe, it’s like a cherry on the cake.

Although the calendar spring begins in March, it is very difficult to call this month spring. But May is already a real long-awaited spring, filled with aromas and the multicolor of awakened nature. Fresh young leaves on trees and bushes attract the eye, yearning for greenery during the long months of winter. In May, the parade of primroses continues in the garden, delighting with variegated foliage and flowering ornamental shrubs, perennials, conifers are renewed.

In the middle zone, the shape of the grapes suggests the possibility of shelter on winter period, which means the guideline should be to keep the head of the bush at soil level. Even further north on big harvest there is no need to count, but for such areas there are also pruning principles. The article discusses the sleeve-fan scheme for forming a grape bush, often used in the middle zone, and the cordon scheme, which has shown itself well in regions with a more severe climate.

Beef with eggplants with vegetable sauce in the oven is a simple, very tasty and not very high-calorie dish, which is quite relevant nowadays. The sauce is made from vegetables only, no flour, sugar, milk or cream. The meat is without fat, and yet it turns out juicy and tender. Can be replaced with chicken fillet or veal. The eggplants do not need to be fried first, just add a little salt to make them soft. I recommend preparing a light yogurt sauce for the finished dish.

Houseplants are much more dependent on fertilizing than garden plants. Thanks to feeding, they receive everything they need for growth and flowering. The substrate is depleted several months after transplantation. And if nutrients are not replenished, plants quickly begin to show signs of macro- and micronutrient deficiency. The leaves signal it first and most clearly. The leaves of indoor plants will “tell” about the deficiency or excess of which elements?

Duck with oranges in French - exquisite, juicy, with golden skin. This baked duck will decorate any holiday table, and it is easy to prepare, although, compared to traditional fried chicken, it takes a little longer. To speed up the process and preserve the released juices, use a sleeve or baking bag suitable size, remember that not every bag can fit a large duck! Serve the duck with the sauce and filling left over after baking.

Purslane is a well-known, widespread weed all over the world, which has a number of qualities for which all gardeners unanimously hate it. One of them is ineradicability. Purslane is so resilient that even one seed can be the beginning of this weed taking over an area. To remove purslane from the garden and garden, patience, knowledge and precision in carrying out measures to destroy it are required. In this article we will look at methods of combating purslane on the site.

The first half of spring is stingy flowering plants. Yes, primroses are already pleasing, but there is a very special plant that you can’t help but be moved by. This is a perennial evergreen ground cover of aubrieta. I think those who saw the low cushions, or, as they say, curtains of this plant during flowering, probably wanted to have it in their garden. And I hasten to please you, aubrieta is a very unpretentious and easy-to-care plant. Although, there are some peculiarities.

Delicious lamb cabbage soup with sweet peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and, of course, cabbage! It takes quite a lot of time to prepare this dish, but this does not mean that you will have to stomp around in the kitchen all day. Prepare vegetables and meat - wash, chop, place in bowls. Then sauté the vegetables and add the lamb. When the soup boils, you can go about your business for about 1.5 hours, then add potatoes and cabbage and cook for another half hour.

If you have an apple tree growing in your garden, naturally you want to get as many tasty fruits from it as possible. Often, beginning gardeners believe that the more magnificent the tree, the greater the harvest. But that's not true. In order for an apple tree to produce a rich, high-quality harvest, so that the fruits are large and juicy, each of its branches must receive enough light and air. When the amount of light falling on the branches is reduced to 30 percent, fruit buds do not form on the trees.

Ferns are one of the categories of indoor plants that are actively gaining popularity. Their luxurious leaves with unique patterns and soothing, mysterious shades of green look so elegant that it is difficult to resist the beauty of ferns, even if there is no suitable place for them. Along with unpretentious ferns, they are becoming more common and rare, original views. And among them is a bizarre epiphyte polypodium with unusual leaves and colors.