care and maintenance of a beautiful cactus » Online Plant Sales

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If Rapunzel ever gets tired of letting her long hair down from the tower to let her prince climb up, we could warmly advise her to adopt a beautiful Rhipsalis plant.

No more pain and risk of baldness, just a simple, beautiful and resistant plant which, in addition to giving a more welcoming air even to an ugly solitary tower, can, if necessary, act as a ladder for a prince.

No, it’s okay, we were joking about the ladder part, it’s resistant, but not that much!

Rhipsalis is a sort of Cactus (yeah, you wouldn’t think so?) with truly particular properties and long stems that extend until they fall downwards, creating a truly decorative, almost intertwined effect.

“Oh Rhipsalis, untie your stems, I will use them to furnish the house”!

Ripsalis

Rhipsalis is a genus composed of 30-40 species, mostly epiphytic or developed on rocks. They are mostly perennials from the forests of South America and western India, although some species have also been found in tropical Africa, Madagascar and Sri Lanka.

They often have aerial roots and the stems develop freely, branching considerably.

The very curious stems can have different shapes, from cylindrical to leaf-like.

Towards spring/autumn, white or yellow flowers and small spherical fruits also develop.

Cactus or no cactus?

When we talk about Rhipsalis, a bit of confusion arises because its family is the «Cactaceae», which immediately brings to mind the image of the well-known cacti that appear in every noteworthy desert scenario.

But is it really like that? What do these two plants have in common?

Bite. Despite the family they have in common, these 2 macro-specimens are truly different from each other.

Far away from thorns and needles, Rhipsalis would not survive the same conditions. A desert soil, dry and dehydrated, could not favor its growth. In fact, it greatly prefers rainforests and is in fact classified as a «jungle cactus».

Caring for Rhipsalis

Let’s come to us now, what can we do to raise her as best as possible? Because we might all think that it is an almost indestructible plant, thanks to the fame of cacti, but this is not the case. There are very specific rules that will prevent us from making fatal mistakes!

Light

Rhipsalis does not like direct light, which if too intense can cause real damage burning the leaves or causing yellowing or stains.

On the other hand, however, keeping it too sheltered is also not good, as the flowers would have no way to develop and the plant itself may not grow at its best. Despite this, the Rhipsalis can live in the shade for a period but it will be necessary to move it from time to time.

In general, therefore, the advice is to keep it far enough from windows which could increase the intensity of the heat perceived by the plant and keep it in a place that can be very bright in the morning and more protected in the afternoon.

Waterfall

Drought? No thank you. It does not like to be without water, so it is necessary to water these plants regularly, albeit extremely sparingly. Here too, however, balance is the rule in order not to water down the Rhipsalis too much which could develop root rot.

Generally speaking, it should be watered about once a month (it’s still a cactus!), checking first that the soil is dry at a depth of 1-1.5cm for about 4-5 days.

Two symptoms that the plant shows when it is thirsty are the wrinkling of the twigs and the loss of consistency on their part.

He also particularly likes vaping.

Land

The ideal soil is a soil based on sphagnum moss, coconut and gravel but for those who prefer an already complete product we suggest soil for cacti and succulents.

The Rhipsalis must be repotted quite often, approximately every 2 or 3 years, taking care to use fresh soil each time.

Temperature

The ideal temperature is between 15 and 25°C, below 12°C it could begin to feel very cold.

Fertilization

Rhipsalis should not be fertilized for at least a year after being transplanted. In general it doesn’t need to be fed much, but it can be useful to add cactus fertilizer to the irrigation water once a month during spring and summer.

Propagation

Possible by seed or cutting. Reproducing it is very simple, just bury some pieces of stems in moist soil composed of peat and sand.

Threats

Although it is quite resistant, it could be attacked by some parasites including cochineal and red spider mites.

A calming plant

This nice plant whose name derives from the ancient Greek “flanks» what does it mean «wicker” in reference to its shape and the intertwining of its stems, was the protagonist of an interesting study carried out by the University of Surrey in England, from which its calming power on the human mind emerged.

Just looking at it would make you feel more relaxed!