Parody (Parodia) is a miniature representative of the Cactus. This small plant came to us from the territories of Uruguay, Northern Argentina, Paraguay, South and Central Bolivia. A parody is a cactus that has pronounced ribs. Each rib is provided with tubercles. Each such tubercle has spines of different length and diameter. The parody blooms very beautifully. Terry flower, located at the very top of the plant. The seed box, as well as the seeds themselves, are small, like dust.
Parody care at home
Location and lighting
The parody needs a location in the room where it gets the most direct sunlight. However, in order to avoid getting burned, the plant must be accustomed to the bright sun gradually. On a short winter day, the parody needs additional artificial lighting so that the duration of the summer and winter days is approximately the same. In summer it will feel great outdoors, but does not tolerate rain drops.
Temperature
In summer and spring, the optimum temperature for keeping a parody is about 22-25 degrees. In the autumn-winter period, the cactus is dormant, so it is better that it be in a room with a temperature of 10 to 12 degrees. Temperatures below 7 degrees are considered fatal for him. Parody needs a constant supply of fresh air, but it is not recommended to keep it in a draft.
Air humidity
Air humidity is not a decisive factor when growing a parody. The cactus will feel good and delight with flowering even in the dry air of a city apartment.
Watering
In the spring and summer, watering the parody should be moderate as the topsoil dries out. Starting in autumn, watering is gradually reduced. In winter, the plant is dormant and may not need watering at all.
The soil
Soil for growing a parody can be bought ready-made in a specialized store, or you can compose it yourself. It is necessary to mix leaf, peat and turf soil, add sand and stone chips.
Top dressing and fertilizers
Parody needs regular fertilization in the spring and summer. For this, a universal cactus dressing is used, diluted in a very weak concentration. The frequency of fertilization is 2 times a month.
Transfer
A parody rarely needs a transplant. The reason the cactus should be transplanted into a larger pot is because it has roots in the drainage holes. The bottom of the pot should be lined with a generous layer of drainage so that the water in the soil does not stagnate for a long time and does not destroy the root system.
Reproduction parody
There are two ways to reproduce a parody: using seeds and offshoots. It is very difficult to get an adult plant from seeds. Seeds germinate at a temperature of about 20-25 degrees just a few days after planting, but then they begin to grow too slowly. It may even take two years, but the seedlings will not need to be transplanted into separate containers.
The offspring often appear on the mother plant. This breeding method is the most preferred and effective. The scion is removed from the main plant and transferred to a new pot. The transplant procedure must be carried out in the spring or early summer.
Diseases and pests
Parody can be affected by pests such as scale insects, mealybugs and spider mites. You can fight them with the help of insecticidal preparations in the form of a solution according to the attached instructions.
Popular types of parody
Parody golden prickly (Parodia aureispina) - is a small cactus, the stem is covered with tubercles about 6 cm in diameter. The surface is made up of ribs. There are 6 central and 40 radial thorns, the largest and longest has a hook at the end.
Parody of golden-needle (Parodia chrysacanthion) - is a small cactus, rarely reaching more than 10 cm in diameter. The spines are white, the central one is the largest not bent into a hook. It blooms with yellow beautiful flowers of a rather large size.
Parody snow (Parodia nivosa) - is a compact cactus. As the plant grows, the stem stretches in the shape of a cylinder. The length of the stem can reach 15 cm, and the size of the diameter is about 8 cm. Each rib is covered with tubercles with spines. It blooms with beautiful bright red flowers about 5 cm in diameter.
Parody of Schwebs (Parodia schwebsiana) - This is a small cactus, spherical stem, diameter from 12 to 14 cm, height from 10 to 12 cm. It has large spines, the central one is bent in the form of a hook. It blooms with bright red flowers of small size.
Parody Leninghaus (Parodia leninghausii) - is a cactus with a long stem in the shape of a cylinder. The stem diameter is about 15 cm, the height is about 60 cm.The flowers are yellow-white, the diameter is about 6 cm.
Parody magnificent (Parodia magnifica) - reaches a height of about 15 cm. The stem is spherical, green with a blue tint. The ribs are deeply cut. The diameter of the flowers is up to 4-5 cm, of a pale yellow shade.
Parody mutable (Parodia mutabilis) - has a spherical stem, a diameter of about 8 cm. The central spines have a cruciform arrangement. It blooms with small flowers of a golden yellow hue.
Parody of the Maas (Parodia maasii) - is a small cactus, the stem is spherical, but becomes cylindrical as it matures. The height of the stem is rarely more than 15 cm. The ribs are deeply cut and twisted into a spiral. Flowers are red with a copper tint, small in size.
Parody small-seeded (Parodia microsperma) - a cactus that has a spherical stem at an early age. As it grows, the stem takes on a cylindrical shape with a height of about 20 cm. It has about 20 spirally twisted ribs. Spines are located on the costal tubercles. The plant blooms with orange flowers with a red tint, and specimens with golden yellow flowers can also be found.
Parody of Faust (Parodia faustiana) - a spherical cactus of compact size. It has ribs, twisted in a spiral shape, there are only 24 thorns. The flowers are golden yellow.
Parody Haagen (Parodia haageana) Is a cactus with a large stem, the height of which reaches about 20 cm. Small brown spines completely cover the plant. Flowers are small in size, red in color.
