北極圈的冰冷世界

我家可愛的這盆栽是來自住這裡的鄰居綠手指瑪琳給我的，她說這株聖誕仙人掌(螃蟹蘭)是她住在南方的爺爺很多年前栽種的，她剪下幾片莖葉扦插繁殖並且隨行到這裡。

在北極圈地帶裡能看到令人驚奇的植物，真的是美好的事！這麼受歡迎的植物，其名稱也格外豐富，有稱之為聖誕仙人掌、感恩仙人掌、蟹爪仙人掌，或是節期仙人掌，台灣人們習稱之為『螃蟹蘭』。它其實是仙人掌科植物蟹足仙人鞭屬，透過育種技術的栽培，花色有相當的變化，如純白色、粉紅色、黃色、橘色、紅色或紫色等。

如果適當地照顧，它的花期會落在聖誕節時期，除此之外有時候也會在復活節期前後開花。

栽培條件包括：

1)生長的環境：如果您住的環境乾燥，請提供加濕裝置。可將盆栽放在加濕的托盤上，也就是說托盤上堆滿一半碎石和一半水的防水碟。

2)澆水：照顧這種植物，澆水可能是一件比較棘手的事，因為你需要小心，不要過多澆水也不能缺水。

3)光線：把植物放置在光線充足的位置（如靠近窗戶旁），遠離陽光直射（會阻礙植物生長和曬傷葉片）、暖氣、散熱孔、壁爐或其他來源的熱空氣。 最好是保持在一個正常的室內溫度範圍（18~27℃）。

4)繁殖：剪斷部分莖葉，繁殖栽種。每一節必須由兩到三段組成。將每一節進行幾個小時的乾燥處理之後，把它們埋入一個裝有原本土壤的3英寸的盆子裡。將第一段的一半扦插種植。約四到六周後，插穗應該已經生根，將進入新的生長期。它們會再大約兩、三個星期之內快速生長。在它們長出第一個新段後，可以開始施肥了。

我好興奮地期待新芽開出美麗的花朵，為所有的節期增添了色彩和溫暖的氣息。

My lovely plant came from our local green thumb Marnie,who is our great neighbor. She told me that this cutting came from a plant that lived in the south a long time ago from her grandfather. She cut off sections of the stem to bring some new growth and brought them here.

What a beautiful plant in the Arctic, it is a wonderful thing! The popular house plant is known by a variety of names including Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus, Crab Cactus and Holiday Cactus. Botanically they are Schlumbergera cultivars or Zygocactus, and flower in white, pink, yellow, orange, red or purple.

It will bloom at Christmas also sometimes around Easter time if cared for properly.

The domestic conditions include:

1) Growing medium: Provide a source of humidity if you live in a dry environment. You can make a humidity tray by placing the pot on a waterproof saucer that is filled with gravel and halfway filled with water.

2) Watering:Caring for this plant can be a bit tricky as you need to take care not to overwater or underwater it.

3) Light: Keep the plant in a well-lit location (like near a window) away from direct sunlight (which can stunt growth and burn the leaves), drafts, heat vents, fireplaces or other sources of hot air. It is best to keep in a normal house temperature range (18 to 27 degrees C.)

4) Propagation: Propagate this plant by cutting off sections of the stem, one to three segments long, Allow each section to dry for a few hours before pushing them into a 3-inch pot that contains the same potting soil as the parent plant. Plant halfway down the first segment. Treat the cuttings as mature plants. In about four to six weeks, the cuttings should have rooted and will begin to show some new growth. They grow quickly, and should take in about two or three weeks. You can fertilize after the cutting has grown one new segment.

I am excited to see the buds open into a beautiful flower that will add color and warmth to any holiday season.