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The Christmas cactus ( Schlumbergera bridgesii ) , also eff as Christmas cacti , Thanksgiving cactus or vacation cacti , no other plant seems to be equal , for its odd beauty or for the turn of motion from frustrated owners about its care and culture .
Question after question aboutSchlumbergera bridgesii(formerlyZyyocactus truncatus ) . And with good reason .
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The Christmas cactus is confusing . Even botanists do n’t always agree , except on where it arise — Brazil . There it is an air plant , produce on trees . Here , in North America , it has become a pot works able of a bouncy existence in the home or glasshouse .
Read on toknow more about Christmas cactuscare or Thanksgiving cactus upkeep .
Christmas Cactus Quick Care Tips
How To Get Christmas Cactus To Bloom
fix Christmas cactus to bloom is tricky but the beautiful bloom are deserving the hassle .
Its pendent , fuchsia - like blossom , brilliant cerise pinkish with gold stamens against a backcloth of unpaired , crablike jointed deep unripe leaves is as alien as its orchid neighbor in the tropical forests of Brazil .
Christmas cactus plants bloom for about two month at a prison term of yr when good flowering works are at agiotage . As soon as the first flowers slice , more undetermined . Mature plants can produce 100 of flowers .
Photo Credit: @PlantCareToday.com
Its life-time is measured in decades . I fuck of two that are over 20 years old , and have heard of one that is 32 years old . This is not even close-fitting to the record .
Moisture
Being tropic hobo camp industrial plant , they require more moisture and shadiness than most other cacti . But the term “ more wet ” is relative .
Christmas cactus territory should be dampish but not too much so . Be certain there are crack clay pot pieces , pebbles , or horticultural charcoal at the bottom of the smoke for drain .
Never set the plant in a saucer of weewee . Too much watering induce the root rot . countenance the soil dry out occasionally well down into the pile to prevent the soil from going sour .
Soil and Potting
The best soil for Christmas cactusitself should be a small richer than that used for other cacti , but since the plant likes slightly acid grunge , forfend calcined lime or bone repast . A mixture of two parts just cactus potting premix , one part coarse builder ’s sand and one part peat moss is excellent .
Use pots not much big than the diameter of the plant ( two - inch plant in three - in pot ) . Put in one fistful of dirt . sic in the plant , overspread the roots .
Now fill the can to within half - inch of the rim and bid the dirt down firmly with the fingers .
Place the plant life in a bright place aside from direct sunlight , undimmed visible radiation and conscription . attempt to make this spot almost permanent , as the Christmas cactus does not like to be moved about .
prefer an east or west window as the sound location for the industrial plant . A south windowpane with some shading is next best .
Christmas Cactus Thrives on Neglect
The number of questions ask about Christmas cactus is more awe-inspiring considering that the plant boom on neglect . calendar week without watering wo n’t harm it . In fact , too much care is unsafe to the plant .
recent spring is the good time for repotting , should that be needed . Transfer the works into a pot that is one sizing larger than what it is in now . Then coiffe your Christmas cactus in the spectre open for the summertime .
New leaf growth set out in the give . When it does you canstart fertilise Christmas cactusabout every two calendar week with a serious dilute limpid houseplant fertilizer , following directions on the package .
Time For a Nap
In early fall when nights start up to get coolheaded , bring the plant inside and give it a 30 - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. snooze .
Place it in a cool , dim positioning or indirect light and do not water it for about one month . Then gradually expose it to full sunlight and increase the water provision over what it had when it was outside .
Like chrysanthemums and poinsettias , the Christmas cactus is a short day works . As the days get shorter its buds are formed . This is when most of the mistakes are made that delay its buds blooming or turn back it on the whole .
Avoid Strong Artificial Light
stiff artificial brightness on it at night will slow down the peak . If you must turn on the illumination where the plant is , cover it with a double bed sheet of paper , mainsheet or towel to ply darkness .
lacrimation at this meter , when the buds are formed , is minify . If the works receive no unreal light and stays drear from sundown to sunup , it will justify its name by blooming approximately at Christmas .
Share By Grafting
The plant is tough and adaptable . It can be develop on its own roots , or those who are technically fain can graft ( propagate Christmas cactus ) on Pereskia or Opuntia cactus industrial plant and make standards out of it .
Careless treatment sometimes causes the crablike joint to intermit . Lay the pieces aside in a arid shadowed spot until the raw ends harden into callus . Then plant them in well - drain soil or sand . There is little peril of the cuttings start to rot .
The pagoda - like flowers will lighten up the dull wintertime months as a especial reward for the small care the plant requires .
Christmas Cactus Questions and Answers
Question : I’ve had a Christmas cactus for eld and have transplanted it , grown it in Dominicus and in shadowiness , kept it juiceless and dampish with no Inck . It grows well and looks healthy . How to make a Christmas cactus blossom ? M. K. , Chicago , III .
solution : M.K. Your timing may be off and the better question may be “ how often to water Christmas cactus ? “ . Water Christmas cactus freely from April to October .
Keep yourChristmas cactus outdoorsin summer where it is shaded during the hottest part of the day . Bring it in before hoar and from October on ( for a few weeks ) keep it on the ironic side . It should bloom !
More on Caring For Christmas Cactus
