Contrary to what its name might imply, Christmas cacti can survive well into the following year. In fact, with a little care and our guidance, they can live for up to 20 years.
Christmas Cacti need cooler temperatures.
Leaving Christmas cacti in a space that is between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit will cause them to bloom more fully and sooner. Keep them away from radiators, fireplaces, and warm windowsills, especially during the winter.
While they don’t need the heat of the sun, they do need its light.
The hard part comes at this point. A Christmas cactus needs lots of sunlight but cannot be kept in direct sunlight as it will dry out. So what should a cactus aficionado do? Your best option is to leave it in a part of your home that is shaded (or outdoors once summer arrives) and rotate it occasionally.
You should be misting, not watering, every day.
Your cactus will die if you overwater it. But that doesn’t mean they never experience thirst. You should mist your cactus every day rather than watering it like you would a regular plant. You only need a few sprays from a spray bottle to maintain your cactus’ happiness. Only when the soil at the base of the plant feels entirely dry to the touch should you water it.
Christmas cacti need nutrient-rich soil.
Christmas cacti are strong plants that can endure harsher environments, although well-drained soil that has some organic matter is preferable for them. While organic soil is always available to purchase, you can also use your cacti as a little compost and add organic waste that you would typically discard.
How should a Christmas cactus be watered?
Remember that Christmas cactus plants prefer constantly moister soil than the majority of other succulents do. Typically, a Christmas cactus needs water when the top inch or two of soil are dry. Fill the pot saucer with pebbles and add water to just below the tops of the pebbles (the pot shouldn’t be sitting directly in water) to help improve the humidity surrounding the plant. As the water evaporation increases, the air will become more humid. (See below for advice on watering when attempting to encourage your Christmas cactus to rebloom.)
Is Christmas cactus sprayable?
Grab some Christmas cactus fertiliser once the plant has done flowering for the winter. Throughout the spring and summer, use a balanced fertiliser. You can use my indoor plant fertiliser formula because it contains the ideal nutrients for potted plants. Once or twice a month, fertilise.
Don’t fertilise again till October arrives. Because of this, it won’t be able to bloom, and by Christmas, you won’t have any blossoms.
How to Water Holiday Cacti
Christmas cacti require humidity, which can be difficult to provide indoors due to the frequently very dry air, especially during the winter. You should water your Christmas cactus frequently enough so that the soil doesn’t dry up (about twice or three times each week) and mist it frequently with water from a spray bottle to ensure that it receives the humidity that it enjoys.
To keep Christmas cacti happy in a dry climate, you may also create an easy DIY humidity tray.
If the buds of a Christmas cactus fall off before they bloom, you are overwatering it. Reduce misting and watering if this occurs. During their dormant stage, Christmas cacti will require substantially less water (more on that at the end of this essay!).
Light Needs for Christmas Cactus
Christmas cacti typically thrive when placed in a setting with lots of indirect light. They can be moved outside in the summer and placed in a shaded area. Christmas cacti should be placed somewhere that receives little artificial light after sunset because they require twelve hours of darkness every day in the fall.
Limp Christmas Cactus
Your Christmas cactus could occasionally appear limp and wilted. If this occurs, it is either receiving too much direct sunshine or is not receiving enough water.
Give it a healthy drink of water right away if you believe water is to blame. Every few days, check on the soil and water it to keep it moist. The plant does not appreciate moist roots, therefore you don’t want it to be very wet.
If you see any scorch scars in addition to the wilting leaves, the sun can be the cause. Make sure the plant receives only indirect light by moving it out of any direct sunlight. Making ensuring it doesn’t sit in the sweltering afternoon sun is very crucial.
Christmas Cactus Propagation
The propagation of Christmas cacti is a good way to spread holiday cheer. Fortunately, it is simple to grow numerous plants from a single starter plant.
Simply cut a portion of the stem off and place it in a tiny container of dirt. It will form roots and start to grow on its own within a week or two. Here you may find out more about propagation and how to achieve it.
Are cactus fond of misting?
Regarding how to water these plants, there are various schools of thought, but one thing is undeniable. Don’t mist cacti in the desert. They are not indigenous to areas with high levels of humidity and surface wetness. Instead, they dig down into the earth to extract any lingering moisture from the rainy season. Cacti in the jungle are a little different and benefit from misting. The Christmas cactus is an illustration of this kind of cactus.
Generally speaking, as most planted cacti are desert dwellers, overhead watering should be avoided. Potted plants can be placed in a saucer of water to allow the roots to absorb moisture. After the earth has become wet halfway up, remove the plant from the saucer.
Another way to water cactus plants is to merely sprinkle water on the soil’s surface. Heat, direct light, and the location of the planting are some of the elements influencing the amount of water in this scenario. Typically, once a week is plenty for a slow, deep watering. This could mean soaking a container until water flows out the drainage holes or using a garden hose at a low setting to drip water steadily for many hours into the plant’s root zone.
Just keep in mind to water your cactus plants wisely and to identify the variety and origin of your plants. This can make choosing when to water plants much simpler.
Does the Christmas cactus benefit from a humidifier?
1. Keep them in sandy, well-drained soil. The Christmas Cactus prefers sandy, well-drained soil. It gains the drainage it requires thanks to this. This can indicate that after buying your plant, you need to re-pot it. Make sure it has a big, well-draining planter where it may grow.
2. How much sunlight is required by a Christmas cactus? Make them feel cosy. Christmas cacti prefer temperatures around 70 degrees and a little bit of humidity. Even though they are Christmas plants, they don’t necessarily enjoy the cold. After all, they are cacti! Keep them away from dry regions and provide warm temperatures. The optimal environment has a humidifier.
Each day, your cactus will receive six or more hours of direct sunlight. Preferably, a window that is warm and sunny. You might not get as many blooms if you give it less sun than this.
3. Water your Christmas cactus only when the soil has dried out completely.
Like your succulents, this plant needs watering. When the soil is fully dry, only water the plants. This will stop root rot and overwatering.
4. Pinch off faded blooms when it’s time to prune your Christmas cactus. Aren’t these plants’ blossoms gorgeous? You can go ahead and pinch them off once they have wilted. If you see blooms or buds falling off, don’t be alarmed. This is a normal occurrence and nothing to worry about. You can also pinch or snip off any leaf that has started to brown or yellow.
5. Fertilize your Christmas cactus once all of the blooms have faded.
Give your Christmas cactus some feeding once all the blooms have faded. It is effective to use a simple houseplant food or fertiliser. Just use as directed on the packaging.
If your Christmas cactus doesn’t bloom, prepare it to bloom. Now, some people are very lucky, and their Christmas cactus blooms on schedule each year. The cactus of other people needs to be trained to bloom over the holidays. If your plant isn’t blooming when you want it to, try covering it for 12 hours a day, starting approximately 6 weeks before you want it to bloom, with a cloth or box. Yes, this appears odd and labor-intensive, but it can be useful.
Just remember that you can let the plant grow and blossom when it is ready. Many homeowners discover that their cacti may bloom on multiple occasions throughout the year in shades of red, pink, purple, and even white. Simply admire these beautiful plants, pay them lots of affection, and they will definitely put on a show.
If you enjoyed reading this article on how to care for a Christmas cactus, check out some of the other pieces we have been working on about plant care:
Is the Christmas cactus watered from the top or the bottom?
To ensure that the water reaches the Christmas cactus’ roots, irrigate it from the bottom up. Continue adding water to the soil until it begins to seep through the pot’s openings. It hydrates the ground.
Ensure that there is no standing water beneath the pot once the soil has been thoroughly moistened. Never leave excess water in the planter; you don’t want mould, root rot, or insects laying eggs there. If the water is fully separate from the pot and is in a tray underneath the pot, that’s acceptable.
Mist the Leaves
You can sprinkle the leaves with water in a spray bottle to keep them as healthy as possible. When watering the plant, misting the leaves only once will be sufficient to provide appropriate hydration.
Why does my Christmas cactus appear lifeless?
Lack of water or much sunlight can occasionally result in wilted or weak Christmas cacti. Start by giving the wilting Christmas cactus a small amount of water if you haven’t been watering it. Every few days, continue to water carefully until the soil is barely damp.
Christmas cactus issues can also result from excessively damp soil. The Christmas cactus cannot tolerate wet roots since it is an epiphyte in its natural habitat on the ground of tropical forests, where it takes moisture and nutrients from the air. The roots of Christmas cacti can become excessively wet and floppy because to poor drainage.
Move your wilted or limp Christmas cactus to a location with more shade, especially in the afternoon, if the leaves look dried or burned.
What is used to spray Christmas cacti?
Pseudococcidae species, or mealybugs, can move quickly from one plant to another when they are placed near together and there is a plenty of moisture available.
Some species prefer the roots, while others draw the sap from foliar tissue above the soil.
They look white and fuzzy, and their egg-laying mass resembles cotton fluff. They frequently appear as fans of constricted areas at the intersections of tangled roots and the joints of stem segments.
Unchecked infestations may cause root rot, leaf withering, and/or yellowing of the plant.
Place your cactus in the kitchen sink and use the sprayer to remove as many mealybugs as you can to stop an outbreak.
If some are still there, you might want to try cleaning them away with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol. Don’t rub too vigorously as this can damage tissue cells. After that, rinse.
To get rid of a persistent infestation of the green stem segments, sprinkle pyrethrins or neem oil.
If the roots are impacted, you can sprinkle the soil with pyrethrin or neem oil to kill bugs both above and below the surface.
Finally, you can also treat the soil with a chemical called imidacloprid.
Finding numerous untouched stem segments to proliferate from may be possible if an infestation has damaged the roots beyond repair.
Mealybugs can be challenging to eradicate. Treat all plants close to the infected one, provide enough airflow to prevent further spread and transfer, and avoid overwatering.
How can an overwatered Christmas cactus be identified?
Any cactus that has been left to sit in a saucer of water is probably less healthy. The Christmas cactus plant will manifest clear signs of suffering if it is overwatered. To avoid moisture gnats and preserve the roots from decaying, you should always dump the extra water from the saucer if it hasn’t dried in a day.
One of the first signs of overwatering on a Christmas cactus are limp leaves that begin to fall off, just in case you forgot to do this. The stems and branches will thereafter become mushy and spongy. In severe situations, the stem can entirely rot off and the symptoms will include a bad smell.
Prevention is easy to do. To avoid overwatering Christmas cactus, use a soil moisture metre.
Do I need to water my cactus?
The watering needs of cacti and succulents varies slightly from those of other plants.
Succulents and cacti don’t need as much water to survive as other types of houseplants because they resemble desert plants.
That does not imply that you should skip watering dried-out succulents. But many individuals question if misting succulent and cactus plants occasionally is appropriate.
Succulents and cacti shouldn’t be misted when being watered because it can weaken the roots and promote fungus. Do not shower succulents and cacti with a spray bottle. Spray misting is not only insufficient in terms of water supply; it also runs the risk of making the plants rot.
While it is not advised to spray these plants, there are a few circumstances in which you should sprinkle cacti and succulents.
How frequently does a Christmas cactus need to be watered?
Christmas cacti are highly common indoor plants, and for good reason too! They produce vibrant, tubular flowers that are pink or purple in hue when they bloom. They are a superb plant because of their lovely blossoms, lengthy bloom period, and simple maintenance needs. Someone in your family most likely owns a Christmas cactus!
About Christmas Cacti
The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) and its cousins don’t exist in hot, arid conditions like deserts or plains, in contrast to other cacti. These epiphytic succulents, which grow on tree branches and take in the high humidity, dappled sunlight, and moderate temperatures, are actually endemic to the tropical rainforests of southern Brazil.
Bottom line: Don’t handle a Christmas cactus like a typical succulent or cactus. They are unable to withstand the same kind of hot, dry weather that other cactus can. These cacti require more frequent watering than most succulents, but you also need to be careful not to overwater them. (See the care guidelines in more detail below.)
Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas Cactus?
The Easter cactus (S. gaertneri), Thanksgiving cactus (S. truncata), and Christmas cactus are the three main varieties of “holiday cacti” that are available (S. x buckleyi). The holiday that each cactus is named after often sees the most blooming. Thanksgiving cacti, which often bloom from November to February and hence go unrecognised as Christmas cacti, make up the majority of “Christmas cacti” sold nowadays. See our post on the several Christmas cacti species and how to distinguish them for more information.
Note: Because it’s the most widely used term and it applies to all three of these species, we’ll refer to all three of them on this page as “Christmas cactus” for simplicity’s sake.
Potting Christmas Cacti
- Choose a pot with a drainage hole on the bottom if you’re choosing one for a Christmas cactus. This prevents the soil from getting overly saturated.
- Most succulent-specific potting mixtures work well for Christmas cacti growth. It’s crucial that your potting soil drains properly.
Where to Put a Christmas Cactus
- Plants should be kept in indirect light that is bright. The best location has an east-facing window or a well-lit bathroom. The delicate leaves might be bleached by too much direct sunshine.
- It is preferable to have a daytime temperature of 70F (21C) and an evening temperature of 60–65F (15–18C).
- Christmas cacti do well in a more humid climate, so keeping them in a well-lit bathroom or kitchen is a smart idea.
- Christmas cacti can be kept in a shady area of the garden or on an unheated porch during the summer until the temperature drops below 50F. (10C). Keep them away from the sun’s rays outside.
How to Care for Christmas Cacti
- Water your plants every two to three weeks, but only when the top third of the soil feels dry to the touch. If the plant is in 6 inches of soil, for instance, water when the top 2 inches of soil feel dry. (Check with your finger!)
- When the soil is completely dry, wet it until water seeps through the drainage holes in the pot. To collect the water, put a tray underneath the pot. To prevent the pot from sitting in water, remove any extra water on the tray after 10 to 15 minutes.
- While the plant is in bloom, it’s very crucial to water thoroughly.
- Feed your indoor plants with a balanced houseplant fertiliser every two weeks from spring through early fall. Feed the cactus once a month in the fall and winter to promote fruitful blooming.
- To promote branching and more flowers, prune plants in the late spring. Simply cut a portion of each stem off; the plant will grow new branches from the incision.
- If desired, plant the cut pieces in potting soil that is only gently damp; they will easily root after a few weeks and make wonderful Christmas gifts!