Christmas cactus plants should be kept dark and cool for at least six to eight weeks, or until buds start to form. Blooms can take up to 12 weeks (or less) to appear once buds have formed. At this time, the plant should also be transferred.
Place the Christmas cactus in a bright, draft-free location. Keep it out of direct sunlight, though, since this may lead the plant to grow drooping. In addition, drafty places can cause buds to drop before they blossom. More blossoming will occur if the plant is exposed to more bright, indirect sunshine. As pot-bound plants, Christmas cactus blooms better.
While watering should be increased during blooming, the amount depends on the plant’s current light, temperature, and humidity levels.
When you push a Christmas cactus to bloom by providing it with the correct care in the right location and providing it with the proper light and temperature conditions, the plant will not only blossom, but it may even surprise you by blooming multiple times during the year.
Knowing how to make a Christmas cactus bloom will allow you to appreciate the beautiful flowers that this popular plant produces.
How do you get a Christmas cactus to bloom again?
Christmas cactus, unlike many other succulents, can bloom again in the spring if given the right conditions. Christmas cactus can be encouraged to flower again by placing it in an east-facing window that receives plenty of sunlight during the day and 12 hours of darkness each night.
How often does Christmas cactus bloom?
Is it true that Christmas Cactus blooms more than once a year? In February, my Christmas Cactus bloomed again, and I explain how it happened here.
When November and December arrive, Christmas Cactus are in high demand.
Even when they’re not in flower, I like them and think they’d make good houseplants. But wait, did you know they can make the same flower twice? My Christmas Cactus started blooming again in February, proving that they do flower more than once a year.
Let’s get a little more technical for those of you who, like myself, are plant nerds. The Thanksgiving (or Crab) Cactus that you see here and in the video is actually a Christmas Cactus. When I bought it, it was labeled as a CC, and that’s how it’s usually sold in the trade. Nowadays, they’re commonly referred as as Holiday Cactus. They can re-bloom more than once a year, regardless of which one you have.
My Christmas (Thanksgiving, Holiday) Cactus in bloom again:
I’ve received a few questions from readers about their Christmas Cacti flowering more than once a year, and whether this was “normal” or not. Some people’s flowers bloom again, whereas others do not. What triggers their re-blooming? I’ll tell you about the situation I’ve been in and what I’ve done.
Why isn’t my Christmas cactus blooming this year?
Drought stress or too much light, as it is a short-day plant, are the causes of Christmas cactus not blooming. The Christmas cactus has evolved to thrive in humid, rainy environments. If it’s too dry or there are too many hours of sunshine during bloom creation, it won’t flower.
There are a number of other reasons that can hinder the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) from blossoming, which I’ve included below:
Continue reading to learn why your Christmas cactus isn’t blossoming, as well as the best methods and strategies for getting it to bloom…
Do Christmas cactuses flower every year?
With proper maintenance, Christmas cacti will bloom every year. Reduce watering and place the plant in a cool area (about 12°C) for two months after flowering. Then return it to its original location (you can put it outside, on a patio or balcony, in summer). Give your plant another time of rest in a cool area starting in mid-September, and stop watering until buds form. Return the plant to its flowering position, taking care not to move it too much or it will lose its buds.
How long does a Christmas cactus live?
With good cause, the Christmas cactus may be found all over throughout the holiday season. It’s a blooming succulent that’s easy to care for, has beautiful blossoms, and may survive for up to 100 years if properly cared for! That’s correct! This plant can last for decades, giving your holidays a splash of color for generations. That’s a fairly good return on investment for a plant as simple and low-maintenance as the Christmas cactus!
How long do Christmas cactus flowers last?
Are you looking for flowers for Christmas or Thanksgiving? To determine the autumn date to begin preparing the plant for reblooming, count back eight weeks. Increase the number of times you water, but not the volume of water, once buds appear. Too much water, as well as moving the pot around, can cause buds to fall out. The flowering time of the Christmas cactus is four to six weeks, with each blossom lasting six to nine days. After the plant has flowered, pinch off enough parts of each stem to achieve a uniform habit. When new growth appears, resume normal watering and fertilization.
Christmas cacti require direct exposure, but take the following steps to avoid the scorching summer sun: If you want to keep your plant indoors during the summer, move it away from the window a few feet to avoid burning the stems. When the plant is moved outside, it still requires protection when the sun reaches its highest point.
What months do Christmas cactus bloom?
- Water every two to three weeks, but only until the top one-third of the soil feels dry to the touch. Water when the top 2 inches of soil feel dry, for example, if the plant is in 6 inches of soil. (Check with your finger!)
- Soak the soil until water runs through the drainage holes in the pot when it is suitably dry. To catch the water, place a tray underneath the pot. Remove any extra water from the tray after 10-15 minutes so that the pot does not sit in water.
- Feed every two weeks with a balanced houseplant fertilizer from spring through early fall. Feed the cactus once a month in the fall and winter to encourage blooming.
- Late in the spring, prune plants to encourage branching and more flowers. Simply cut a few sections off each stem, and the plant will branch out from the wound.
- Place the cut pieces in a gently wet potting soil if desired; they will root easily after a few weeks and make great Christmas gifts!
How to Get Your Christmas Cactus to Bloom
The lower temperatures and longer evenings of autumn bring out the blooms of Christmas cacti and its relatives. This is the general blooming schedule for the three main species of Christmas cacti:
- Thanksgiving cacti are the earliest and most persistent bloomers, blooming from late fall to mid-winter.
It’s possible that your cactus isn’t flowering because it’s getting too much sunshine or being exposed to too hot temperatures. Here are some pointers to help you get yours to bloom!
- For at least six weeks, nights must be at least 14 hours long and days must be between 8 and 10 hours. If you have powerful interior lighting that is turned on at night, you may need to cover your cactus or transfer it to a location where it can be exposed to natural light.
- Flower buds form best when the plant is kept between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 and 15 degrees Celsius).
- By exposing the plant to temperatures of around 45°F (7°C) for several nights in a row, you can jumpstart the budding process.
- Ensure that you water the plant on a regular basis when it is in bloom. If the plant dries out too much, the buds may fall off.
- Don’t worry if the cactus loses its buds throughout the winter; it will bloom the next year!
Why is my Christmas cactus blooming in June?
“What went wrong with my grandmother’s Christmas cactus, which is about to bloom? – Martha
Hello Martha, I’d want to introduce myself “I have a “Christmas” cactus flowering right now, and I’m dubbing it my Winter cactus because of the blossoms. In Missouri, these hardy tropical plants require a little assistance to bloom on time. They have meteorological triggers in their native Brazil that cause them to blossom in December, the start of the South American summer.
If it came from your grandmother, your cactus could be an older, true Christmas cactus. The majority of cacti on the market today are Thanksgiving cacti, which explains why they bloom in late November.
Look at the green fronds to see what kind of cactus you have. Thanksgiving cacti (Schlumbergera truncata) have pointy, jagged edges, whereas the original Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) has smooth, round edges.
Because I had it outside on my back porch last fall, it began to bloom. Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus are known as “short day plants,” as they require fewer daylight hours and/or cool night temperatures to generate bloom buds. The shorter days and chilly nights of autumn prompt the plants to start producing buds.
Place your Christmas cactus indoors in a cool, bright location with daytime temperatures of 65-70° F and evening temperatures of 55-65° F to ensure that it blooms when you want it to. Plants will bloom in about 5-6 weeks if they are exposed to cooler night temperatures of 55° F, regardless of the day length.
What do you do after Christmas cactus blooms?
Fertilize the plant every month after it has bloomed, starting when you see fresh growth at the end of winter or the beginnings of spring. Feed a Christmas cactus with a 50 percent strength 20-20-20 or 10-10-10 plant food diluted with water. Apply a monthly application of a magnesium sulfate solution at a ratio of 1 teaspoon to 1 gallon of water to the plant, but not the same week you apply the plant food.
Are coffee grounds good for Christmas cactus?
Your Christmas cactus will appreciate a cup of coffee just as much as you! Coffee grounds are high in potassium and nitrogen, which the cactus requires to stay healthy. You should not use the grounds right away because moist grounds can mold, so spread them out to dry first.