A healthy Christmas cactus in full bloom is a terrific present or decoration, even if the poinsettia is still the most popular holiday plant. Christmas cactus is a low-maintenance plant that may be kept indoors all year. The flowers come in a variety of hues, including yellow, salmon, pink, fuchsia, and white, as well as combinations of these colors.
Place a Christmas cactus in a sunny interior spot once it has been moved to its permanent home. The best light comes from a north or east window. If you wish to grow it inside in a south or west window, use thin drapes to shade the plant.
The Christmas cactus is a succulent plant with leaves that can store a significant amount of water. It is not, however, as drought tolerant as you might imagine. When the top half of the growing mix seems dry to the touch, water vigorously. The duration of time between waterings depends on the air temperature, amount of light, growth rate, and relative humidity.
Christmas cactus thrives in humid environments. Place the container on a pebble tray. To improve humidity surrounding the plant, keep water in the tray. Continue to look after the plant in this manner until it has finished blooming.
Allow the plant to rest for six weeks after it has finished blooming. Continue watering to keep the soil moist but allow the surface to dry off. Transfer the plant to a new pot or top-dress with fresh growing mix as tender growth appears in the spring. For Christmas cactus, a well-drained potting mix is essential. Succulent plants should be planted in a professionally prepared potting mix. Repotted plants should be done every two to three years or anytime the container becomes too full of roots. Plants that look to be unhealthy can be repotted at any moment. Every 2 to 3 weeks, administer half the recommended rate of a liquid houseplant fertilizer.
In the summer, you can transfer your Christmas cactus outside, but it should be kept in a partially to fully shaded area. The leaves can be burned by direct sunlight. For the summer, some gardeners relocate their plants to the shade of a porch or patio. Water to keep the growing mix moist after it dries on top throughout the heat.
When September arrives, bring the plant inside after making sure there are no insects accompanying it. Most insects that try to catch a ride are frightened away by a trickle of water. Place the Christmas cactus in a bright spot, just as it was before it went on holiday. Flower development necessitates a high level of light intensity.
Water simply enough to keep the plants from wilting as part of your fall maintenance. Before watering, allow the top half of the potting mix to dry out. Don’t forget the water in the pebble tray for humidity. Unless the plant wilts, do not water it during the month of October. In November, you can begin watering again with caution. Branches droop and break as a result of over irrigation. When the growth mix’s surface dries out, water it.
Christmas cactus is easy to grow, but others say it’s tough to get it to bloom again. Cool temperatures are necessary for flowering, even though high temperatures are beneficial during the growing season. Keep the plant between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit from October onwards. Heat vents, fires, and other sources of hot air should be kept away from Christmas cactus. Flower buds will form as long as the temperature stays in this range for six weeks.
If you can’t manage the temperature in this range, you’ll need to give the plant 13 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night starting around October 1st to promote flowering. Each night, place the Christmas cactus in a fully dark room or cover it with a dark cloth or box.
Stop fertilizing and only water enough to keep the leaves from drooping throughout the flower bud production phase, which begins in October. When the top half of the growing mix becomes dry, water it.
Once the buds have formed, keep the Christmas cactus in medium to high light and at room temperature. Water the plant when the top of the growing mix dries up to maintain it equally moist. Fertilize your Christmas cactus using a half-rate liquid houseplant fertilizer every other week. In the next year, best of luck with your Christmas cactus and all of your indoor and outdoor gardening.
What is the lowest temperature a Christmas cactus can tolerate?
They can handle temperatures below 50 degrees for brief periods of time, but not below freezing. All of the cacti are day-lengthening plants. To create blossoms, they require 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness each day.
Can Christmas cactus live outside in winter?
Growing Christmas Cactus Outside: Is It Possible to Grow Christmas Cactus Outside? The answer is yes, however you can only keep the plant outside all year if you live in a warm region, as Christmas cactus is not cold resistant. Only USDA plant hardiness zones 9 and above are suitable for growing Christmas cactus outdoors.
Are Christmas cactus indoor or outdoor plants?
The Christmas cactus prefers bright, but indirect, light. Keep it near a window if you’re keeping it indoors, or shaded by trees if you’re keeping it outside during the summer.
Despite its name, the Christmas cactus is a tropical rain forest plant native to South America’s tropical rain forests. If you live in a dry region, keep a source of humidity handy, such as a shallow tray of water. The plant cannot withstand dry soil and must be watered on a regular basis (done at the base of the plant).
Too much water, on the other hand, will cause leaves to spot and fall off. Before watering, let the top layer of soil dry completely.
How do you care for a Christmas cactus outside?
Plant the Christmas cactus cutting in a potting mix of sand and peat moss or a mix made for cacti and succulents about an inch deep and thoroughly moisten the growing medium. Secure a plastic bag over the plant and container to preserve humidity and aid the rooting process. Ensure that the plant receives plenty of light, but keep it out of direct sunlight. After a few weeks, roots should appear. Remove the bag and start feeding the young plant with a diluted fertilizer solution at this stage. Follow the care instructions in the section below titled “General Tips for Growing a Christmas Cactus.”
When can I move my cactus outside?
Cactus plants come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including those that grow in trees! The majority of people, on the other hand, grow them as houseplants or in the landscape. Always check the plant tags for precise information, although cacti thrive in full light and fast-draining soil for the most part. Indoors, this implies growing near a window that faces south or west.
When nighttime temperatures are at least 65 degrees F, you can take indoor cactus plants outside throughout the summer. Start their outside stay in a shady place to get them used to being outside, then move them to a more sunny area. If you’re going to move plants between indoors and out, the morning sun is preferable.
Where is the best place to keep a Christmas cactus?
Throughout the winter and spring, holiday cactus are extremely popular gifts, and they can be found in just about any store that sells plants, from the grocery store to the flower shop. Holiday cactus are eye-catching with their succulent leaves and vivid blossoms in a variety of colors, and they find their way into the homes of both expert and novice houseplant aficionados. They can live for decades if properly cared for, and are frequently passed down from generation to generation.
Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi), Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata), and Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) are three distinct types that are typically available at retail stores depending on the season “The term “Christmas cactus” is frequently used to refer to all of them. It’s easier to refer to all three as holiday cacti for the sake of convenience, given they require fairly comparable care.
Regardless, “Despite the fact that “cactus” is in their name, holiday cacti require very different care than their desert-dwelling siblings. Holiday cactus are epiphytes that grow on the shady limbs of trees in the tropical rainforests of Brazil. Epiphytes are plants that grow atop other plants rather than in the soil, relying on the air and rain for moisture and nutrients.
As a result, unlike other cacti, holiday cacti do not endure prolonged dehydration. Once the potting soil is dry to the touch, they should be watered, allowing excess water to drain freely from the bottom of the container. Allowing plants to sit in standing water will cause the soil to become soggy. Root rot can be caused by prolonged exposure to damp soil, especially during the winter months.
Watering holiday cacti is dependent on a variety of parameters, including the type of potting soil used, the size of the container, the amount of sunlight the plant receives, and the ambient temperature. The key to sustaining a healthy plant is to make sure it’s in the appropriate spot and to only water when the soil mix is completely dry.
Holiday cacti thrive in partial shade, such as an east or west facing window, and at temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Too much strong sunshine, especially during the summer months, can burn the foliage, while insufficient light can stifle growth and cause the soil mix to dry up too slowly. When in doubt, go with the under-watering method rather than the over-watering method.
How can you tell if a Christmas cactus is overwatered?
Although sagging, limp leaves and stems that are mushy at the bottom are strong indicators of overwatering and root rot, the only way to know for sure is to examine the plant’s roots.
How long does 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 often should you water a Christmas cactus?
- 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 portions 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 cactus are the earliest and most persistent bloomers, blooming from late October 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!