How to Care for a Christmas Cactus, Year After Year

There’s nothing quite like decorating your home with a festive plant for the holiday season. One of our favorites? The Christmas cactus!

Keep in mind that there are three types of holiday cactus plants: the Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata), the Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaetneri) and the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera russelliana). Each variety has its own unique traits — the Christmas cactus is an especially gorgeous houseplant for the winter season.

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“This colorful plant will show off its petals in a variety of colors such as red, purple, orange, pink and white and is sure to brighten up any space during the holiday season and beyond,” says Alfred Palomares, vice president of merchandising and resident plant dad at 1-800-Flowers.com. Plus, this winter-flowering plant is easy to care for indoors and, if tended to properly, can continue blooming year after year. “In fact, it can live up to 20 years,” Palomares says. “And, if you have any furry friends at home, this plant is pet-friendly.”

If you’d like to give the Christmas cactus a try, follow our guide including how to grow, bloom, propagate, prune and care for this popular holiday plant.

How to Pot a Christmas Cactus

According to Palomares, you should “choose a planter that has a drainage hole at the bottom to allow water to move easily throughout the soil, promote good circulation and avoid root rot.” You want to avoid water getting trapped within the pot, as it can be fatal. “Their new home should be larger than its previous container — about three to six inches bigger depending on its size and the length of its roots,” he says.

Here are more of his top potting tips:

• Give the roots a trim if they seem excessive.
• Treat your Christmas cactus as a mini compost bin and add a small amount of organic matter that would typically be tossed out.
• Make sure the plant isn’t too soggy. “Be sure to wait a few days after it had its last drink of water,” he notes.
• Tap the top of the pot so the plant slides out easily. “Keeping as much of the original soil as possible, place your plant in the new planter, filling the sides in with additional soil as needed and compacting it as you go,” he says.

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Take Note: “If using soil from the garden, check if the soil contains any spores or critters to avoid bringing them into your home, as they can contaminate your other houseplants,” Palomares says. “Also, do not supplement with fertilizer until after six weeks of repotting.”

What You’ll Need

Before you get started, stock up on these Christmas cactus care essentials.

How to Care for a Christmas Cactus

A lack of water and dramatic temperature swings can cause flower buds to drop more rapidly. Maximize your specimen’s blooming period by paying attention to these six key factors:

• Soil: Use quality soil rich in humus and other nutrients.
• Temperature: Maintain an optimal climate of 65 degrees.
• Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist while your plant is blooming, misting it frequently.
• Light: Place the cactus in an east-facing window for moderate light and some direct sun.
• Fertilization: Apply a high-potassium fertilizer every two weeks once buds form.
• Transplantation: Repot your cactus each year after flowering.

Where to Put Your Christmas Cactus

“As a perennial plant, the Christmas cactus will flower year over year for you to enjoy if cared for properly,” Palomares says. “When the holiday season is over and its flowering season begins to wind down in January, it is best to keep your Christmas cactus in a cool, but humid spot in your home.” He notes that the Christmas cactus grows best in temperatures that range from 60 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 50% – 60% humidity. “It is best also to keep them away from heating and cooling vents to avoid drying it out,” he notes.

Common Christmas Cactus Pests

While Christmas cacti are typically low-maintenance plants, they aren’t immune to pests and diseases. If you find your plant has been invaded by pests, Gardening Know How shares ways to avoid some of the most common types.

• Mealybugs: These insects typically infect indoor plants. They have cottony masses that make them easy to detect and can attract mold if left alone over time. Pick them off with a toothpick or use a systemic insecticide formula to get rid of them.
• Spider mites: While you may be unable to detect these tiny insects on your cactus, their webbing on the leaves makes their presence known. These dust-liking creatures can be removed using insecticidal soap spray.
• Fungus gnats: Not only are these insects tiny, but they also fly and love soggy soil. You may notice a loss of leaves if the infestation is large. If insecticidal soap spray doesn’t work, fill a clean pot with fresh and well-drained potting mix before repotting.

How to Encourage More Blooming

Keep plants cool (around 50º ) following their blooming period. Water them to keep the soil just barely moist, and be sure to withhold fertilizer. When new growth begins, use the following strategy to encourage blooming: House the plants in an environment with a temperature between 55º 65º , and alternate between giving them 10 hours of light and 14 hours of total darkness for four to six weeks after the growth appears.

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Palomares also recommends holding off on watering your plant in early October. When the buds begin to set, then start giving it a weekly drink until flowering stops. “This colorful plant should also be misted every few days while in bud form and bloom season,” he says. “Once flowering stops in January, a twice-monthly watering schedule is recommended throughout the rest of the winter to avoid over-watering.”

When buds appear, introduce the plant to warmer temperatures and begin regular culture, as described above. Plants should bloom in about six weeks.

How to Repot a Christmas Cactus

Your festive greens only need to be repotted every three to four years. Take notice if the roots start to grow out of the container’s bottom or if its overall appearance looks weary.

Tip 💡: Never repot your Christmas cactus while it’s blooming.

• Choose the right container. Pick a pot that’s slightly larger than your older one. Make sure it has a drainage hole at the bottom, since your Christmas cactus will rot if it lacks air.
• Make sure your potting mixture is lightweight and well-drained. Never use soil that comes directly from your garden, says Plant Care Today, since it could contain bacteria and viruses that would harm your plant.
• Repot your Christmas cactus. After gently removing your plant, massage the roots to remove old soil, then place it inside the new container so the “top of the root ball is about an inch (2.5 cm.) below the rim of the pot,” according to Gardening Know How.
• Water your plant moderately and put it in a shady location for two to three days, as an excess amount of direct sunlight can damage the leaves.

How to Prune a Christmas Cactus

Prune your Christmas cactus using a sharp, sterilized knife or scissors. Trimming off one or two parts from the stem’s end every few years is recommended. “If flower buds on the Christmas cactus are shriveling up, I recommend plant parents look out for additional signs to see what their cactus might need,” Palomares says. These are the signs he says to look out for:

• “Any stems that have softened or that are yellowing are an indication of too much water,” he notes. Make sure the soil is well-drained so water will move freely. “The plant should also be potted in a container with drainage holes, so that the roots don’t sit in pooled water and develop root rot,” he says.
• “Stem wilting or wrinkling can also signify dry soil,” he says. “If that is the case, then give the cactus a full drink of water.”
• You may notice bud loss if the plant lacks enough humidity or receives too much water. However, “flower buds can fail to develop and bloom if the light and water it received before early October (when watering stops) was insufficient,” he notes.

How to Propagate a Christmas Cactus

“Propagating a plant is a great way to produce new plants to add to your space or give as gifts to friends and loved ones,” Palomares says. Here are his steps for the propagating process:

1. “Start by cutting parts of the plant that include at least two flat stem segments and then further cut the segments at the joints,” he says. The ends of the sections should start scabbing overnight.
2. “Place the sections upright in a container filled with perlite or coarse sand that has already been watered,” he says.
3. Place the container in a space that receives bright light. Cuttings should start to root within six to eight weeks.

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor