Care of Christmas Cactus

The holidays are just around the corner and who can resist the brightly colored blooms on the holiday cactus? Flowers in shades of red, purple, pink, white and yellow seem to glisten as they dangle, first as tightly closed buds, then as fully opened flowers, from the end of the green segments of stem.

Schlumbergera truncata, the Thanksgiving cactus, is aptly named because it begins to flower in November, which is a month before Schulmbergera bridgesii, the Christmas Cactus begins to flower.

Tips for growing holiday cactus.

When you first purchase your plant, look for ones that are already in bloom or at least have little buds forming. To convince your plant to bloom in consecutive years you will need to make sure nighttime temperatures are below 68 degrees F but above 60 degrees F. If the temperature is too low the flower buds may fall off. Temperatures that are too high at night will cause a delay in flowering.

Schlumbergera prefer full sun in the winter months. In the summer, move your plant to an area where it will be shaded. The hot summer sun can scorch the leaves of these plants.

Holiday cactus are epiphytic plants which means they typically grow in decaying matter in their native environment. When they are grown in container culture they need a potting mix that drains well. The ideal potting mix would be a combination of perlite, vermiculite and peat moss in equal amounts.

Proper watering is important to keep your holiday cactus healthy!

Proper watering of your holiday cactus is important. Improper watering, too much or too little, is one of the main reasons why most houseplants die. Water your holiday cactus early in the day so the foliage will dry before the night temperatures begin to fall. Try to keep the soil evenly moist. Make sure the container you use has drainage holes and if not, put some in the container. Allow water to sit in the saucer for a couple of hours after you have watered the plant, then dump any remaining water out of the saucer. The temperatures that your plant is subjected to will determine how often you will need to water. Touch the soil, if it feels moist, you are okay. If it is soggy or dry, you need to correct that problem immediately.

Propagation of holiday cactus is easy!

Finally, once your plant is done flowering, you can share your plant with friends and family. Simply cut off a leaf segment that has four joints, allow it to lay and dry for a day or so, then dip it in rooting hormone and place it in a well draining potting medium, out of direct sunlight and wait. Within three to four weeks your cutting should begin to root.

Holiday cacti are very easy to care for plants that require very little time. By applying these basic techniques your plant will continue to bloom year after year. You will also end up with lots of small plants to share with others or decorate your home with from your original plant.