Christmas cactus has really spectacular , alien flowers – but a big reputation ! Yes , we all went through the letdown … We bought it one wintertime in full flower , and then it never unfold again , or only gave us a pocket-sized display the second year we had it indoors .
But why ? In most casing , it is because we give ourSchlumbergeratoo much ! And there are tricks of the business deal to get it to farm and open its buds again , and again … Even out of season !
True , we love our Christmas cactus , but we lean to be too generous , and we do n’t give it the right conditions it needs to flower . So , how about we shape together to get your darling cactus to flower once more , perhaps even purport for a rebloom in February ? Here are some secret for you to encourage your Christmas cactus to bloom , even well beyond the holiday time of year .
Christmas Cactus Needs Humidity to Blossom
1. Ensure Your Christmas Cactus Gets At Least 13 (Up To 16) Hours Of Darkness
The most common mistake we make with Christmas cactus is that we give it too much light , and this stops it from blossom ! genus Schlumbergera is a photoperiodic plant , which means that it blossoms when the hr of luminance and darkness correspond its blooming season …
Which is wintertime ( or later fall for Thanksgiving cactus … ) In its raw environment , southeasterly Brazil , days are shorter than 12 60 minutes at this time …
So , “ teach it ” that it is meter to blossom , by sustain it in a saturnine place for at least 12 hours a day , ideally 13 and a upper limit of 16 .
Christmas Cactus Needs Humidity to Blossom
Because we keep it as a houseplant , we often have it in a well - lit station , where we keep the light on in winter … A chamber or bathroom are in effect for Christmas cactus in this time of year , than a living space or kitchen …
2. Stop Feeding It as Soon as You See the First Flower Buds!
Once again , with Christmas cactus , less is more ! You call for to blockade feeding Schlumbergera as shortly as it produce the first flower bud ! If you do n’t , they may fail and never open …
Start fertilizing it again after its colorful blossoms are spent . This will depart it growing new section again ( called phylloclades , technically ) .
3. Feed Your Christmas Cactus Correctly, and It Will Thank You with Great Blooms!
However , feed your Christmas cactus when it is not in bloom or sleeping is essential to give it the energy it needs to grow and to blossom , but what us the correct means ?
These are pretty long musical interval , every three or four months . Start a it has blossomed , ideally in January ( Schlumbergera truncata ) or February ( Schlumbergera bridgesii ) .
Then , replicate about 3 to 4 times till the first buds seem in November ( forSchlumbergera bridgesii , or Christmas cactus ) and about late September or former October with Thanksgiving cactus ( genus Schlumbergera truncata ) .
4. Give Your Christmas Cactus Just Enough Water and It Will Blossom
Too much or too fiddling water will ensue in poor or even no blooms from your Christmas or Thanksgiving cactus . So how much is enough ?
On the other hired man …
5. Your Christmas Cactus Needs Humidity to Blossom!
Indoor spaces can be quite wry for Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti , and they need humidness levels at about 50 to 60 % . They do come from a tropic area , even if they grow on mountains there …
While you may not allow its roots in piddle , you may place a a second extensive saucer under the your Schlumbergera and fill it with loaded pebble .
you could also cloud spray it regularly if the elbow room your Christmas cactus is in is too dry .
Christmas Cactus Needs Humidity to Blossom
6. Your Christmas Cactus Likes Fresh Temperatures to Blossom!
Christmas cactus is aboriginal to Brazil , but it i d a tidy sum succulent , as we order , so , it also needs fresh temperatures to blossom , between 60o and 65oF ( 16o to 18oC ) during the day and 45o to 55oF ( 7o to 13oC ) at dark .
This is heavy to get indoors , but it needs a room about within those temperature reach . So , bathroom or even larder are idealistic . Then , you’re able to move it back to your living room when it starts blossoming .
In fact , Christmas cactus is technically a thermo - photoperiodic plant life . A cold glasshouse is the good place to get it to blossom forth , and in any event , keep it away from heat sources , like radiators .
7. Get the Light Right If You Want Your Christmas Cactus to Bloom…
Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti can not stay in direct light , but they necessitate bright collateral ( or filtered ) light to uprise and blossom .
Ideally , it should stay 5 to 6 ft ( 1.5 to 1.8 meters ) from a curtained windowpane . Ideally it should be east facing , but south and west are fine as well .
8. Repot Your Christmas Cactus at the Right Time If You Want Generous Blooms!
Christmas cactus needs repotting when the roots have filled the container it is in . You will detect that your Schlumbergera has overgrown the pot , and this can occur once a year or every two years .
But you’re able to not repot Christmas cactus at any time ; if you do it too close to its flower time of year , it may not blossom forth at all , and even if you do it too recent or too early on , you may get fewer flowers …
So , the best clip to repot Christmas cactus is March , which is after it has unfold when it is coming out of dormancy .
9. Use the Right Potting Mix When You Repot Your Christmas Cactus, and It Will Enhance Its Bloom
When you repot your Christmas cactus , make certain you choose a young container that is only a number bigger than the former one , and , above all , employ the right-hand potting mix!Schlumbergeradoes not need a lot of nutrients , but it does need excellent drainage !
So , the idealistic potting mix for Christmas cactus is :
one-half of all the potting mix must be drainage .
10. You Can Get Christmas Cactus to Rebloom at a Different Time, But It May Not Be a Good Idea…
you’re able to overwork the thermo - photperiodism of your Christmas or Thanksgiving cactus to blossom out of season , mainly in summertime , but is it wise ?
In fact , if you have the veracious temperature and light weather condition , you’re able to “ convince ” your Christmas cactus that it is winter , and it will blossom . This process is called forcing .
However , first of all you need to give it prison term to reside , get out of dormancy and produce energy with its segment ( phylloclade ) , so , the only time you may really do it is summertime .
But there is a major drawback if you force your Christmas cactus … It may nit have the energy and metre to flower when it is think to , which is late fall and early winter forSchlumbergera truncateand mid and belated winter forSchlumbergera bridgesii … .
Even if you do get some prime again , your plant will have weakened , so , my advice would be to avoid it …
On the other helping hand , you could …
11. Propagate Your Christmas Cactus To Get More Plants and Blossoms!
Luckily , Christmas cactus is very easy to propagate , like all succulents , and you may do it with newspaper clipping .
The estimable time to propagate your Schlumbergera by cuttings is 1 to 2 months after it has finished bloom ; again , when it is starting the vegetal phase , and it is in its most vigorous catamenia …
There are two way of life and in both cases , you will need a press cutting of at least two segments ( phylloclades ) , but three are practiced , in my feeling .
instead , you may :
And now you know bonk how to get your Christmas cactus to flower copiously , and also how to get more plant out of the one you bought , your dwelling will never drop its amazing , colorful and alien flowers again !
Written By
Amber Noyes was born and raised in a suburban California town , San Mateo . She holds a master ’s degree in gardening from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco . With experience working on an constituent farm , water preservation research , granger ’ grocery , and flora nursery , she understand what make flora thrive and how we can well understand the connectedness between microclimate and plant health . When she ’s not on the land , Amber loves informing people of new ideas / things related to horticulture , especially organic gardening , houseplants , and growing industrial plant in a small space .
