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Here are some things you should know about this beautiful plant (coming in colors fuchsia, yellow, salmon, pink and white or a combination of colors) before you dispose of another one.
Unlike other cactus and succulents, Christmas cacti are from the tropical jungles of South America and require more water. Watering this type of cactus is sometimes a problem because people tend to treat them as they would a regular desert cactus. This type needs more water than one of the other types of cactus. On the other hand, some people over water and that causes the plant to begin rotting at the roots. The best way to be sure your plant is getting just the right amount of water is to wait until the soil is dry on the top and still a bit moist toward the bottom. Then water the plant until the soil is saturated. Drain off any excess water that accumulates on the bottom. Then do not water again until the top half of the soil feels dry to the touch again.
They require sunlight but the blooms last longer with cooler temps, so it’s best to keep them away from heaters, fireplaces, radiators, furnace ducts, and other heat sources. Place the cactus in a sunny location while indoors and, if outdoors during the summer, find a place that has a sun/shade mix to prevent the plant from getting burned.
After the blooms fall off, you can prune your cactus so that it bushes out instead of becoming vine-like and unmanageable. You’ll also find that the cactus will bloom better next year.
As new growth appears in the spring, put a diluted solution of liquid houseplant fertilizer 2 to 3 weeks after the start of the new growth. The cactus should be repotted every 2 to 3 years depending on how depleted the soil is. Well-drained soil is very important and that is why you should purchase potting soil that is designed for cacti. If you can’t find any that is made for cactus, you can mix two parts regular potting soil with one part sand. Repotting should be done in the spring, but if the plant is at risk of dying because of its potting condition, then repotting can be done anytime of the year as needed.
So you manage to keep it alive through next summer…how to you synchronize your cactus to bloom while company is at your house during the holidays? You must carefully manage the temperature and/or the amount of light it receives in order to cause your prize to flower sufficiently.
For it to develop buds and give the desired bloom, this plant requires 50 to 55° F night temperatures. For buds to form at 60 to 65° F night temperatures, the plant must be protected from any amount of artificial light at night from September to November. After the flower buds are well developed, they will bloom at normal room temperature. Under normal light conditions, flower buds seldom form at night temperatures above 70° F.
In order to insure lots of flowers, the easiest thing to do is to place the plant outdoors during the fall so it will be exposed to cooler temperatures. Place the plant in a lightly shady area. You may need to provide protection from high winds or heavy rain while the plant is outdoors or temporarily bring the plant indoors during stormy weather. But most importantly, do not leave your plant outside when a frost or freeze is expected. They won’t survive cold winter weather.
If you have to keep your Christmas cactus indoors exposed to normal room
temperatures, you can force flower buds by providing the correct amount of dark period. If the night temperature is between 55 to 70° F, your cactus will need thirteen hours of uninterrupted darkness per day to set buds. But if you keep your house toasty at night (temperatures between 70 to 85° F), your cactus will require more darkness – about fifteen hours in every twenty-four hours.
To provide this extra long night treatment you can place your plant in a closet or underneath a box, large bag, etc. But it’s important to make sure the closet or covering is lightproof. Any interruption in this dark treatment may result in poor flower bud initiation for the holidays. You would not want to place the plant in a closet that is opened frequently, allowing light to the plant. On the other hand, it’s also important to not leave the plant covered or in the closet constantly. It will need some light during each twenty-four hour period. You’re just trying to consistently provide a longer night period in order to force flower buds to form.
You’ll probably agree that it’s easier to leave the plant outside during the fall as compared to providing the extended dark treatment to encourage an abundance of flowers.
Temperature control and short day treatment should be continued until buds are well developed – for six to nine weeks. Temperatures above 90° F may cause the flower buds to drop off the plant.
You may want to clip and save this column so you’ll know how to make the Christmas cactus you receive this year bloom again next year and for years to come. |
