Learn How to Propagate and Bloom a Christmas Cactus
Today, we are going to pay well-deserved attention to an essential plant for the end-of-year holidays: His Majesty the Christmas cactus also known as Schlumbergera whose abundant flowering will enhance your interior from November until to February, and, even March. However, it very often happens that the next flowering does not occur when winter arrives. What to do, then? Don’t panic, because the editorial shows you how to make a Christmas cactus bloom again to give it a second life for the holidays to come.
How to water a Christmas cactus?
Remember that Christmas cacti prefer consistently moist soil unlike other succulents. As a general rule of thumb, water your Christmas cactus when the top 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in.) of soil is dry. To increase the humidity level near your plant, fill its saucer with pebbles and add water just below the surface of the pebbles (the pot should not be immersed directly in water). The air will become more humid as the water evaporates. (For watering tips when trying to encourage your Christmas cactus to bloom, see the section below.)
Soil and Fertilizer for Christmas Cacti
Christmas cacti need well-draining soil, which means a mixture of normal potting soil and fine bark works well. You can also use sand or small stones at the base of the pot to aid drainage. As for fertilizer, this plant should be fed every two weeks with a diluted liquid fertilizer. Be sure to stop feeding it about a month before winter flowering, which is usually at the end of October. Here are more tips for feeding your Christmas cactus.
What temperature do flowering cactus plants need?
If you want your flowering cactus to bloom, you need to keep it at the right temperature.
Cacti actively grow and flower during the warm summer months and take a break during the cool winter months.
If you want your plant to bloom enthusiastically in the spring, you need to keep it at the right cool temperature (50° degrees Fahrenheit) during the winter.
While your plant rests, it will stop growing and devote its energies to creating flower buds.
In spring, you can gradually increase the temperature around your plant.
The majority of cacti like very warm temperatures and can move from a more sheltered indoor environment to full sun and exposure in spring and summer.
Keep your indoor cacti in a south-facing window where they will receive plenty of sunlight.
This can also be a good location in the winter because the sunlight naturally won’t be as bright.
Additionally, the temperature next to the window will likely be cooler than the rest of your home.
Of course, you’ll have to be the judge of that.
Christmas cactus light
The Christmas cactus needs outdoor light to live, so it is ideal to have it in a well-lit location. However, despite being a cactus type, too much sun can cause serious damage to its growth and flowering.
Propagation and multiplication
Once your plant has finished flowering, let it sit for a month or two. After the rest period is a good time to prune the plant if it gets too leggy or you don’t like its shape. Cut it to the desired length by clipping it to the base of a leaf segment with a pair of sterilized scissors.
Preserve these segments to propagate and share with friends and family. Leave the leaf segments calloused for a few days after cutting. Then, tuck each section 2 cm deep into a pot of fresh soil.