How to Maintain and Make a Cactus Flower?
The cactus is a plant with smooth leaves, without thorns, native to Brazil. It flowers in winter, with a peak of flowering in December and is traditionally part of the decorations of the end of year celebrations. With its red, pink, orange, purple or two-tone flowers, the cactus is also an excellent depollutant that purifies and improves the air quality of your interiors.
1 – PLANTING
Schlumbergera likes slightly arid and nitrogen-rich places. To get one, you will need a mixture of sand and soil. Also, do not plant several cacti in a single pot if you want to see a flowering. Concerning the soil, it will be more effective if it is enriched with fertilizer intended for cacti. This must be diluted in water before insertion.
The plant’s living environment must be well drained. To do this, place pebbles or clay balls in the bottom of the pot. In addition, the plant must be protected from drafts and direct sunlight. Finally, the room temperature must be between 10 and 15°C. Once the location has been determined, the plant should not be moved, otherwise the flowers or buds may fall.
2 – WATER AND FEED YOUR CACTUS
As long as your cactus does not have buds, water it, allowing time for the soil to dry out on the surface between each watering. Check that its pot has holes in the bottom to allow water to drain: stagnant water is one of the cactus’ worst enemies: it rots the roots.
When the first flower buds appear, water more regularly. The soil should always be a little moist on the surface. To facilitate flowering, you can also use cactus fertilizer every two weeks.
3 – REPOTTING THE SCHLUMBERGERA
After the first flowering, if this Schlumbergera seems very cramped in its pot (when the roots are visible around the potting soil), repot the cactus in a mixture of potting soil, river sand and garden soil.
In summer, take the plant out to a shaded place, in a tree for example, where it will return to its natural position as an epiphyte.
4 – WINTERING THE CACTUS
Bring the cactus inside before the first cold weather. To trigger flowering, place your indoor plant in a bright, cool room (around 15°C) for two months, without lighting at night so that it can enjoy the same amount of darkness as in nature. Water almost nothing.
When the first flower buds appear, place the Schlumbergera in the same conditions in which it flowered the previous year. You will keep it this way for fifty years!
5 – FERTILIZATION
Fertilize your plant monthly from late spring to early fall. Use an all-purpose fertilizer diluted by half.
6 – SIZE
Prune your cactus to get a bushier plant, about a month after flowering. However, never prune a worm cactus or after late spring. To prune the plant, pinch off one or more of the sections. Replant them in separate pots if you want new plants.
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