By Kim Ray
When the Christmas cactus begins to bloom, it's a sure sign that the holidays are soon to arrive. Their dainty blooms of pink, red, salmon, yellow, white, fuchsia, or a combination of colors, make their appearance before winter fully arrives to hold the outdoors in its icy grip. The blooms of the Christmas cactus are a welcome sight when days are cold and summer is nothing more than a distant memory. No other flowering houseplant is quite like the Christmas cactus.The Christmas cactus, which is native to South America, is very easy to grow, but it does require specific care in order to bloom and thrive. It's second to the most popular holiday plant, the poinsettia, and it makes a great gift for those who appreciate beautiful flowering houseplants.
Ideal Growing Conditions
The ideal location for growing a Christmas cactus is in a north or east-facing window that receives plenty of light. A west or south-facing window is acceptable as long as a curtain or blind diffuses direct sunlight. The direct rays of the sun during the hottest months of summer will cause foliage to fade.
Idyllic temperatures during the day range between 70oF and 80oF from April to September when the plant is actively growing. Evening temperatures beginning in October should range between 55oF and 65oF for optimal health and bud development.
Unopened flower buds dropping off are one of the biggest problems for those attempting to grow a Christmas cactus. To prevent this problem, when autumn arrives and buds begin to form, sustain household temperatures below 90oF. If temperatures are too high, the buds won't survive.
Watering and Feeding
Although this beautiful flowering plant is called a cactus, it really isn't a cactus in the true sense of the word. It requires regular watering like any other houseplant. It can, however, tolerate short dry spells since it stores water within the leaves, more accurately called the phylloclades.
During the hot months of summer, maintain evenly moist soil, but don't allow it to become saturated. Providing too much water is one of the surest ways to kill a Christmas cactus. Once autumn arrives, back off watering a little, but don't stop watering altogether.
Provide humidity by filling a plant saucer with pea gravel, and fill the saucer with water just below the top of the gravel. Set the plant on the water covered saucer of gravel, and it will receive much needed humidity as the water evaporates.
Feed your Christmas cactus once a month beginning in early spring and throughout the summer with a complete water-soluble houseplant fertilizer. When fall arrives, cut back on fertilizing. Consult the product label for specific instructions and best results.
Flower Production
Like the holiday rival, the poinsettia, the Christmas cactus is photoperiodic, meaning it relies on periods of darkness and specific temperatures in order to produce blooms. Without increased hours of darkness and cooler evening temperatures, the Christmas cactus won't produce blooms.
Around mid September, place your Christmas cactus in a location that receives approximately 13 to 14 hours of complete darkness. Provide it with bright indirect light the remaining 10 or 11 hours, and keep nighttime temperatures between 55oF and 65oF. An enclosed partially heated porch is the perfect location.
Around the Christmas holiday, buds should begin to open to reveal beautiful flowers on the tips of unassuming branches. A very large Christmas cactus can accommodate hundreds of blooms. What a sight to behold on a cold winter day!
Pruning
After the Christmas cactus has finished blooming, do a little pruning to increase blooms the following year. Simply remove by hand one or two phylloclades from each branch. This will encourage new root production as well as branching.
Propagating
A Christmas cactus is very easy to propagate, and it's a great way to share a plant with friends and loved ones. What better way to share the Christmas spirit than with the gift of a beautiful flowering houseplant?
To propagate a Christmas cactus, simply remove a section of three or four phylloclades by twisting them off at the joint. Allow the section to dry for at least 24 hours so the severed area can form a scab.
Once the severed area has dried, plant it in a moistened mixture of one part perlite and one part peat moss. Half of one segment should rest beneath the potting mixture, and the pot should be placed in a location that receives plenty of filtered sunlight.
Keep the potting mixture damp by misting it on a daily basis, but don't water it. The segments will eventually begin to wilt, and they will appear to be dying. Don't give up and throw it away. New growth will appear, and roots will take hold beneath the soil. Once the roots are well established, water and care for the Christmas cactus according to the aforementioned instructions.
Repotting
The Christmas cactus thrives in cramped conditions, but nutrients in soil become depleted after a few years. Every two or three years, repot the plant in late winter or early spring when it isn't forming buds or blooms. Use well draining soil such as cactus soil. Alternately you can make your own mixture by combining one part potting soil, one part perlite, and two parts peat moss.
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