When in doubt, err on the side of under-watering as opposed to over-watering. Got questions? Call toll free at , Monday to Friday, 9 a. Home Blog How often should I water a Christmas cactus?
How often should I water a Christmas cactus? A Question of the Week. Christmas cacti prefer a more humid environment, which makes a bright bathroom or kitchen a good spot to keep them. Keep them out of direct outdoor sunlight. How to Care for Christmas Cacti Plan to water every weeks, but only water when the top one third of soil feels dry to the touch. For example, if the plant is in 6 inches of soil, water when the top 2 inches feel dry. Use your finger to check!
Place a tray underneath the pot to catch the water. From spring through early fall, feed every 2 weeks with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. During the fall and winter, feed the cactus monthly to encourage successful blooming. Prune plants in late spring to encourage branching and more flowers. Simply cut off a few sections of each stem; the plant will branch from the wound. If you wish, place the cut pieces in a lightly moist potting soil—they root easily after a few weeks and make for excellent Christmas presents!
How to Get Your Christmas Cactus to Bloom The blooms of Christmas cacti and its relatives are triggered by the cooler temperatures and longer nights of fall. The three main types of holiday cacti generally bloom according to this schedule: Thanksgiving cacti are the earliest and longest bloomers, typically producing flowers from late fall through mid-winter.
Christmas cacti tend to bloom from early winter to mid-winter. Easter cacti bloom from late winter to mid-spring. To trigger blooming, nights need to be at least 14 hours long and days between 8 to 10 hours for at least six weeks. Make sure that you are consistent with watering while the plant is in flower. If the plant dries out too much, it may drop its buds. Christmas cacti S. Easter cacti S.
Late spring is the best time to propagate cuttings because most holiday cacti emerge from their winter rest and initiate new growth. Vegetable Gardener's Handbook. What do you want to read next? Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Christmas Plants: Poinsettia, Easy Houseplants for Your Home. Why We Gather During the Worst Cyclamens: A Christmas Houseplant. Poinsettia Care: How to Keep The Legend of the Poinsettia as a Mini Cranberry-Apple Pies. Cornbread Dressing with Sausage.
Sugarplums Christmas Candy. The Surprising Origins of Easter How to Care for a Christmas Tree. Is that wrong for the plant? Any advice would be most appreciated. What is the treatment for dropping and limp cactus leaves? End tips are turning purple. To avoid problems with fungus, avoid overhead watering. The Christmas cactus does best in a humid environment. This is particularly important for gardeners living in a dry climate or whose homes have a dry indoor climate.
The easiest way to provide humidity is to place a tray of water near your plant. The water evaporates into the atmosphere, providing the needed humidity. Another way is to put gravel in a dish and fill with water before placing the potted plant into it. Misting your cactus with a spray bottle can also provide humidity.
The Christmas cactus prefers bright indirect sunlight. Watch out for bud drop. One of the most frustrating things that can happen to Christmas cactus is after the flower buds have developed, they drop off the plant. Bud drop can be caused by several different conditions. Usually it's because of over-watering, but it can also be due to a lack of humidity or insufficient light.
Move it to an area away from a hot radiator or vent and try a new spot where it can get a bit more sunlight. Part 3. Encourage the flower blooming for the holiday season by lowering the temperature. The key to getting Christmas cactus to flower during the holiday season is proper light exposure, correct temperatures and limited watering. If you manipulate these things yourself, you can time a bloom just how you'd like.
If the temperature drops further, the plant will not bloom. Don't expose the plant to freezing temperatures. Plants should be blooming for the holidays if cool treatments are started by early November. Keep the plant in a dark room during the night.
During the fall months, the Christmas cactus should be placed in a spot where it receives indirect, bright light during the daylight hours but total darkness at night — it requires long, uninterrupted dark periods of about 12 hours or more. Place the plants in a dark area from about 12 or more hours each night for weeks or until you see buds forming. A closet or unused bathroom are ideal places. Be especially careful with watering at this time.
Reduce the watering slightly. Do not soak the soil after a dry period; only moisten the top few inches, since buds, flowers and even leaves can fall off if the roots are suddenly saturated.
Avoid turning on lights in the dark room, even for brief periods of time. When you see flower buds forming, increase light and humidity. The "dark ages" are over when your plant starts budding. At this point, increase humidity, light, water not too much, of course , and the temperature. In other words, continue as you were a few months ago. When you're ready, up the temperature and they should resume their progress. Part 4. Prune the Christmas cactus about a month after blooming.
This will encourage the plant to branch out, especially after a period of "rest. Some people wait until March or so, when new growth begins, to prune the cactus. As mentioned before, cease watering for 30 days post-bloom. When you see new growth forming, you can begin watering again. Propagate a Christmas Cactus by cutting off short, Y-shaped sections of the stem.
Each section must consist of 2 or 3 joined segments. Allow each section to dry for a few hours before pushing them into a 3-inch pot that contains the same potting soil as the parent plant.
Treat the cuttings as mature plants. In about four to six weeks, the cuttings should have rooted and will begin to show some new growth. They grow quickly, and should take in about 2 or 3 weeks. You can fertilize after the cutting has grown one new segment. Repot every years. Your plant should be fine for a couple of years unless the root system gets diseased or harmed.
Apart from this, a new pot is needed when the roots have filled it or when the soil has been officially depleted of nutrients. Most people do this in the spring. When replanting or repotting, use new, fresh soil. It's worth the few extra dollars since it will probably be sitting in that soil for a long time. Your plant is a living thing like you, so it deserves the best. The best time for repotting is between February and April, about once every three years.
Just be sure not to give it a pot that's too big—the Christmas cactus flowers best when it's pot-bound. Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. Maggie Moran. Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer. Not Helpful 15 Helpful Not Helpful 17 Helpful Not Helpful 16 Helpful Not Helpful 22 Helpful
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