The Christmas or Holiday Cactus (Schlumbergera) is a plant superstar. It’s the most popular plant during the festive season and it’s not hard to see why! Get ready for a kaleidoscope of colors with blossoms that range from ravishing reds, peppy pinks to whimsical whites. These beauties are no wallflowers either – they bloom for an extended period of time. Depending on the holiday cactus Christmas Cactus blooms in early winter, Thanksgiving cactus blooms in late fall and Easter cactus blooms in mid-spring. Native to the damp forests of Brazil, where they grow is not as scorching hot as our summer days. Frost isn’t part of their vocabulary, but they are accustomed to cooler nights of their homeland. Their roots are never thirsty for too long, thanks to frequent rain showers or misty fogs and the air’s moisture levels staying super high.
Looking after your holiday cactus can be easy, but unlocking a few of its secrets is key to unlocking its full potential. With some insider knowledge, your plant can flourish and bloom year after year.
Light and Temperatures
Keep these beauties happy in bright, indirect light and should stay cool in the summer. Find them a shady and cool hangout, perhaps a breezy, covered patio or bright area in your home. If kept outdoors, you can also bring them indoors during the toasty months and then shift them outside in October when the chilly nights roll in and the evening nights are longer. This cactus prefers to chill out in the perfect weather of 70°F during the day and snuggle into a cozy 6065°F at night. Don’t forget, frost is a no-go for them!
Pot and Potting Soil
Growing in the desert, Christmas Cactus loves to be pampered in the comfort of a pot. This way, it can be the ultimate mobile plant and hop to new locations with ease! The pot should have drainage holes for water to escape and prevents the soil from staying too wet.
Your desert darlings deserve the best! Choose a premium potting mix made especially for cactus and succulents. Keep an eye out for mixtures that have a blend of compost, peat moss or coco chips and pumice to help the soil drain like a champ. For potting soil to be top-notch, it needs to drain quickly, hold on to some moisture and let you re-moisten it when dry.
Water
Keep the soil slightly damp and water them regularly. But don’t go overboard - soggy soil is a no-go! Your beloved Christmas Cactus is like the rest of us, preferring a bit more H2O in warmer weather. Come fall and winter, less frequent watering is needed because the soil stays wet longer. A moisture meter is an absolute must-have tool to monitor moisture in the soil.
Repotting
Don’t go moving your Christmas Cactus out of its cozy pot! These plants thrive when they’re snug and secure. If you must re-pot, opt for one size up, for example moving from a four-inch pot to a five-inch pot.
Fertilizer
These plants aren’t big on fertilizer, so go easy with the 20-20-20 fertilizer about 2-4 times per year, between April and September, at half strength. Keep an eye out for salt buildup by flushing the plants with water. And, if it’s the beautiful blooms you’re aiming for, then give the fertilizer a break at least six weeks before the blooming season. Once those little flower buds start popping up, it’s time to give them some extra love! Shower them with a diluted watersoluble, high-phosphorus fertilizer every two weeks to keep producing flowers buds and to encourage a longer flowering period.
After Flowering Care
Once the blooming party’s over, our plant pals can look like they’ve been hit by a bus. No need to fret, droopy and shriveled stems are a typical side effect after blooming. However, Schlumbergera wilting can be a symptom of root rot or stress. Give the plant a gentle tug and if it slides out of the pot with ease, the roots have rotted. If your plant’s stem has gone all mushy, slice off those gross bits and give it a chance to sprout new roots in coco chips or in water. The stem cutting should consist of two to five stem segments.
After it has finished blooming, it’s time for less water and fertilizer. Whatever you do, don’t let those roots dry up completely! Instead, spread out your watering schedule and a moisture meter is a handy tool to check the soil regularly.
How to Keep Your Plant Blooming Year After Year
To keep your Christmas Cactus blooming each year, they respond to longer nights and cool temperatures under 55°F. These long-night plants must have a solid 12 to 14 hour stretch of darkness. For a good two months before blooming, they demand a strict regimen of at least 12 to 14 hours of darkness to get those buds ready. If your plant is an indoor dweller, think about covering it to shield it from nighttime lights.
To avoid premature dropping, it’s best not to move plants while they are forming flower buds. If you need to move them after the flowers have slightly opened, it should be safe to do so. If you want your flowers to bloom to their fullest, make sure they’re not too hot or too cold, and give them a good drink. Otherwise, those little flower buds might fall off before their time with any sudden changes.