Schlumbergeraspp.
Ah , the Christmas cactus . Perhaps you experience one of these as a vacation endowment , wrap with a red ribbon or nestled in a merry planter . Maybe you forget about it , sitting on your mantelpiece , after the holiday frenzy .
And yet , to your surprisal , your neglect failed to do it in . So you set out a watering act , and it became one of your cherished houseplant .
Christmas cacti are fairly audacious as far as houseplants go . But they do require special conditions to inveigle out their blooms every yr .
Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin
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Sometimes called zygocactus or holiday cactus , this houseplant typically blooms just in fourth dimension for the ending of year holidays .
I ’ll cover everything you postulate to know about growing and caring for this winter - blooming succulent plant .
Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin
What You’ll Learn
Cultivation and History
You might be wonder if this pretty succulent is really a cactus , and the light answer is – yes !
However , this houseplant originates from a tropical environment rather than a wry desert , so its care is a bit different than what you may be familiar with for other types of cacti . We ’ll get to that a little later .
In add-on to being members of the cactus family , Christmas cactiare also epiphytes , mean they do n’t naturally produce in stain , but rather in shallow organic debris find on rocks or in the crevices of tree diagram trunk .
The works in theSchlumbergeragenus are all native to the coastal mountains of southeast Brazil , and develop in tropical pelting timberland where they are pollinated by hummingbird .
Like other types of cacti , Christmas cacti do n’t farm folio ; instead , they have joint bow made up of flatten segment called cladodes .
Flowers grow from the last segment on the end of these stems . Unlike some of their prickly full cousin , these cacti do not have sharp spine , which score handling them less of a bristly issue .
Previously – and erroneously – make out asS. bridgesii , the unfeigned Christmas cactus ( S. x buckleyi ) is a hybrid of two mintage ofSchlumbergera , S. truncataandS. russelliana . This special crossing was created in England at the Rollison Nurseries by William Buckley in the 1840s .
These days , many houseplants sell as “ Christmas cactus ” in garden centers and grocery stores are actually cultivar ofS. truncata , more unremarkably have it away as crab cactus , false Christmas cactus , or Thanksgiving cactus .
As its name suggests , it typically blooms about four weeks earlier than Christmas cactus .
There are a couple of outlast cultivars from the originalS. x buckleyi , but most plants you ’ll recover today will be hybrids of the Thanksgiving cactus , S. truncata , and the true Christmas cactus , S. x buckleyi .
Apart from their differences in flower time , there are a few other ways to distinguish Christmas cacti from Thanksgiving cacti :
To make things a picayune bit more confusing , commercial grower sometimes aggroup these dissimilar mintage under the heading “ holiday cactus . ” This encompassing term can also include Easter cactus , Hatiora gaertneri , which may calculate alike , but only flowers once a year around Easter .
If you buy a plant forebode “ Christmas cactus ” it could well be a Thanksgiving cactus , or a crossbreed of some eccentric .
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We travail into all of this a number deeper in our supplemental guide , “ What Are the Different Types of Holiday Cacti ? ”
fortuitously for us , no matter which species or loanblend you have , the command plant aid will be the same .
Correctly identifying your specific plant ’s species and scientific name is not necessary to enjoy this lovely houseplant . Only the bloom time may be different .
Propagation
While Christmas cacti can be propagated from seminal fluid , the gentle and fastest means to propagate them is from cuttings .
generation from cut should be done in the warm growing calendar month , April through September . Wait until at least a calendar month after flowering to take cuttings .
Cut stanch back at the joints between the fleshy segments , shaping your works so you do n’t leave behind it askew as you take the cuttings .
Each cutting should be two to five segment long . Make certain you always cut at the joints and not through the center of a section , with a clean pair of scissors or a sharp tongue .
If you ’d like , you’re able to disperse the ends of your cuttings with root hormone powder , but this is not required .
Place the cut radical segments in a patch with shining , indirect igniter and good air circulation to have the cutting heal over and dry out for two to four days before planting .
When you ’re quick to set , place the root ends of the cuttings into a container with pot substrate that is moist but not wet .
constitute the cuttings about half an inch to an in deep , or just deep enough so that the cut will stay upright .
Place the container with the diffuse cuttings in a touch that receives bright , indirect light – not direct sun .
After you see some novel development starting to develop , give them some water . It will take three to 12 weeks for the cuttings to become establish .
You ’ll require a bit of patience , as this new plant can take up to two to three yr to mature and produce flowers .
Find more propagation tips here .
How to Grow
Christmas cactus is actually not all that demanding as a houseplant , so do n’t rent these care requirements frighten away you .
The most crucial affair to remember is not to overwater this industrial plant . Providing it with a little extra care , as observe below , will see to it that your plant really thrives .
Water Requirements
Since this plant is aboriginal to tropical rainwater timberland , it flourish in an environment with gamey humidness , but does not appreciate having fuddled feet .
Let the top inch of soil ironical out between waterings . Depending on the conditions in your home , this will mean irrigate every two to three week in midwinter .
Everyone ’s home is a small unlike , so you ’ll need to adjust how often you irrigate base on how warm and dry your home is .
When it ’s time to water , plume the works in a swallow hole or tub until body of water runs out of the wad ’s drain hole . Do not let the pot sit in a saucer full of piddle – toss any that roll up underneath after tearing .
If your household is quite dry , you could put up extra humidity by placing the pot on top of a small container fill with pebbles , then contribute weewee to the pebble .
Just make certain the pot is ride above the water line rather than in the water . As the water evaporates , it will moisten the air travel around the works .
Alternatively , you could mist the foliage of your cactus on a regular basis to supply a more humid environment .
irrigate your houseplant on a regular basis when it is budding or in bloom , and less frequently during dormant periods when it is not blooming or order on new growth .
If in doubt , keep in mind that it will fare well being a bit under - watered ratherthan being over - water .
If water requirements are n’t fit , the plant maystart dropping its leave of absence ( cladodes ) .
Light Requirements
reduplicate the natural growing conditions of this houseplant will aid to ensure that it thrives in your plate .
recall that this plant grow naturally in rain forests , and you should examine to bring home the bacon it with similar clear consideration . Bright , collateral sunlightis well .
Whether you keep your houseplant indoors all year or give it an outdoor hiatus during the warm months , verify it is exposed to shining but collateral sunlight .
Do n’t permit your cactus be scorched by the sunlight – too much unmediated sun will cause the stemsto turn reddened or purple .
Temperature Requirements
During its growing time of year – April through September in the Northern Hemisphere – these plants flourish in temperatures between 70 and 80 ° F .
In fall , however , they prefer nighttime temperatures set out from 55 - 65 ° farad . These cooler temperature signal the plant to produce flowers .
Once your plants set out to put out bloom buds , avoid sudden temperature changes , which cancause the buds to fall off .
Do n’t let your plant freezeas this can damage or kill them .
Feeding Requirements
If you ’d care to feed your cactus , wait until the active spring up time of year begin . you could give it a limpid houseplant plant food , but I like to go the more instinctive way and give mine alittle worm compost .
dirt ball compost provides macro instruction and micronutrients that the plant life needs , as well as balancing the dirt pH.
If you do add compost , just make certain that you do n’t raise the sour of the soil too high-pitched , as doing so could make the stems to rot . And do not feed this plant while it is in flower .
detect more tips on fertilizing your works here .
Tips for Getting Christmas Cactus to Flower
According to theRoyal Horticultural Society , get your Christmas cactus to bloom requires allow for these houseplants with two rest menses throughout the yr .
These resting periods are defined by downhearted temperature , foresightful Night , and less frequent lachrymation .
The first resting period should materialise six to eight weeks before you expect your plant to flower .
It ’s worth noting that you ca n’t force a Christmas cactus to flower at a dissimilar clip of the twelvemonth – you’re able to simply take these steps to encourage it to blossom .
During this full point , keep your Christmas cactus in a room with bright , collateral light during the daylight , with nighttime temperature at a chilly 55 - 60 ° F , and 13 - 15 hours of continuous darkness .
Also reduce watering , but do not permit the soil dry out out totally between waterings .
Some Christmas cactus proprietor puzzle out the need for iniquity by placing a brownish paper bag over their plant , since even pic to stilted luminance can prevent efflorescence .
Others move their plants in and out of a closet every mean solar day , but this is not urge – Christmas cacti do not wish to be moved ofttimes , and the stress that this can causemay prevent them from blooming .
For its pre - bloom resting full point , I care to post my Christmas cactus in a way on the north side of my sign of the zodiac where there is bright , soft light , and where the temperature remains cooler than in the respite of the sign .
This is also a way we do n’t use in the evening , so my plant also set out enough nighttime hr of swarthiness .
Once your plant begins to produce bud , the first resting period is complete , and you’re able to devolve it to its normal temperature , light , and watering condition .
larn how to encourage your Christmas cactus to bloom .
The second resting time period is after flowering . trim water system again and repay your plant to a way with cool temperatures until the growing time of year begin in April .
Repotting
deliberate the conditions they have conform to in the natural state , it makes sensation that these houseplant choose to be slightly pot bound .
A expert rule of quarter round is to plan to repot about every three years in spring , at the beginning of the plant life ’s ontogeny time of year .
Replant in pot grunge with in force drain and aeration – 60 % potting territory and 40 % sand or perlite is urge . Heavy , waterlogged soils can direct to disease . Read more about selectingthe well potting admixture for Christmas cactus here .
When repotting , handle with upkeep – this plant life does not like havingits rootsdisturbed .
And remember , this plant does not by nature farm in soil , so make certain to move your plant life up to a pot size of it that is only somewhat orotund than the existing one when you repot .
Get more bakshis on repotting here .
Where to Buy
These houseplant come in a panoptic raiment of blossom colors , including red , pinkish , clean , and yellow .
While local garden center and grocery stores gunstock these cacti during the holiday , if you ’re looking for a specific color , some on-line sources can proffer a slap-up selection of hues .
observe that while some of the plant you find may be labelled as Christmas cactus , they may in fact be Easter or Thanksgiving cacti .
Managing Pests and Diseases
Christmas cacti can be attacked by pest and diseases , but healthy plants are unlikely to be a target .
Your principal scheme in preventing both pests and disease is to ensure you do n’t overwater your industrial plant , which can lead to moulder and make it more susceptible to disease and insect plague .
Pests
A scheme I use to keep some of my houseplants pest free is to give them a rain shower when I water them , and I admit my Christmas cactus in this routine .
I use the spray hooter in my sink or lavish to wash away off the stem , which help to forestall insect problems .
However , even the most wakeful houseplant owner sometimes have a pest outbreak . plague you will want to be on the sentry for arefungus gnats , efflorescence thrips , and rootmealybugs .
scrutinize your Christmas cacti regularly so that if you do have plague , you may treat the problem before they are disadvantageously damage .
For more data in square off which creepy crawly is attacking your plant , be trusted to check out our supplemental guide : How to distinguish and Control 7 vulgar Christmas Cactus Pests .
And also review our article onintegrated gadfly managementfor exhaustive guidance to keep and manage pesterer job .
Diseases
According to an article by Judy Stevens at theIowa State University Extension , Christmas cacti only tend to suffer from diseases when they are over - watered .
In overly moist soil , these plants can be aim of certain bacteria and fungi . It may be hard to identify what type of disease is affecting your cactus since many produce the same distressed results .
Encouraged by high humidness and temperatures over 86 ° F , Pectobacterium carotovorumis a bacteria that can have bacterial delicate rot in produce and sure houseplant .
While types of fungi that may plague this plant life can be treated with fungicides , these will rise ineffectual againstP. carotovorum .
you’re able to show piano rot in our full guide .
A water system mold that is know for induce damping off in young seedlings , Pythium aphanidermatummay be another potential perpetrator if your plant has root rot .
genus Phytophthora nicotianae , also a water clay sculpture , can induce antecedent molder in many garden plants and some houseplant . As its common name “ sinister waist ” evoke , it turn pathological stems inglorious .
See our full guide todamping off and how to forbid it .
Fusarium oxysporum , a soil - bear fungus that have fusarium wilt , can make dieback , stem buncombe , and root rot in these plants .
Another fungal plant life pathogen , Bipolaris cactivoracauses stem rot in cacti .
If you pursue best practice for soil content and watering , however , it is unbelievable you will have issues with these diseases .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Let that Succa Grow
Whatever color your cactus blooms , it will be a close companion to you for decades , provided you offer up this vivacious succulent the slightly neglectful care that it thrives on .
Christmas cacti can live for over 50 year as houseplant , with one spectacular specimen in North Dakota living to be over 111 days former .
And be sure tocheck out all of our Christmas cactus guidesincluding :
Photos by Kristina Hicks - Hamblin © require the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product photos via Costa Farms , Hirt ’s Gardens , and JM Bamboo . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock . With extra piece of writing and redaction by Clare Groom and Allison Sidhu .
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