How to take care of Christmas cactus

Question

I received one for Christmas. It was not blooming when I got it, I have repotted it. Just wanted to know how to take care of it to help it bloom.

Christie Napier · Answer

I have one too for cpl yrs now & mine has never bloomed but the one i gave my mom so not to have 2 blooms each year! H

Meredith Chilson · Answer

Sometimes after they are repotted, they won't bloom for a while. It's also important to give the plant a rest in a shady spot for part of the year.

Barb Rosen · Answer

This recent HomeTalk post might help you out, Betty! http://www.hometalk.com/diy/decorate/christmas/holiday-bloomer-the-christmas-cactus-6233759

Sharon Twichell · Answer

I have one that I have one for nearly 20 years. My mom got one for my sister and one for myself. I have repotted it once and it's doint good. Not huge, but a good size. I took a long time to bloom. Usually at Christmas and also at Easter. However, this holiday, it didn't....yet! Just be patient, it will happen. Also, I was told to keep it in the same place for a year or so. Something about getting used to its surroundings. Good luck!

Douglas Hunt · Answer

@Barb Rosen pointed you to a good post. There's more information from the Cobb County Extension Service here: http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/cobb/anr/Documents/christmasplants.pdf

Debi · Answer

I have had Christmas Cactus for years, and have given pieces away as gifts, they bloom at Christmas and at Easter. They face south and get fed once a month but a month before December and April they are fed every time they get watered.

Marsha Schwarz · Answer

I bought some small ones this summer. I potted them all in one large pot and they bloomed all summer long. Right now it has one tiny bloom. I think you can over water them and that may delay blooms. I think they like a cooler window with bright sunlight. In my old house cool windows are easy to find. Sometimes I move it from window to window to get more light in an effort to force the bloom. Seems to have worked. I think you can't be fooled by the name of the plant... Christmas ...

Sheri N · Answer

Just keep it on a regular watering schedule. As their name says they will bloom at Christmas and Easter.

Liliana Wells · Answer

There is also a good article here http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/christmas-cactus/advice-for-christmas-cactus-care.htm

Cheryl Fontaine · Answer

A good thing to also know is that because it has the word 'cactus' in its name does not mean it's a desert plant. It is a jungle plant and likes humidity. I keep mine on a tray of flat stones that are always covered in water. It likes medium to bright light, but no direct sunlight and mine seems to prefer cooler temps - around 65. This year it welcomed Christmas with a cover of beautiful blooms! In the summer I move it outside on the covered porch with the rest of my houseplants. They all love it. (I live in Lancaster, PA - lots of heat and humidity in the summer).

Dorothy · Answer

They also bloom after being kept in shorter daylight hours (the reason they bloom at Easter/spring is due to more light after the short days of winter). You can trigger them into Christmas bloom by keeping them in darkness for about 16 hours each 24 hour period for about 2 months before you want buds to start showing up (so for Christmas flowers put them in a dark closet for 16 hours.......maybe 6pm to 10a.....starting in early Sept and then in late Nov/early Dec bring it into more light....bumping up the hours of light to more thn 12 hours....so you may have to put it under a light for 5-6 hours since natural light hours are shortest in Dec). They aren't a cactus so do need to be kept watered.....and they seem to bloom better when somewhat pot bound. Easy to start cuttings too.

Carol S Anderson · Answer

I have my mother-in-laws cactus, it is a minimum of 53 years old. We repotted the first year we got it, 1980, again about 20 years later and again last year. It is in a 30' diameter pot and has 100's of blooms. It likes to be pot bound, mostly dry and I use a bloom fertilizer about 3 times in summer. Good luck.

David Ogden · Answer

Dose anyone know why all of a sudden my Christmas cactus just loses it segments and a lot of them?

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