How do I help my Christmas Cactus?

Hi there, so sorry you'e having problems with your Christmas cactus. Can you check the soil in the pot and the roots. If it's very dry and pulling away from the sides of the pot, water the plant and repot her in a new pot with a soil mixture of 2 parts peat moss and 1 part each of potting soil and coarse sand or perlite. When you give her water don't overwater, rather give her little bits every day. Too much water at once will put her into shock. Make sure she get's enough indirect light, they need between 10 and 12 hours of light a day to thrive. I hope she comes right and bounces back to give you many more years of beautiful flowers.

I would give it a good watering if it is dry and put it in the sun. They do like dry soil but sometimes a good drop of water does help.

Hello Ma Ria, I share your pain! I've had a number of Christmas Cacti over the years and never been succussfuul in getting them to re-bloom. I found this article and maybe it will help you.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the_secret_to_getting_a_christmas_cactus_to_bloom_temperature_and_light

Your plant sounds like it needs a little water, take a look her and see if this will help you in managing your plant:

https://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-a-Christmas-Cactus

Best to you.

Hi,

Try watering it!

How LONG did you put it in the dark for? They still need water. They don't get the same treatment as pointsettias.

Christmas cacti produce flowers in a cool, environment-short day cycle. To initiate the production of flower buds, there needs to be at least eight days of 16 hours of dark and eight hours of light each day. Wherever the plant is placed, do not turn on the lights at night, even for a short period of time.

Poinsettias are the plants that are kept in the dark, not Christmas cactus. Christmas cactus will rebloom only if it likes it's location. So once you find that spot, don't move it around. However mine all get moved over the spring summer months as the light is too intense (I still have bad windows in that room), and moved back in late fall. Several excellent links on how to care for Christmas cactus in this thread, bet you will have it back in shape in no time!

Give your Christmas Cactus bright but indirect light. Keep the plant in a well-lit location (like near a window) away from direct sunlight – too much heat and light can stunt growth and burn the leaves. It should also be away from drafts, heat vents, fireplaces or other sources of hot air.

• Move an indoors plant outdoors in summer to a shady location. It is best to keep in a normal house temperature range, about 65 to 75°F (18 to 20°C). That being said, cooler night temperatures can be used to initiate blooming. We'll discuss getting it to bloom in the final section.
• If it's in a north or east-facing window, you won't have to worry about light. But if it's in a south or west-facing window, diffuse the light with semi-transparent curtains or some other light-diffusing device.

Provide the plant a source of humidity if you live in a dry environment. Put a tray of water next to the plant so that the water evaporates and provides humidity. Alternatively, you can make a humidity tray by placing the pot on a waterproof saucer that is filled with gravel and halfway filled with water.

• Make sure to not let the pot touch the water when it is sitting on the gravel; otherwise the pot will pick up water and make it easier for the roots to rot.
• 50 to 60% humidity is the ultimate goal. If your environment is close to that, you should be fine.
• A Christmas cactus is a tropical cactus, not a desert cactus. Unlike most desert cacti, this variety cannot tolerate completely dry soil. If the soil gets too dry, the flowers buds will drop, and the plant will wilt. Feel the soil with your fingers; if it feels dry, it's time to water.
• Too much watering will cause spots from white rot to appear on the leaves, and the leaves will likely fall off. The soil should be evenly moist for best growth. The rule of thumb is less water is better than too much water.
• When watering, thoroughly water the plant. Before attempting to water the plant again, check to see that the top inch of soil has dried thoroughly first. Mist leaves as well as watering the soil.

I'd keep it in a spot with some full sun for part of the day and water it sparingly. It may not bloom this year, but maybe next!

Here is info for you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WNxPnlPhxM

I found out that when my Christmas Cactus is thriving...don't move it. I have two and moved one to another window and it did not bloom. The one in the original window bloomed a lot. Hoping for blooms on both plants this year. I see some "starter buds" on the plants....is December sixth so hoping for some blooms at Christmas or after,

Here you go https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a20705680/christmas-cactus-care/

Here's a post that might help https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a20705680/christmas-cactus-care/#:~:text=Temperature%3A%20Maintain%20an%20optimal%20climate,two%20weeks%20once%20buds%20form.

Thank you for posting this question. My mother is in the hospital and has 2 of them that I need to make sure are in good shape when she gets out.

Mine usually dries out completely then I water it and it seems happy. I usually get mine to bloom every year after ignoring it for a while.

Dont fuss over it, Some of them are on there own schedule. Keep it in a lighted area, not direct sun, keep it watered and one day it will bloom...