How to Propagate a Christmas Cactus
Love Christmas cactus? Spot a beautiful plant at a friend's house and wish you could have one, too? Then propagate, or grow, one of your own from a cutting! I have made a short video describing the process and will also place the steps here on how you can grow a beautiful Christmas cactus plant in less than one year.
This video described the steps I've outlined below.
Start with a healthy plant. A health Christmas cactus has plenty of branches and stems. The stems/leaves look dark green, like this one.
Take your cutting from a segment that has a bit of root already growing out of it. That's the hairlike part you see above between the jointed segments. Cut the segment just below the joint using a sharp, sterile knife like an X-act knife. To sterilize it, carefully wipe the blade with a cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol.
I am pointing to a healthy segment here with the roots showing.
Allow the cut segment to rest on paper towels for a few hours in the open air. Then, insert it into a pot filled with clean potting soil. That's the bagged houseplant soil you buy at the garden center. Insert the segment with the root about halfway up the segment. You can see the one on the right, above, inserted into the soil.
Water it well and cover with a clear plastic bag. Put the pot in a bright, sunny window. Check the soil; water when dry. In a few weeks, you'll a new tip growing on the stem you plant - that's a sign it's rooted, and you have a new plant. The one above was rooted last February and now, 10 months later, it is blooming. I hope yours does, too.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?