An ideal situation would be
well-lit yet out of direct sunlight with a humid atmosphere
. Improve humidity by using gravel-filled saucers to place your plants upon and keep this moist. Re-pot once a year (or at least every two years) to maintain healthy growth.
How do I look after my holiday cactus?
An ideal situation would be
well-lit yet out of direct sunlight with a humid atmosphere
. Improve humidity by using gravel-filled saucers to place your plants upon and keep this moist. Re-pot once a year (or at least every two years) to maintain healthy growth.
How often do you water a holiday cactus?
- Plan to water every 2-3 weeks, but only water when the top one third of soil feels dry to the touch. …
- From spring through early fall, feed every 2 weeks with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. …
- Prune plants in late spring to encourage branching and more flowers.
How much light does a holiday cactus need?
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.
How do you take care of a Christmas cactus after it blooms?
After blooming, fertilize the plant every month beginning when you see new growth at the end of winter or the first of spring. Feed a Christmas cactus with a
20-20-20 or 10-10-10 plant food diluted with water to 50% strength
.
Do you water a Christmas cactus from the top or bottom?
In general, water a Christmas
cactus when the top inch or 2 of soil is dry
. To help increase the humidity around your plant, fill the pot saucer with pebbles and add water to just below the tops of the pebbles (the pot shouldn't be sitting directly in water). The air will become more humid as the water evaporates.
When should you put a Christmas cactus in the dark?
Put your forest cactus in a dark closet for 14 hours a night,
starting six to eight weeks before you want it to bloom
. Bring it back out into a bright location during daylight hours. Once buds begin to form, the closet treatment is no longer needed, and the plant should bloom beautifully for the holidays.
What is the lifespan of a Christmas cactus?
Christmas cactus are everywhere during the holiday season, with good reason. They're gorgeous blooming succulents that can live
up to 100 years
! That's right! This plant, when properly cared for, will survive for decades.
How can you tell if a Christmas cactus is overwatered?
In case you didn't remember to do this, one of the first overwatering symptoms on Christmas cactus will be
limp leaves
, which will start to drop off. Then the stems and branches will soften and get mushy. Severe cases will manifest with a foul odor and the stem will rot completely off. Prevention is simple.
How many times a year does a Christmas cactus bloom?
Does Christmas Cactus Bloom
More Than Once A Year
? Yes. Unlike many other succulents, Christmas cactus can bloom again in spring if given the short days condition.
How do you force a cactus to bloom?
- Proper temperatures.
- Plenty of light.
- Feed or Fertilize.
- Water.
- The right medium.
- To encourage flowering, the plant needs to enter a period of dormancy. …
- Limit the amount of water.
- Provide a period of darkness.
How do you force a Christmas cactus to bloom?
To get the Christmas Cactus to bloom you need to place it
in darkness for 12-14 hours a day (overnight)
, and when I say darkness… I do mean dark – as little indirect light as possible is best. For the rest of the day it is OK to place the plant in bright, indirect light.
Should I mist my Christmas cactus?
Instead of watering it like you would a traditional plant, you should be
misting your cactus every day
. A few squirts from a spray bottle is all you need to keep your cactus happy. The only time you should be watering the base of the plant is when its soil is completely dry to the touch.
When should I start fertilizing my Christmas cactus?
The feeding season of the Christmas cactus is the same as the growing season. This means that it will need to be fed right before it blooms, which should be about from
April to October of the year
. With the right fertilizer and a proper feeding schedule, you should have bright blooms just in time for Christmas.
Do Christmas cactus like coffee grounds?
The answer is simple, yes!
Coffee grounds can work on almost any type of cactus or succulent
. … Most water has an alkaline pH of around 8, whereas cactus like between 5.8 – 7 pH. This means that each time you water your Christmas cactus or succulent, you are actually feeding it a higher pH than what it likes.
Can Christmas cactus live outside in the summer?
Growing Christmas Cactus Outdoors: Can Christmas Cactus Be Outside. … The answer is
yes
, but you can only grow the plant outdoors year round if you live in a warm climate because Christmas cactus is definitely not cold hardy. Growing Christmas cactus outdoors is possible only in USDA plant hardiness zones 9 and above.
