Christmas Cactus Care: How To Grow This Holiday Plant

A beautiful indoor flowering plant, the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) is perfect for the holiday season. Its gorgeous flowers bloom in winter, and its easy care makes it an excellent choice for indoor spaces.

The Christmas cactus has arching branches featuring green flat leaves and flowers at the end of each branch. These flowers come in a variety of colors such as red, pink, white, or purple. The blooms of Christmas cactus last for several days while the complete blooming period lasts for 2 weeks.

So, let’s have a look at Christmas cactus care and how you can grow this amazing indoor plant easily at home.

Basic Christmas Cactus Care Tips

Here are some of the basic Christmas cactus care tips that you should follow to keep your plant healthy –

• Avoid overwatering and water only when the soil feels completely dry to the touch.
• This plant likes to be pot-bound, preferably in sandy soil.
• Keep the plant in a temperature range of 70°F to 80ºF. But during night time, change it to 55°F and 65ºF.
• This is a humidity-loving plant, so keep it in a humid environment.
• Keep the plant under indirect sunlight as direct light can damage the plant.
• For better Christmas cactus care, keep the plant away from direct heat.

Advanced Christmas Cactus Care

Soil

A sandy soil mix well-suited for cactus is ideal for this plant. You can also use an all-purpose potting mix for indoor plants and add perlite to it. Make sure that the soil is well-draining as the roots of this plant do not like to sit in water.

Light

For better Christmas cactus care, provide the plant with 4 to 6 hours of indirect sunlight, especially during the blooming period in winter. This plant prefers partial shade, and a balance between light and shade would ensure successful flowering.

Too much sunlight can harm this plant in summer but it can adapt to full sun in winter.

Water

Let the soil completely dry out in between waterings. You can check so by touching the soil and inserting your finger a few inches into the soil. Moreover, the leaves of the Christmas cactus shrivel when it needs water.

If you’ve kept your plant in direct sunlight, it would require more frequent watering. So water the plant according to its environment.

Fertilizer

For better Christmas cactus care, fertilize the plant every month during spring and summer with a water-soluble balanced fertilizer diluted to half its strength. Stop feeding when the plant starts producing flower buds. Resume feeding after the flower production.

Pruning

The right time to prune Christmas cactus is right after it’s done blooming and is about to enter a new growing period. To prune this plant, give a twist to the segments between the stems. Or you can use sharp gardening tools such as clean and sharp knives or scissors to remove the segments. It is safe to remove up to two segments from the end of stems.

Pruning the plant encourages more branching in the new growing season.

Repotting

This plant likes to be root-bounded so it does not need frequent repotting. Repot the plant every 3-4 years. For better Christmas cactus care, wait until the plant is done blooming before repotting. And avoid repotting the plant when it is blooming actively.

Choose a pot that is only 1-2 inches bigger than the current pot.

How To Propagate The Christmas Cactus?

Propagating Christmas cactus isn’t tricky and can be done by following a few steps given below. The best time to propagate the plant is at least 2 months after it’s done blooming. This plant can be propagated through stem cuttings –

• Select a 4-6 inch pot and fill it with a well-draining potting mix.
• Cut the stem sections with 3-5 segments intact on each.
• Let the cuttings dry out by keeping them in a cool and dry place for 3-4 days to prevent rot.
• Plant each cutting in the pot with the soil mix and lightly moisten it.
• You can cover the plant with a plastic bag to retain moisture until it starts rooting.
• Wait for 8-10 weeks before shifting the plant to a permanent home. Once the plant starts producing new leaves you can shift it.

Types Of Christmas Cactus

Christmas cactus also known as Thanksgiving or Easter cactus is a hybrid plant. Even though these plants look alike they have different blooming periods and have a slight difference in their appearance when noticed thoroughly.

• Thanksgiving Cactus (Schlumbergera truncata): This variety produces flowers at the end of November and features showy vibrant purple, white, red, peach, or pink flowers. Thanksgiving cactus has claw-shaped projections on the edges of its leaves.
• Easter Cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaetneri): This variety starts producing star-shaped flower buds in February and blooms from March and May. Easter cactus has tiny hair-like projections on the edges of its leaves.
• Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera russelliana): This plant is usually bred with S.truncata and blooms at the end of December. The Christmas cactus produces magenta or white flowers and has flat leaves.

Common Problems With The Christmas Cactus

Even though Christmas cactus care is easy and this plant produces beautiful flowers, it still has some common indoor plant problems that you need to keep in mind –

• Stunted Growth: Pest infestation, especially mealybugs, can cause stunted or distorted growth on this plant. Check for any signs of pest infestation such as mold development.
• Yellow Leaves, Wilted Stems: This problem is also caused by pests called thrips. The virus transmitted by these pests causes the leaves and stems of Christmas cacti to wilt and turn yellow. Insufficient light or water can also cause wilting.
• Leaves Turning Red: Too much sunlight causes the leaves of Christmas cacti to turn reddish-pink. Simply move the plant away from direct sunlight to prevent or fix this.

Conclusion

The Christmas cactus is an amazing plant that can be grown easily indoors and to create a beautiful display made from its vibrant and attractive flowers. This plant can thrive for years with the right care. Moreover, due to easy Christmas cactus care, this plant is also beginner-friendly. So make sure to add this plant to your list and create a beautiful indoor garden. Check out the Plantora App to learn more about such plants and their care. With this plant care and identification app, you can learn more about gardening and improve your knowledge about plants and their care.

FAQs

How Do I Get My Christmas Cactus To Bloom?

You can get and keep your Christmas cactus blooming by removing faded and spent flowers and keeping the plant in a temperature range of 50°F during the blooming period. Stop feeding and watering only when the soil dries out.

Can Christmas Cactus Bloom Each Year?

Yes, this plant can bloom each year and live for decades with the right plant care.

How Long Can Christmas Cactus Live?

This plant can live for 20 to 30 with the right care. It can stop blooming after this period but can maintain its attractive foliage.