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Pruning. Trim your Christmas cactus to create a fuller, bushier plant about a month after blooming, but never prune a Christmas cactus after late spring. To prune the plant, just pinch off one or more of the sections. Replant them in a separate pots if you want to create new plants.
Do Christmas cactus need deadheading?
Keep your cacti looking its best during and after the Christmas season by deadheading all the spent blooms. This also encourages the plant to continue blooming. Once Christmas is over you can continue to enjoy your cacti until it finally stops producing flowers.
How do I keep my Christmas cactus blooming?
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.
Where do you cut a Christmas cactus?
Christmas cactus propagation usually begins by simply taking a short, Y-shaped cutting from the stem tip. The cutting should consist of at least two or three joined segments. When doing Christmas cactus propagating, always be sure that cuttings are taken from healthy foliage.
What is the lifespan of a Christmas cactus?
The Christmas cactus is everywhere during the holiday season, with good reason. It’s a blooming succulent that is easy to care for, has gorgeous blooms, and when properly tended can live up to 100 years! That’s right!Nov 4, 2021.
Why are the leaves on my Christmas cactus limp?
Wilted or limp Christmas cactus is sometimes caused by a lack of water or too much direct sunlight. If you’ve neglected to water the limp Christmas cactus, begin by giving the plant a limited drink. Poor drainage and soggy roots can make Christmas cactus very limp.
How do I make my Christmas cactus bushier?
Christmas cactus pruning is not just for large plants, either. Pruning a Christmas cactus, large or small, will help it to grow fuller and more bushier, which in turn results in more blooms in the future.
Should you water a Christmas cactus when it is blooming?
A lack of water and dramatic temperature swings can cause flower buds to drop more rapidly. Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist while your plant is blooming, misting it frequently. Light: Place the cactus in an east-facing window for moderate light and some direct sun.
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.
Are coffee grounds good for Christmas cactus?
Your Christmas cactus will enjoy a coffee as much as you do! Coffee grounds are a good source of potassium and nitrogen, two things the cactus needs to keep it healthy. Don’t use the grounds straight away, as moist grounds can go moldy, so you need to dry them first by spreading them out.
Do Christmas cactus like to be root bound?
Christmas Cactuses actually like to have their roots sort of crowded. This is a struggle for plant parents because it’s tough to prevent them from becoming root bound when they actually grow best in a crowded pot.
How do you prune a cactus plant?
For a big job like cutting back a columnar specimen, use a saw and remove the main trunk at the point at which you would like to see branching or at the height you require the plant. Try to remove the stem at a growth point. Plants like agave will need the old leaves removed to preserve the appearance.
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.
What do you do with Christmas cactus after Christmas?
Once the Christmas cactus has ceased all flowering (usually by fall), or about six to eight weeks before you want the plant to rebloom, you should allow the plant to begin its dormancy cycle by cutting back on Christmas cactus moisture and reducing both light and temperature.
Why is my Christmas cactus blooming in July?
If plants are exposed to cooler night temperatures of 55° F, plants will bloom in approximately 5-6 weeks, sometimes regardless of the day length.
How do I know if my Christmas cactus is dying?
Remove the plant gently from its pot. If the cactus is affected by rot, the roots will display blackened tips. Depending on the severity of the disease, rotten Christmas cactus roots will be slimy with black or brown decay. If you determine that your Christmas cactus is rotting, it’s critical to act fast.
How do you know when to repot a cactus?
You will know when to repot a cactus plant if you see roots coming out the bottom of the container. This indicates it is overly root bound. Most cacti find small spaces very cozy and can stay in their container for years. The sight of roots will let you know it has expanded too much and will need repotting.
Is Epsom salt good for Christmas cactus?
Christmas cacti have a higher requirement for magnesium than many plants. Fertilize monthly during the growing season with Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) mixed at 1 teaspoon per gallon of water, but do not apply the same week as regular fertilizer.
