Want your Christmas cactus to explode with festive blooms this holiday season? Well, you can!
The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) is known for its long-lasting indoor blooms and otherworldly flowers.
With just a few simple steps in July, you can set your plant up for a spectacular show that will last well into the winter months.
1. Reduce Watering
Start to gradually reduce watering. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out completely between waterings. This mimics the natural dry season that triggers blooming.
2. Cool Down
Lowering the temperature to around 55-65°F (13-18°C) during the day and night mimics the natural cooling of fall. This temperature shift is a key signal for the Christmas cactus to begin developing flower buds, which will eventually bloom into its vibrant holiday display.
3. Increase Humidity
Christmas cacti thrive in humid environments, which can be a challenge in dry indoor spaces, especially during the summer months.
Some ways to increase humidity around your plant include misting with lukewarm water and placing a tray filled with pebbles and water underneath your plant’s pot.
4. Fertilize Less
While fertilizer is important for overall plant health, too much nitrogen in the summer can encourage excessive leaf growth at the expense of flower buds. Starting in July, you should reduce or stop fertilizing completely.
You may also switch to a low-nitrogen fertilizer.
5. Provide Long Nights
Christmas cacti are short-day plants. They need 12-14 hours of darkness each night to initiate blooming. Start placing the plant in a dark closet or covering it with a box at night.
6. Check for Pests
Carefully examine the leaves, stems, and soil of your Christmas cactus for signs of pests like mealybugs (white, cottony masses) or spider mites (tiny red dots and webbing).
If found, treat them immediately with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent them from damaging the plant and affecting its blooming potential.
7. Prune if Needed
If your Christmas cactus has become long and spindly, you can trim back overgrown segments in July. This promotes a fuller, bushier shape and encourages the plant to produce more branches, which will lead to more flowers during the blooming season.
8. Avoid Drafts
Keep your Christmas cactus away from drafty windows, doors, or vents. Cold drafts and sudden temperature fluctuations can stress the plant, causing it to drop buds and reduce its overall flowering capacity.
9. Repot if Necessary
If the roots of your Christmas cactus are tightly packed and circling the bottom of the pot (rootbound), repotting it in July into a slightly larger container with fresh, well-draining soil will give the roots more room to grow and improve drainage, promoting healthier growth and potentially more blooms.
10. Be Patient
Remember that Christmas cacti are a bit finicky. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see buds immediately. Keep up with the care routine, and your plant will reward you with a beautiful display of blooms in time for the holidays.
With these tips, you’re well on your way to transforming your Christmas cactus into a festive masterpiece that’s overflowing with exotic blooms throughout the holiday season.
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Nancy has been a plant person from an early age. That interest blossomed into a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Nancy worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.