A favorite houseplant for the fall and wintertime holiday , Christmas cactus ( Schlumbergeraspp . ) is a tropical succulent cover with igneous flowers when the daytime are shortest – and recognise how to course these plants is of import for an abundant flower display .
Also called zygocactus or holiday cactus , when in full efflorescence they add fantastic living color to indoor decorations , an ideal plant to brighten the dreary Clarence Shepard Day Jr. of late fall and wintertime .
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Photo by Lorna Kring.
you may read all about theircare and refinement in our growing guide .
When they come home from the nursery , vacation cactus are typically loaded with buds and delight us with striking flowers in hot shades of apricot , lilac , orange , pink , scarlet , and white .
And while they ’re easy to give care for , boost them to flower againcan be a spot difficult .
Photo by Lorna Kring.
That ’s because they have specific requirements to induce bud set and efflorescence . It ’s all about the timing of daylight to dingy hours , plus fuck when to fertilize and when to hold back feed .
If you ’re ready for a fantastic flowering succulent this winter , let ’s unwrap the steps on how to feed a Christmas cactus .
Here ’s what I ’ll extend :
What You’ll Learn
Holiday Cactus Basics
When and How to Feed
Leach the Soil
Growing Tips
Christmas and Thanksgiving cactiare epiphytes in the genusSchlumbergera , aboriginal to tropical rainforest of Brazil .
Ideal houseplant , they ’re promiscuous to worry for and thrive in bright , indirect light inwell - drain soilwith a slightly acidic pH of 5.7 to 6.5 , and average moisture .
Bud solidifying come about during the cooler sidereal day of fall when the dark of night lengthen noticeably .
This is because holiday cactus areshort day / long night plants . Likechrysanthemumsandpoinsettias , their photoperiodic reply for flowering hap when twenty-four hour period length dwindles to 12 60 minutes or less and temperatures cool off .
If you put your plants outdoors for part of the growing time of year , bud solidifying occurs by nature , starting around the middle of September , depending on your part .
Then , when they ’re brought in before the first frost , florescence pass off shortly afterwards – mine are always in full bloom for Halloween !
To time your flowering for later in the season , such as between Thanksgiving and Christmas , you may have to misrepresent them with a pretended dormancy .
This is done in the first place by artificially reducing daylight hours to eight to 10 time of day per day .
If you ’d like more information , labor into the easy steps inour guide to encouraging your Christmas cactus to bloom .
Along with low-cal , moisture , and temperature , a steady provision of nutrients is postulate to stick out overall plant health and full blossoming .
To promote impregnable , healthy plants with an abundant bud set , fertilize your Christmas cactus during the growing time of year of spring and summer , or roughly from the head start of March to mid - September .
Once the days start to lengthen in former give and novel growth is emerging , this is the time to start fertilise your plant .
To contact their nutritional requirements , feast them monthly with a half - forcefulness resolution of a balanced liquid expression such as 10 - 10 - 10 ( NPK ) .
expert at theUniversity of Georgia Extensionprogram also suggest supplementing your plant during the growing time of year with Mg sulfate , aka Epsom salt – but you ’ll want to practice a light-colored feeling .
Mix only one teaspoonful of Epsom salts into one gallon of water and apply monthly .
alternative eating with the Epsom salts and balanced fertilizer so they ’re apply two weeks apart – keep off applying them at the same meter .
Give your plants one last eating of fertilizer at the end of summer to boost a vigorous bud set .
If you favor an easier fertilizing schedule , dull - release pellets with a balanced rule are also good and can be applied in early bound then again in summer solstice for a last bud - set boost .
Espoma Garden Food
Espoma Garden Food 10 - 10 - 10 ( NPK ) is a suitable alternative , and it’savailable from Nature Hills .
Or , for a simple and natural plant food , you could side and top dress your plant with nutrient - richcompostorworm casting – they provide all the macro instruction and micronutrients take for optimum plant life wellness .
depend on the size of your Christmas cactus and the slew it ’s turn in , mildly work in one to two inches of compost or molding in early spring and again in midsummer .
Once the buds appear , withhold feed until winter is over . The works are n’t actively growing at this time and call for a inactive menstruation to rest and re - perk up for another florescence season .
unconstipated fecundation can make a buildup of mineral salts in the grunge and this can cause damage to your plants ’ roots . Leaching the soil can help prevent this .
Leach the soil after your flora has finished bloom by placing the deal in a cesspit or bucket and watering normally , using the same amount of water as you would during the grow season .
To avoid adding more mineral to the admixture , use distilled , filtered , or rain if possible .
Wait five bit to allow the saltiness in the soil to unfreeze , then re - water , once again using the same amount of water as you would in your regular applications .
The second applications programme should make water containing the dismiss salts to run from the bottom of the container , cleansing the soil and reinvigorating your plants . Discard the expelled water .
Along with a regular feeding agenda , the keep abreast tips serve to produce unattackable , vibrant plants with ample flower :
Blooming Beautiful!
For flower beautiful holiday cacti , they demand to be fertilized regularly !
Use a balanced liquid or slow - release recipe to provide all the necessary macro instruction and micronutrients , or habituate a rude fertilizer like compost or louse castings – and fertilise only during the active growing season .
Once blossom stoppage , remember to leach the soil of undissolved mineral salts for strong plants and overall good health .
And formore information about grow holiday cacti , add these guides to your reading material lean next :
Photos by Lorna Kring © take the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product photograph via Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Lorna Kring
