How to Make Your Christmas Cactus Bloom Every Year? Our Pro Tips!
After showing you how to make a poinsettia bloom again, today, we will pay deserved attention to another essential plant of the end of year holidays: His Majesty the Christmas cactus also known as Schlumbergera whose abundant flowering sublimates your interior from November to February and even March. However, it happens very often that the next flowering does not occur with the arrival of winter. What to do, then? Do not panic, because the editorial team shows you how to make a Christmas cactus bloom again to give it a second life for the holidays to come.
Some useful tips on caring for your Christmas cactus
Most often, cacti are associated with the presence of thorns and the lack of flowers. But there is a variety that blooms abundantly during the winter months to offer us pretty white or pink flowers. The Christmas cactus is a tropical plant that loves natural light, warm air and water. And although it is called a cactus, the Schlumbergera has nothing to do with its desert cousins. Let us explain.
Christmas cacti grow best when kept in a small container for as long as possible before transferring to a slightly larger jar. On the substrate side, the Christmas Schlumbergera prefers rich, organic soil and should not be allowed to dry out. As a rule, watering should be moderate, neither under-watering nor over-watering. In other words, it is recommended to keep the substrate just moist. When the cactus begins to flower, increase its water supply and place it in bright, indirect light. Be aware that direct light can damage the leaves and thus the plant begins to burn.
But what specific precautions should you take to enjoy the spectacular flowers of this festive plant for all the holidays to come? So, let’s see how to make a Christmas cactus bloom again.
How to make a Christmas cactus bloom again? Our professional tips to enjoy it for the next holidays!
The technique for making the Christmas cactus bloom again in the years following its purchase lies in two key factors: light and temperature, two essential elements for the correct maintenance of all plants. So, to stimulate the production of flower buds, it is necessary to keep the Christmas cactus dark for 16 hours a day and in the light for 8 hours a day. All this for a cycle of at least eight days as soon as its flowers fall after the winter.
No matter where your Christmas cactus plant is located, it is important not to turn on the lights at night, even for a short period of time, as this could interrupt its much-needed darkness cycle. As for the room temperature, it should be around 16°C. Another important tip is to not place the plant in a cold or hot draft.
In short, placing the Christmas cactus on the windowsill in a cool room and not turning on the lights is enough to stimulate its future flowering. In addition, it often happens that newly developed flower buds fall off. This is usually due to insufficient or excessive watering or lack of humidity. The good news is that Christmas cacti are considered relatively easy to re-bloom if you follow their temperature and light requirements.
Once the cactus is covered with flower buds at the beginning of their development, do not transport the plant. Any change in exposure, orientation and temperature during transport is enough to promote the fall of the flower buds. Also know that it is useless to repot your Schlumbergera because it prefers to grow cramped. It is sufficient to keep the substrate fresh and fertilize the Christmas cactus from the end of winter until the first flowers form.
Finally, learn about Christmas cactus diseases in order to protect or heal it better, if necessary.
Why have a Schlumbergera indoors?
If you are still hesitating to buy a Christmas cactus, we give you two good reasons to take the plunge. First, decorating with houseplants is the natural way to fight the winter blues! Certainly, a colorful and joyful way to face the grayness of the cold season. And secondly, houseplants act as a natural air purifier.
In short, the Christmas cactus promises to cheer you up by bringing a touch of color and nature into your interior!
