How to Take Care of a Christmas Cactus
If you want to bring a little piece of the holiday inside with a houseplant, you’ll love the low-maintenance Christmas cactus.
Christmas cacti are one of our favourite indoor plants for the holidays. It’s a popular winter-flowering houseplant that brightens up any indoor living space. The tubular flowers blossom in shades of pink, lilac, coral and white.
Unlike other cacti, they do not grow in dry, hot environments such as deserts. They grow in the tropical rainforests of Brazil; they love high humidity, dappled sunlight, and warm temperatures.
With proper care, Christmas cacti may even surprise you with additional blooming cycles during the year.
Get The Right Container
When potting your Christmas cacti, ensure you use a pot with drainage holes. It will prevent the soil from getting too wet. Choose a potting mix that is formulated for succulents and has good drainage.
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Sunlight
They should be placed in an area with bright, indirect light. Too much sunlight can burn the foliage. A daytime temperature of 70°F (21°C) and an evening temperature of 60-65°F (15-18°C) is ideal. A kitchen or bathroom may be a good spot for your plant because of the extra humidity.
In the summer, Christmas cacti can be placed in a shady spot in the garden or an unheated porch until temperatures get below 10°C. Keep them out of direct outdoor sunlight.
Watering Tips For Christmas Cacti
Water Christmas cacti every two to three weeks - but only when the top one-third of soil feels dry to the touch. When the soil is dry, soak until the water drains through the holes. Discard any excess water that collects in the tray.
You can fertilize every two weeks with a balanced houseplant fertilizer.
Tips For Flowering
If you notice your plant is not flowering, it could be because it is receiving too much, or not enough, sunlight.
To trigger blooming, you will need to keep it in darkness for at least 14 hours and sunlight for eight to ten hours for at least six weeks. Flower buds will perform the best when the plant is kept between 10-15°C.
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