November 22, 2024

How to grow the Christmas cactus or Schlumbergera

This epiphytic plant in nature – which grows on another plant without parasitizing it – is perfect for flower suspensions.

Plant: a technical sheet of the Christmas cactus

Latin name: Schlumbergera truncata
Flowering: winter flowering, 6 to 8 weeks
Exposure: strong light without direct sun
Temperature: 15 to 20 ° C
Watering: 1 time per week
Use: Indoor plant, suspension 
Soil:  light, enriched with coarse sand or soil for cacti Succulent plant /  Cactaceae

Where to place the Christmas cactus to have a good flowering?

The good location of the Schlumbergera

The Christmas cactus is a houseplant for which the ideal location is not easy to find. It does not tolerate temperatures above 20 ° C and below 10 ° C very poorly, and it must be avoided drafts and passage areas. When you’ve found the spot, don’t touch it anymore, as it hates being moved once it starts flowering. On the other hand, it is an easy plant if it finds its place.

The schlumbergera will thrive outside, in summer, in a shady location and well sheltered from the wind.

The Easter cactus

Easter cacti, species and hybrids of the genus  Hatiora , are other epiphytic cacti with the same cultivation requirements as the Christmas cactus. They bloom in spring in shades of pink, orange or purple. Keep them cool (15 ° C) in winter to stimulate their flowering.

When and how to water the Christmas cactus?

One watering per week is sufficient for the Schlumbergera. It must be regular but avoid excess water at all costs. Unlike other cacti, the Christmas cactus appreciates a humid atmosphere, do not hesitate to spray its foliage.

When and with what fertilizer to fertilize Schlumbergera

Optional during flowering, a flower plant type fertilizer can be useful between April and September.

How to bloom again and maintain a Christmas cactus?

Repotting Schlumbergera

After the first bloom, if this Schlumbergera seems very cramped in its pot (when the roots are visible around the potting soil), repot the Christmas cactus in a mixture of potting soil, river sand, and garden soil.

In summer, take the plant out in a shady place, in a tree for example, where it would regain its natural epiphytic position.

Winterizing the Christmas cactus

Bring in the Christmas cactus before the first cold.
To trigger flowering, install your houseplant for two months in a bright and cool room (around 15 ° C), unlit at night so that it enjoys darkness as long as in nature. Almost do not water.
When the first flower buds appear, return the Schlumbergera to the same conditions as those in which it flowered the previous year. You will keep it that way for fifty years!

Why do the buds of the Christmas cactus fall off?

The Christmas cactus blooms again every year, provided it is left to rest for two months before flowering, in a place where it enjoys long nights without lighting.
Suddenly falling flower buds can be the result of moving the pot or changing exposure during the Schlumbergera flowering period.

When and how to cut Schlumbergera

The Christmas cactus is cut at any time of the year, except during flowering.

  • Cut 2 to 4 segments from the ends of the stems.
  • For healing, let dry for a few hours.
  • Prick the cuttings in the same mixture as for repotting.

The flowers appearing on the stems of the previous year, it is not advisable to take too much.