I’ve had a Christmas Cactus for several years and enjoy it very much. However, this year I don’t see any indication that it is going to flower. What should I do? RC

Christmas cacti are a popular holiday gift and are known for their distinct and somewhat unusual looking flowers. There are three different popular variety of these “holiday” cacti: Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii), Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata), and Easter cactus (Schlumbergera gaertneri).

The main difference between Thanksgiving cactus, Christmas cactus, and Easter cactus is bloom time. The Thanksgiving cactus blooms first, then the Christmas cactus, and then the Easter cactus as the names imply.

While these plants are true cacti, they are native to the rain forests. Knowing this, it makes sense that they prefer locations with high humidity and bright filtered light. Even though they prefer humid environments, they need well drained soil since root rot is one of the primary reasons they don’t survive. With proper care, they can live a long time, possibly even up to 100 years. So, if you have a Christmas cactus, there’s a chance you could pass it along to future generations.

Even though these plants can live a long time, they are sometimes a little persnickety about blooming if the conditions are not just right. So, let’s talk about what you can do to encourage your plant to bloom each year.

One thing to remember is that your Christmas cactus enjoys being outside during the summer. If your plant was inside all year rather than outside in the summer heat, that might be a contributing factor as to why you are not seeing blooms.

Christmas cacti are known as “short day plants” meaning that for them to produce flower buds they need the reduced light we experience this time of year. Shorter days and cooler night temperature help the plant know it’s time to produce flower buds. Plants that have been kept indoors all year are less likely to pick up on these natural signals.

Cooler temperatures are key to triggering the plants to bloom and by cooler temps, I mean somewhere between 55 and 65 degrees at night and between 65 and 70 degrees during the day.

If you keep your home warmer than this in the winter (and I’m guessing that most of us do) you should probably place them in the garage at night… assuming your garage doesn’t get too cold. It’s also important they be in total darkness during this nighttime period of about 12 hours. When you bring them in each morning, be sure to place them in a bright, warm spot.

After they begin to experience not only the cooler nighttime temperatures but also the shorter daylight hours, they should bloom in about 5 to 6 weeks.

Good drainage is key to keeping your holiday cacti healthy. While the Christmas cactus is technically a succulent that stores some water in its leaves, this doesn’t mean it is necessarily drought tolerant. Remember it is native to the rain forest. So, keep them in a pot with good drainage and water regularly. Also, be sure to let them dry out between waterings.

Repotting you Christmas cactus about every 3 years is also a good idea. Try not to do this more often as they tend to enjoy being a little root bound.

Proper fertilization is also important to getting flowers. It’s a good idea to fertilize your plants with a good houseplant fertilizer at half-strength monthly from June through August. In the fall when the buds start to form, switch to a low nitrogen fertilizer such as 0-15-10.

If you have nurtured your plant successfully throughout the year and are starting to get some flower buds on your plant, you’re not out of the woods or rain forest yet, so to speak. Drafts or sudden changes in temperature can cause your plant to drop its buds. Bud drop can also be caused by moving your plant to a cooler room after it buds. If your plant has a lot of buds, it may “self-prune” some of the flower buds, but this is not a cause for concern.

Assuming your plant bloomed as expected, those blooms will eventually fall off. After they do, let the plant rest for about 6 weeks and withhold water. After these 6 weeks you can resume watering as usual.

If you happen to have a plant that does well, you might want to consider propagating some baby plants from this adult plant. To do this, cut off a small branch where it joins the main stalk. Then, dip the bottom of your cutting into some water and then into a rooting hormone. Rooting hormone can be purchased at most garden centers. Next, place the cutting in a container filled with potting media and locate it in a bright room with temperatures of between 70 and 80 degrees. These warmer temperatures will promote growth. In about 2 weeks you should have some small roots and can re-plant into a larger pot.

If you follow these guidelines, you should be able to enjoy your plants for years to come. See you in the garden!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: Bodie Pennisi, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org