Since we’ve been on kind of a Christmas horticultural theme lately, what about Christmas Cacti? While a Christmas cactus is a popular holiday gift, there are actually a variety of holiday cacti to choose from: Thanksgiving cactus, Christmas cactus, and Easter cactus. The primary difference between these plants is their bloom time.

While we typically think of cactus as living in dry, barren climates, these holiday cacti are native to rain forests, which tells us that they like warm, humid environments. One thing you might not know is that a holiday cactus is a pretty good deal for the money since they are a plant that can live up to 100 years!

A Christmas cactus is what we call a “short day plant” which means that it is the reduced number of daylight hours that tell the plants that it’s time to bloom. From this, we can conclude that an indoor Christmas cactus might get a little confused with indoor light. So, for best results place them in an indoor location that receives a lot of natural light. It also wouldn’t hurt to let them spend their summers outside.   

Blooming time is also determined by temperature, so if you are someone who likes to keep your home warm, you should consider moving your Christmas cactus out to the garage for a few weeks to encourage blooming. Also, blooming will be encouraged with about 12 hours a day of complete darkness. Again, if you leave grow lights on for your indoor plants, you might want to move your Christmas cactus to a location where they can get those 12 hours of darkness. While all of this might make them sound a little needy, they are really pretty self-sufficient.

If you have met all their light and temperature needs, you should start to see buds and then flowers on your plant at the appropriate time. However, drafts or sudden changes in temperature can cause the cactus to drop its buds. Also, with a high quantity of buds, the plant may self-prune a little bit. This isn’t anything to worry about.

While they are a tropical plant, they do prefer well-drained soil. Just let it dry out between waterings for a healthy, happy plant. You will also want to re-pot them every three years of so to keep them from getting cramped in a container that is too small. A little half-strength fertilizer from June to August isn’t a bad idea either.

Once the plant’s blooms fall off, let the plant rest for about 6 weeks and do not water them during this period of time. Afterwards, you can go back to your normal watering schedule.

Another cool thing about Christmas cacti is that you can share. All you need to do is prune off a small branch at the point where it connects to the branch, dip it in water, and then dip it in rooting hormone (this is available at most garden centers). Then drop it in a pot filled with a good, quality potting medium. Place the pot in a location that gets good natural light or under a grow light. In about two weeks, it should be sending out some roots. Once established, you can give your Christmas cactus offspring to someone knowing that with care, it will probably outlive you both. That’s a gift that keeps on giving. Good luck.

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: Pixabay