Relentless Gardener: Care of Christmas Cactus

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Love those Christmas Cacti? Want to keep them around for a long time? Here’s how.

Let’s start with the origin of the Christmas Cactus. In Latin America, the Christmas Cactus grows in the rainforests of the Amazon and is widely found in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This means that these cacti are succulents and tropical plants that thrive in high humidity and prefer an understory or filtered light environment. They are part of the cactus family and are listed under Epiphylanthus and Zygocactus. Over time, they earned the name Christmas cactus because they bloom during the Christmas season.

Because they grow as epiphytes under filtered light in the jungle, Christmas cacti do well in indirect light. If exposed to full sun, they will burn. As an epiphyte, the plant attaches itself to the tree trunk without being parasitic and derives its nutrients and water from air and rain.

They can grow outdoors in the summer if placed in a cool, shaded area. These plants should be kept moist when producing buds and flowering. They thrive in slightly acidic soil. They need fertilization during the growing season from April through October. Using a 10-10-10 fertilizer every two weeks is beneficial. However, after flowering is finished, they require a dormant period of about a month with no water and no fertilizer.

According to the Cactus and Succulent Society of New Mexico, the following potting medium is recommended for Christmas cacti: two parts peat moss, one part packaged potting soil, and one part sharp sand or perlite.

Unlike other indoor plants that bloom seasonally, such as Poinsettias, their temperature requirements are slightly different. They prefer a 70-degree daytime temperature or higher with a nighttime temperature of 50 to 65 degrees F.

The Christmas cacti and Easter cacti are often confused. With Christmas cactus, the stem joints are claw-like, while the Easter cactus bears 1 ½ inch blossoms at the stem joints and stem ends and is starlike. The Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera truncate, has flowers in the 3-inch range bearing long hooded tubular pink, reddish, white, or multicolored flowers.

These plants are easily propagated. Their stems are flattened and jointed. Each segment is determined in length by the joints. Separating the segments at the joints and letting the segments dry out a little, then dipping them in rooting hormone, you can start another plant. Another option is to take several segments that are attached and follow the same procedure as aforementioned.

Good cultural care will keep your plants free of disease and insects. Basal stem rot occurs at the base of a stem and can be avoided by not overwatering. Mealy bugs and mites can be problems. Washing the plant in soapy water can help control the growth of these pests. Don’t forget to use a soapy water rinse, especially when you are taking the plant inside for the winter. Mealy bugs are attracted to new succulent growth. They like scale insects that suck sap out of the stems. Spider mites will do the same. Systemic insecticides are helpful as preventatives.

What if your Christmas cactus does not bloom? As with Poinsettias, Christmas cacti need more than 12 hours of darkness every day. The shorter day length starting in September and October should allow the cactus to set flower buds. When they set flower buds, these cacti will bloom through the winter months.