How to water a christmas cactus
Christmas Cactus Versus Thanksgiving Cactus: Differences Between Holiday Cactuses
Did you know that there are Easter, Thanksgiving, AND Christmas cacti? How can you tell the difference between these holiday cactuses? Look at when the flowers bloom, the way the flower blooms, and the shape of the stems and leaves. See photos and learn more.
Holiday cacti such as the Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving cactus, and Easter cactus are hybrids of Brazilian forest cacti. The holiday designations reflect when the different cacti bloom in North America!
Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti are members of the genus Schlumbergera, while the Easter cactus is in the genus Rhipsalidopsis, which grows in drier forests.
Christmas Cactus
Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) is the long-lived plant our grandmothers grew. I have a plant that came from one my mother-in-law grew from a cutting she received over 70 years ago! They are the ultimate pass-along plant since they are so easy to root. Just pinch off a “Y” shaped piece from one of the branches and stick it in a pot of sterile soil or vermiculite. It will root in no time.
Thanksgiving Cactus
Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) typically blooms between mid-November and late December, sometimes through January. Its leaf segments are square shaped with pointed hooks on one end and along the sides like pincers, giving rise to its common name “crab cactus.” It is native to Brazil, where its 2 to 3 inch long, satiny flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds.
Photo: Thanksgiving Cactus growing in garden center. Notice how the flowers grow outwards.Easter Cactus
If you find that your holiday cactus has spring flowers, it may very well be an Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) blooms in late winter and spring, often from March until May.
Also called a “Spring Cactus,” the Easter Cactus has flaring, trumpet-shaped flowers with pointy petals which are usually pink, but can also come in red, orange, and other cherry colors.
Their star-shaped petals open at sunrise and close at sunset and last for several weeks. They bear flat succulent leaf segments.
More Ways to Tell a Christmas Cactus from a Thanksgiving Cactus
Many of the plants available for sale are hybrid crosses of Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) that come in a rainbow of exotic colors including orange, purple, yellow, red, pink, white, and two-tones.
Look at their bloom color and the way the flower blooms:
- The Christmas cactus has hanging flowers in shades of magenta and blooms, of course, near Christmas. The range of flowering is late November through early February.
- The Thanksgiving cactus has flowers that face outwards and the plant comes in a wide range of colors. This plant blooms nearer to Thanksgiving than the Christmas cactus. It can start flowering in very late October or in November.
They also have different stems:
- The true Christmas cactus has a flattened stem segments with smooth, scalloped edges.
- The Thanksgiving cactus has a very toothy stem with two to four pointed teeth.
- While the Christmas cactus stems hang down like a pendent, the Thanksgiving cactus has stems that grow upright at first and then arch.
Most nurseries and stores actually sell the Thanksgiving cactus (not Christmas cactus) because it blooms around American Thanksgiving. Additionally, the Christmas cactus is more difficult to ship as the stems are more fragile and often break.
Photos and graphic by Caroline ShottonCaring For Your Holiday Cactus
The holiday cactus is not your typical cactus. We are all familiar with the desert cactus but the holiday plant is a forest cactus—an epiphyte that lives in decomposing leaf litter found in the forks and on the branches of trees in tropical rain forests of South America.
- The conditions in our houses are nothing like their native rainforest homes, but still they do fine in normal household temperatures of 65° to 70°F, with a drop at night to 55° to 60°F.
They will need protection when temperatures drop below 40°F. - They like their forest floor, so give these cacti acidic, well-draining soils. Use a cactus mix and add perlite, vermiculite, and orchid bark.
- They like bright light but not direct sun; an east or west window is perfect. If the leaves turn yellow it means they are getting too much light. If put outdoors in the warmer months, keep them under a shade tree or patio. Not in full sun.
- Let the plants dry out between waterings by watering them when the top 2 inches of the soil feels dry. Do not over water; this is the number one reason for their demise in our homes. Neglect is better than over watering! You could get a hydrometer to help you know when to water. Don’t let them sit in water because if they get too waterlogged they will rot!
- Misting the plants frequently helps increase humidity.
- Optional: Fertilize them with an all-purpose fertilizer such as a Miracle Grow Tomato water-soluble fertilizer (1 tablespoon to a gallon of non-chlorinated water).
Feed 2 times a month while the plant is actively growing (usually spring and summer).
How to Keep Holiday Cactus Blooming
The keys to getting your holiday cactus to blossom are short days and cool nights. They need 13 hours of darkness and nights at 50° to 55°F for at least 1 to 2 months before they will set buds. I put some of my plants outside all summer and wait until the nights start to drop below 50°F before bringing them in for the fall and winter. They usually bud right up and start to bloom after that. The plants that grow in my kitchen get no special treatment and they blossom just as well. Go figure!
The plants flower best when slightly potbound so only repot them if they are really crowded. Unlike many holiday plants, they are non-toxic to cats and dogs, so don’t be afraid to bring one home for the holidays!
Read more about plant care tips on our Christmas Cactus Growing Guide.
5 Favorite Christmas Plants (+ How to Care for Them)
The most popular Christmas plants—such as poinsettia, Christmas cactus, and amaryllis—add festive cheer to any home.
Let’s talk about how to care for these favorite holiday plants to keep them blooming and looking their best through the holidays!
When you display your Christmas plants, make sure they’re placed away from drafts and positioned in a bright room, but not in direct sunlight.
All of these Christmas plants prefer 60° to 70°F (16° to 21°C) temperatures and like moist but not soggy soil. As with many of us, these colorful plants will look forward to next year’s holiday season!
1. The Poinsettia
No plant symbolizes Christmastime quite like the poinsettia, especially the ruby-red variety. It might surprise you to learn that the red blooms are not the flowers; they are bracts or modified leaves! It’s an unlikely Christmas plant, since it’s native to Mexico, but it flowers during their winter and has become associated with the winter holidays.
We’re going to blunt here: As poinsettias are tropical plants grown in greenhouses, they may not be easy to get to rebloom.
But let’s start by taking care of this holiday gift so it looks its best and, if we’re lucky, we’ll encourage it to rebloom, too! If need be, mark these steps on your calendar:
- Through March, just water your poinsettia as usual.
- In early April, decrease watering. The soil needs to get very dry between waterings, however, don’t let the stem shrivel up!
- In late April (two weeks later), move your poinsettia to an area with no sunlight for about 12 to 15 hours every night and keep the plant at 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In May, cut back the stems to about four inches. Then, repot the plant in fresh potting soil (not regular soil). Move back into a well-lit window again and start watering. At this time, start fertilizing at two-week intervals.
- When nighttime temperatures no longer fall below 50°F (10°C), move the pot outside into a partially shaded location. Keep watering and fertilizing.
- Starting in July, pinch back each stem about an inch to keep the plant bushy and compact.
Continue pinching new stems, leaving three to four leaves on each branch. - In mid-August, it’s time to move the plant back inside, to a well-lit window. Keep watering and fertilizing.
- Starting in early October, to initiate flowering, the poinsettia needs long nights in complete darkness. Cover the plant with a cardboard box or keep it in a closet from about 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. and water sparingly. During the day, bring it back out to the window.
- In early December, when buds form, stop the dark treatment.
- In mid-December, stop fertilizing. Your plant should be blooming again! If not, don’t give up hope. You still have a nice houseplant. It may bloom next year.
2. The Christmas Cactus
The Christmas cactus has become the recent favorite of the Christmas plants. It’s a succulent houseplant with petals that bloom in a kaleidoscope of colors including red, white, pink, cream, and fuchsia.
Why are Christmas cacti becoming so popular? Long-lived, they may produce bountiful blooms for 20 to 30 Christmases to come!
You can force a Christmas cactus into bloom in much the same way as a poinsettia (see above), by providing long nights starting around October 1.
You can also persuade it to flower by subjecting it to cool night temperatures of 50° to 55°F (10° to 13°C) starting in early November.
Be sure your efforts are not in vain, though: Your Christmas cactus could be a different holiday cactus, accustomed to blooming at another time of year.
→ Get more tips on caring for Christmas cacti.
3. The Amaryllis
Although amaryllis can be purchased at any stage of development, for many, the real fun is growing their own plant from a bulb. Most amaryllis bulbs are sold already potted and with complete growing instructions. Once watering is started, you can expect magnificent, lilylike blooms of red, pink, white, or orange in four to six weeks.
If you receive one of these slender beauties this season, don’t toss the pot once the flowering ends. After flowering, grow the amaryllis as a foliage plant until the leaves turn yellow.
Then store the potted bulb on its side in a cool, dark room or basement to rest for eight to ten weeks.
When new growth appears, repot the bulb and return it to the light to start the cycle again to put on another show!
→ Get more tips on caring for amaryllis.
4. The Cyclamen
There’s one more Christmas favorite that’s been popping up in stores recently—the cyclamen plant! With upswept petals and pretty foilage, the cyclamen comes in cheerful red as well as white and pink. These plants like bright, indirect light and need to have their soil kept moist (but not soaked). If kept too warm, they will go dormant, meaning that they’ll stop blooming and drop foliage.
→ Learn more about caring for cyclamens.
5. The Christmas Tree
And of course, there’s the Christmas tree! There’s something special about a fresh-smelling tree. Just make sure you buy from a sustainable Christmas tree farm that replants their trees just like any other crop. The best-selling evergreens come Christmas time include Balsam, Douglas and Fraser firs. And don’t forget to recycle that Christmas tree when the holidays are over.
how often should this be done in winter, during the flowering of Christmas and at other times of the year, and what should be fertilized? This fact must be taken into account in its content.
Decembrist has the ability to accumulate moisture in his tissues, which he can use in drought conditions. Therefore, the lack of water in the soil of the Schlumberger tolerates more easily than excess. nine0007
In addition, when the soil dries out, the zygocactus can form additional aerial roots and with their help absorb moisture from the air. Do not water the Decembrist with a certain frequency.
The need for wetting is recommended to determine the condition of the soil. The drying rate of the soil depends on the temperature and humidity of the air. The signal for watering is the drying of the top layer of the substrate in the pot by three to four centimeters.
Excessively damp soil does not pass air well (read about what should be in the composition of the soil for the Decembrist and how to prepare it yourself).
Rozhdestvennik should be watered moderately so as not to provoke rotting of the root neck and death of the plant. nine0005 Settled water at room temperature is suitable for moistening the soil .
How often should I water my home?
In winter and early spring, during flowering
Schlumbergera blooms in winter and early spring. During this period, the zygocactus needs a lot of moisture, so the soil in the flowerpot dries up much more often than usual. It is necessary to continue to water the Christmas tree after the top layer of the earth has dried. At the same time, it is important to monitor the air temperature. A favorable temperature is +22°C. nine0007
If the indicators are high enough, it is not worth limiting watering: in such conditions, water is not only consumed by the plant, but also actively evaporates. At low temperatures, it is impossible to strongly moisten the soil in order to avoid its waterlogging and rotting of the root system of the plant.
In conditions of moderate air temperature, Schlumberger should be watered approximately every three to five days. Do not water the plant at night . During flowering, it is recommended to stop spraying. This will prevent the buds from fading in the sun. nine0007
During dormancy
Decembrists need less water after flowering. Watering needs to be slightly reduced in volume and carried out less frequently. It is recommended to spray the plant, having previously covered the surface of the soil with a film to protect the roots from water.
In the heat of summer, water more often, but in small portions. If the air in the room is very dry, the lack of moisture can be compensated by daily spraying of the Christmas tree with settled water, or by placing a container with the plant on a pallet with moistened expanded clay, moss or peat. nine0007
Autumn for a Decembrist is a time of rest. From mid-September, you need to gradually reduce watering to a minimum.
It is permissible to do with one spraying.
Remove top dressing completely. Keep Schlumbergera at an air temperature of +10 to +12°C . The state of dormancy lasts until mid-November. Closer to December, the Schlumberger must be moved to a warm room. Too hot or cold air prevents the formation of buds. The optimum temperature during this period is not higher than +21°C during the day, from +7 to +15°C at night. It is required to gradually make watering more frequent and resume top dressing. nine0007
What can be added to the water to make the Christmas tree bloom well?
In order for the Christmas tree to regularly delight with long-term lush flowering, it is important to provide the plant with nutrients. From May to September, it is necessary to organize the feeding of the Decembrist, combining fertilization with irrigation. Such activities should be carried out once a month. You can use organic fertilizers or ready-made mixtures for flowers "Kemira", "Buton" and others.
Special fertilizers for cacti are best suited. Such compositions contain little nitrogen. An excess of this substance negatively affects the roots of the Decembrist. To prepare the solution, you need to take half the portion recommended on the package of the drug. In summer, the frequency of top dressing should be increased to twice a month, and from the beginning of August - gradually reduced. There is no need to fertilize in autumn. nine0007
During the flowering period, the Decembrist needs a lot of nutrients . So that the buds do not fall off, you should feed the plant. For this purpose, the following are used:
- fertilizer for flowering cacti;
- phosphorus and potassium supplements.
Phosphorus fertilizers stimulate the formation of a large number of healthy buds. Potassium - strengthen the plant. A fed Decembrist will not begin to wither after the end of the flowering stage and will successfully continue its growth.
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The main thing is not to use fertilizers containing nitrogen. This component causes the appearance of new shoots and leaves, inhibiting the formation of buds.
What threatens the wrong watering?
The root system of the Decembrist is very susceptible to the external environment and, if properly maintained, begins to rot. Improper watering results in the following care errors :
- cold water irrigation;
- abundant soil moisture at low temperatures; nine0056
- application of a solution with a high concentration of fertilizers.
Read more about the rules for caring for the Decembrist at home here, and from this article you will learn whether it is possible to cut the Schlumberger and how to do it.
In these cases, the leaves of the plant become lethargic, the Schlumbergera loses its green segments and buds and may die. It is urgent to transplant the flower into fresh soil and into a disinfected old or new pot:
- Remove the Decembrist from the flowerpot.
nine0056 - Remove old soil from roots.
- Rinse them under running warm water.
- Inspect the root system, remove rotted areas.
- Treat the sections with powdered charcoal.
- Place the plant in a new substrate.
You can find out how to properly transplant a Decembrist at home here.
In the first weeks after the procedure, the Christmas tree should not be watered . It is necessary to carry out spraying every day and maintain the air temperature at a level of +20 to +24 ° C. Wrinkled leaves speak not only of waterlogging the soil, but also of excessive drying. A prolonged drought adversely affects the state of the Decembrist. nine0007
It is necessary to adjust the watering regime, and the leaves will quickly acquire a healthy look.
Schlumbergera is extremely difficult to tolerate waterlogging of the substrate. If emergency rescue measures are not taken, the plant may die. Therefore, it is better not to make mistakes when watering and feeding.
Under favorable conditions, the Decembrist will radiate health and delight with abundant flowering in a timely manner.
How to water the Decembrist at home at different times of the year
Decembrist or Schlumbergera is an epiphytic cactus that delights with bright colors in winter. The people call it zygokatus, a Christmas tree, since flowering occurs just at Christmas. The plant is unpretentious in care, but the root system is quite delicate. Therefore, it is important to know how to water the Decembrist, since the moistening scheme depends on the time of year, the growth period, and the temperature of the room in which the flower is located. nine0007
General information about the moisture needs of Schlumbergera
Cactus, you need to know how to water the Decembrist at home . A feature of the culture is the possibility of accumulation of moisture by foliage - the segments are thick, fleshy. Therefore, in hot weather, the plant uses strategic reserves. Note! In hot conditions, additional roots form between the segments, which absorb moisture from the air. Zygocactus has no frequency of watering. As soon as the soil dries out, the flower must be watered. An earthen lump dries out faster in a warm room. To understand that the time has come to water, you need to put your finger inside the pot and see how many centimeters the soil has dried out. When drying by 3-4 cm, moisturizing is simply necessary. nine0007 Watering should be moderate so as not to lead to rotting of the root system, which will lead to the death of plants. It is necessary to water with settled water at room temperature. Schlumbergera watering depends on the season, flowering, dormancy. It is important not to violate the recommendations for its implementation. If, after excessive drying of the earthy coma, waterlogging occurs, rot will most likely develop. Attention! During flowering, do not spray Christmas tree, as the flowers will fade, the petals will stick together and lose their decorative effect. After the flowers fall off, the Decembrist needs less watering than during flowering. The volume of water is reduced. Now you can spray the plant to increase humidity. In autumn, Schlumbergera must rest, gain strength for flowering. Watering is reduced from the 2nd decade of September, provided that the flower is in a cool room. You can spray at this time. nine0007 https://udobreniya.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/kakpolivatdekabrist-2 The rest period is short, only until mid-November at a temperature of +10-12°C. In early December, the zygocactus is transferred to a warm room. If the air is hot, there will be no flowering. Each time you will have to increase watering, fertilize. In the spring, the Decembrist begins active growth. Deficiency of nutrients leads to stunting, the flower develops poorly. In autumn, before flowering, Schlumbergera is fed with fertilizers containing phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. In a special store you can buy universal mixtures for succulents. For abundant flowering, you need to buy one of the dressings: Gumi-Omi, Fertika, Florizel, Joy. In the spring, with the start of the growing season, when the flower begins to grow green mass, it needs top dressing with a high nitrogen content, and a lower content of potassium and phosphorus. nine0007 https://sadovnikam.ru/assets/i/ai/4/4/7/i/3039544 Sometimes it is justified to use folk recipes and prepare food for the crop yourself: Using the listed solutions, control the condition of your Decembrist. If the plant reacts negatively to the introduction of such compounds, it is better to return to ready-made products from trusted manufacturers. Sensitive roots can be affected by rot if watering rules are not followed. Many gardeners make mistakes when caring for Schlumbergera: Incorrect care affects the fleshy foliage of the Christmas tree - it loses its saturation, becomes lethargic. The buds fall from the plant without blooming. As a result, the culture may die. https://www.neizvestniy-geniy.ru/images/works/photo/2016/03/1577186_1 Systematic violation of watering rules can negatively affect the state of the Decembrist: 
The Decembrist tolerates light drought more easily than overflow. nine0007
How often to water at home 
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During dormancy
What to add to the water to make the Christmas tree bloom well 
In March, you need to start organizing top dressing. The soil loses useful substances over time, therefore, from the beginning of spring, fertilizers are applied monthly after watering the Decembrist. nine0007
For abundant flowering, you can prepare a nutrient solution using boric acid. To do this, take 1 liter of warm water and dissolve 1 g of acid in it. Such a solution is suitable for foliar processing. When carrying out the procedure, you need to try not to get into the soil. Processing is carried out after the formation of buds. nine0056 
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What threatens improper watering
Signs of improper watering
