Pots for christmas cactus
Houseplant Repotting: Christmas Cactus - Joy Us Garden
This is all about Christmas Cactus repotting including how and when to do it, the best soil mix to use, and things good to know.
Christmas Cactus, although lovely when blooming, are not only for the holiday season. They’re attractive, long-lasting succulent houseplants. The potting mix mine was planted in was pulling away from the sides of the grow pot and that old soil was in need of replenishing.
First, let’s get a bit technical for those who geek out on all things plant, like me. The Christmas Cacti that you see here and in the video are actually Thanksgiving Cacti (aka Crab Cactus, False Christmas Cactus). They were labeled as CC when I bought them and that’s how they’re commonly sold in the trade.
Nowadays you may see them labeled as Holiday Cactus. Regardless of which one you have, you repot these epiphytic cacti in the same manner.
Note: This post was published on 5/8/2019. It was updated on 11/19/2022 with more information and tips.
Table of Contents
Christmas Cactus RepottingWhat’s the difference between Christmas Cactus and Thanksgiving Cactus?
Both the Thanksgiving Cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) and the Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) fall under the genus Schlumbergera which I learned as Schlumbergia years ago.
The Thanksgiving Cactus has little spine-like notches coming off its leaves (just like a crab claw, hence the common name) whereas the leaves of the Christmas Cactus are smoother and thinner.
The Thanksgiving Cactus (aka Crab Cactus or False Christmas Cactus) is timed to flower in November/December whereas it’s December/January for the Christmas Cactus.
Easter Cactus rounds out the Holiday Cacti trio and gets repotted in the same way except at a different time. You want to repot after it’s finished blooming in mid to late spring.
More helpful Christmas Cactus guides: How to Grow Christmas Cactus, Christmas Cactus Care FAQs, How To Propagate Christmas Cactus, How To Get Your Christmas Cactus To Flower Again, What Causes Christmas Cactus Leaves To Turn Orange?, Does A Christmas Cactus Flower More Than Once A Year?
I planted these 2 Thanksgiving Cacti into the same pot.
The 1 in the bigger pot on the left got “pruned” by the pack rats so only 1/3 of it remained. I decided to add the 1 on the right to fill out the new pot. Besides, Bach’s Cactus Nursery was having a sale on them so how could I say no?!Here’s a closer look so you can see the nubs. My Christmas (Thanksgiving) Cactus grows outdoors year-round on my side patio & the pack rats devoured it one night in Jan.
When to Repot Christmas Cactus
Soon after your Christmas Cactus blooms is the best time. Mine stopped blooming at the end of December. I did the repotting in early spring (the end of March) when the weather warmed here in Tucson.
They start to set their flower buds in late September or early October so you want to transplant yours by end of July / early August at the latest. This way the plant is settled in before the flowering process starts.
Interested in more info on repotting? Here’s a general Guide to Repotting Plants geared for beginning gardeners which you’ll find helpful.
Christmas Cactus plants don’t have extensive root systems. They bloom best when slightly potbound and like to grow a bit snug in their pots.
Pot For Christmas CactusIn terms of pot size, I go up one. You want to make sure the new container has at least 1 drainage hole so the water can freely flow out.
Mine was in a 6″ grow pot and I repotted it into an 8″ pot.
I’ve seen older Christmas Cacti planted in relatively shallow containers and they were doing just fine.
I used a plastic grow pot that I placed inside a decorative ceramic container for this project. A Christmas Cactus looks and grows great in an unglazed terra cotta or clay pot.
My Thanksgiving Cactus in bloom in late November before the pack rats had their feast.Best Soil for Christmas CactusThese succulents are epiphytic cacti and differ from the desert cacti that I’m surrounded by here in Tucson.
In their natural rainforest habits, Christmas Cacti grow on other plants and rocks; not in the soil.
They’re sheltered by the canopies of trees and shrubs and thrive when protected from full, direct sun. Their nourishment comes from organic matter leaf matter and debris falling from the plants growing above them.
This means they like a very porous and well-aerated mix that also has a lot of richness to it, just like their fellow epiphytes Bromeliads and Orchids.
I like to use the blend below because it’s rich yet drains well. These are ingredients I always have on hand because my collection of plants is always growing. You’ll find some alternative mixes listed with just two ingredients a few paragraphs down.
The mix I originally used (in 2019):
1/3 potting soil. I’m partial to Ocean Forest & Happy Frog because of their high-quality ingredients. They’re soilless mixes & are enriched with lots of good stuff. Sometimes I use just one, & sometimes I use a mix of both.
1/3 coco coir chips & coco peat.
A couple of handfuls of compost. I buy mine made locally here in Tucson.
A couple of handfuls of worm castings. This is another popular brand.
You can read how I feed my houseplants with worm castings and compost here: How I Feed My Houseplants Naturally With Worm Compost & Compost.
A couple of handfuls of charcoal. Charcoal improves drainage and absorbs impurities and odors. Pumice or perlite also up the ante on the drainage factor and help to prevent root rot.
Charcoal is optional, like the composts, but I always have them on hand and use them on a regular basis.
The mix I use now: As I’m updating this post 3 years later, I now make my own DIY Succulent & Cactus Mix . I use it as an ingredient for Christmas Cactus mix because it has coco chips and coco peat in it.
The mix is 1/3 potting soil, 1/3 DIY succulent & cactus mix & 1/3 coco chips plus a couple of handfuls of compost and worm castings.
A wonderful blend for Christmas Cactus!
Christmas Cactus mix alternatives using one or two ingredients:
1/2 potting soil & 1/2 orchid bark or
All cymbidium orchid mix or
1/2 succulent & cactus mix & 1/2 cymbidium orchid mix or
1/2 potting soil & 1/2 coco coir chips.
Christmas Cactus Repotting Video Guide
Steps to Christmas Cactus RepottingMy Christmas Cactus got severely pruned by the pack rats so I combined it with a new 4″ plant as well as a cutting. So, my process was a bit more detailed than yours will most likely be.
You can watch the video to see how I did it.
I’ll simplify the process here:
Water the Christmas Cactus about 5 days before repotting.
Gather your materials.
Remove the plant by squeezing the pot and/or cutting around the sides with a dull knife. I loosen the root ball a bit with gentle massaging if it’s tight.
Place the desired fresh soil mix in the bottom of the pot so that the root ball is even or slightly above the top.
Fill in around the sides with the mix adding in the compost if you have it.
When planting a Christmas Cactus, I top it off with cactus and succulent mix, and a thin layer of compost and worm castings.
After a few weeks, mine had settled in just fine. The older plant is starting to plump back up & both plants feel firmly rooted.Care After RepottingYou can put your plant back in the location it was growing in. Hopefully, that’s a spot where it gets bright light with no direct sun. I moved mine to the covered side patio (on a plant stand out of pack rat reach!) where it receives indirect sunlight.
I let it settle in for a few days and then gave it a couple of thorough waterings to make sure the mix was moist.
It’s warm here in Tucson now (80s into 90s) so I’m watering mine every about every 7 days.
Depending on your environment, pot size, and soil mix composition, you may need to water yours every 10-14 days. I water a newly repotted plant a bit more often while it’s settling in.
These cacti are epiphytic plants and differ from the desert plants that I’m surrounded by here. In their natural rainforest habits, A Christmas Cactus grows on other plants and rocks; not in soil. Their root system needs to breathe.
Give yours a good drink of water and let it all thoroughly drain out of the pot. You want the potting mix to go almost dry before watering again. This is where a well-draining soil mix comes into play.
You don’t want to keep the roots constantly moist or they’ll eventually rot out.
How often should you water your Christmas Cactus?How often you water depends on your temps, the exposure, the soil composition, and the pot size.
In a nutshell, you want to water yours when the soil mix is just about dry.
When mine is blooming, I water it a bit more often.
When I lived in Santa Barbara, I watered my Christmas Cactus growing outdoors every week (yes, they do grow outdoors year-round in temperate climates) in the warmer weather. In the winter, sometimes not at all, depending on if we had rain or not.
Indoors I watered every 2-4 weeks in the cooler months. Here in Tucson, I water more often because of the amount of sun we get and the low humidity factor.
These Houseplant Watering & Indoor Plant Care in Winter guides will give you more info.
How often should you repot Christmas Cactus?I’ll repot mine in 4-6 years depending on how it’s doing. Remember, they like to grow slightly tight in their pots so only go up 1 pot size.
It may not need a bigger pot at the 4-6-year mark, but it’ll appreciate the fresh potting mix.
There’s lots of new growth appearing on the older plant as well as the new plant (below)There’s even new growth appearing on the nubs.
Christmas Cactus repotting (Thanksgiving Cactus, Holiday Cactus) is easy to do. I’m sure yours will appreciate some fresh new soil mix. Mine put out so much new growth just a few weeks after its repotting. A welcome sight!
Here are some of our houseplant guides you may find helpful: Guide To Watering Indoor Plants, Beginner’s Guide To Repotting Plants, 3 Ways To Successfully Fertilize Indoor Plants, How to Clean Houseplants, Winter Houseplant Care Guide, How to Increase Humidity for Houseplants.
Happy gardening,
What are the Best Pots for Christmas Cactus?
Unlike most other members of the Cactus family, Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera truncate) didn’t evolve in a dry, desert environment.
Instead, it has its roots as an under-story plant on the floor of tropical rain forests, and it’s important to keep this in mind when cultivating it as a houseplant.
There are several best practice guidelines for helping Christmas Cactus to look and perform its best, and one of the most important is choosing the right pot.
Here’s what you need to know about choosing the best possible pot for your Christmas Cactus.
Un-glazed Ceramic Pots
Although it’s tempting to show off your Christmas Cactus by placing it in a beautifully glazed ceramic pot, this is actually not recommended. The roots of Christmas Cactus plants source oxygen from the surrounding air, and this can’t happen in glazed pots because they aren’t porous.
Fortunately, there are many attractive unglazed options, and many people find that their rustic appearance is better suited for cactus plants over their glazed counterparts anyway.
Choose a Pot With Good Drainage
Christmas Cactus doesn’t perform well if its roots are allowed to become waterlogged, so be sure to choose a pot with at least one drainage hole, and be sure to place a tray underneath the pot to capture any water that runs out when you water it.
Only water your Christmas Cactus when the top one-third of the soil is dry to the touch.
Add water until it reaches the rim of the pot, and be sure to remove any water in the tray or saucer under the pot within 15 minutes to help prevent the roots from becoming waterlogged.
Consider Something Festive
Because Christmas Cactus lives up to its name by blooming during the holiday season, it’s often given a front and center place along with another seasonal decor so that everyone can enjoy the flowers.
Choosing a colorful or otherwise festive pot can add to the spirit of the season. If the pot has a saucer attached to it, it can be used as a centerpiece on the table during holiday feasts.
Consider a Hanging Pot
Christmas Cactus has a semi-trailing growth habit, which makes them ideal candidates for placing in hanging pots.
It’s important, however, not to put these too close to southern or western windows because this plant can become sunburned if exposed to too much direct sunlight.
Christmas Cactus does best when it receives bright but indirect light, so consider putting it in a room with an eastern or northern exposure.
Re-Potting Your Christmas Cactus
Because Christmas Cactus does best when its roots are slightly crowded, it’s never a good idea to plant them in overly large pots.
However, they should be re-potted every two or three years because if their roots get too crowded, they aren’t able to properly absorb the nutrients the plant needs in order to thrive.
Always choose a pot that’s just slightly larger than its current pot. This is a good time to swap out the potting soil, so gently brush as much soil away from the roots as possible.
Replace the old soil with good-quality indoor potting soil and add a small amount of vermiculite or sand for added drainage or choose a potting soil that’s been formulated specifically for succulents.
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More From Garden Lovers Club
How to make the Decembrist bloom?
A plant with the unusual name of Schlumberger, known to many as “Christmas”, “Decembrist” or “Varvarina Spit”, lives up to 100 years and does not like to be touched during the flowering period.
Anna Zalesskaya
Schlumbergera belongs to the Cactus family.
The plant comes from the shady humid forests of Brazil, where the peak of flowering occurs in the summer corresponding to our calendar winter. Flowering in December-February is natural for the plant. With proper care, it can live for several decades, the main thing is to know some features. nine0003
Decembrist flowers can be not only bright pink. There are dark red, purple, pale pink and white varieties.
How to plant and propagate the Decembrist?
The first time the Schlumberger should not be transplanted, it is better to leave it in the same planter. If you still decide to transplant, then the pot should be chosen a little larger than the previous one (for example, 2 cm larger in diameter). If you transplant a flower immediately into a large pot, it will grow roots for a long time and there will be no flowers. Transplantation is best done no more than once every two years. Like any plant, the Decembrist needs good drainage, so make sure the pot has drainage holes. The flower is good because it can be propagated by cuttings, so it is enough to ask a friend for a couple of branches. This should be done in early spring. At this time, the flowers are cut to form a lush and symmetrical crown. nine0003
When the branches become too long and begin to sag because the plant cannot support its own weight, they can be plucked at the junction of two branches, dried, and then planted in moist soil. In a few weeks, the plant will take root, but you need to make sure that the soil does not dry out, and that the pot with the plant is in the bright sun. Some owners of the Decembrists believe that it is impossible to cut plant segments with a knife, they need to be broken off or unscrewed.
How to care for a Christmas cactus?
In winter, the Decembrist cannot be illuminated, the guarantee of lush flowering is a short daylight hours. The Decembrist loves light, but direct sunlight should not fall on him. At the time of flowering, he needs to provide diffused lighting (the window can be curtained with a curtain). Also, the plant loves moisture very much, so every two or three days the Schlumberger needs to be sprayed with a spray gun or keep a pan with water next to the plant.
Basal watering should not be heavy, but foliar spraying is important. It is better to use settled water, because. from frequent spraying, white stains may appear on the Decembrist. Another option: put the Decembrist on a tray with pebbles and moisten as needed or rinse the plant under a warm shower (but not during the flowering period). nine0003
Decembrist or poinsettia, which is more beautiful?
What should I do to make the Decembrist bloom?
Short daylight hours are the main condition for Decembrist flowering. In order for the buds to start, 5-6 weeks before flowering, the Christmas cactus needs to be in the dark for 12-14 hours, so it is better not to highlight it with artificial light.
Also, the plant does not like temperature differences, the optimum temperature for a flower should be no lower than 18 and no higher than 25 degrees.
From March to August, the plant is actively growing.
Schlumbergera does not like to be touched, from the moment the buds are formed until the end of flowering, the plant cannot be moved to a new place and it is advisable not to even turn the pot. Due to movement, the plant may drop flowers. The Decembrists usually feed with fertilizers for cacti or diluted 1: 2 with a balanced fertilizer for indoor plants, but this should be done only in spring and summer.
Pests and diseases to watch out for: soil midges and root rot.
What a nice Christmas cactus!
- Main
- No. 138, December 7, 2022
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Decembrist should not be moved, especially during flowering. From stress, he can drop all the flowers.
Photo from bloom-story.ru
Schlumbergera is a popular plant on our windowsills. This attractive succulent has many names. The most popular are Decembrist, Zygocactus, Rozhdestvennik. nine0040
Northern exposure
Decembrist belongs to succulents. Plants of this type are characterized by thick, fleshy stems that store water. Succulents owe their resistance to environmental conditions to their original appearance. Although they take various forms, the structure of their leaves, shoots and roots does not differ. Fabrics allow water to accumulate, which during drought protects against the harmful effects of the environment. Zygocactus stores water in stems, shoots and roots, thanks to which it can survive in very adverse conditions. nine0003
Decembrist grows and blooms better in light soil, for example, sandy (peat mixes with sand), and in cool apartments where the air is not too dry. He needs to grow in a well-lit sunny place, but not in direct sunlight.
In summer, it can be placed on a shady balcony, from where you need to bring it into the room in September. Schlumbergera loves bright warm places, preferably on the window. In summer, the window should be slightly shaded, it is better to choose the north side. If the cactus is standing on a window that is too sunny, then it must be shielded, preferably with a curtain or thin blinds that scatter light. You can also move the plant to the west window. nine0003
In summer, the Decembrist likes fresh air, but only in places not exposed to direct sunlight, which can burn and dry the plant.
To achieve beautiful flowering and grow a healthy flower, you need to know how to care for the Decembrist at home. Contrary to its name, it can bloom not only in December. If you take good care of it, it will bloom more than once a year.
Decembrist care
In order for the Christmas cactus to have beautiful flowers, you need to give the plant a three-month rest from August to October.
It is worth moving it to a cool room, reduce watering.
Do not feed and water the Decembrist grown at home at an ambient temperature below 13 degrees.
In November, the cactus can be returned to its permanent place. Then resume watering and fertilizing to stimulate bud formation. nine0003
It is necessary to spray the leaves of the Decembrist, especially in winter, when the temperature does not exceed 18 degrees. Zygocactus requires a minimum humidity of 40%. In nature, the plant is found in tropical forests, so it loves moist air. You need to spray only the shoots themselves, wet buds and flowers will fall off.
Decembrists begin to feed when the dormant period of the plant ends or buds appear. During the growth period (winter, spring and the first half of summer), the zygocactus should be fed 1-2 times a month with liquid fertilizers for cacti (succulents). It is recommended to add fertilizer from cow dung directly into the ground. The best fertilizer should be rich in potassium and nitrogen, contain iron, magnesium, copper, molybdenum, barium, manganese.
From August until the first flower buds appear, stop fertilizing and reduce watering. nine0003
Forked shoot
It is recommended to fertilize Decembrist every two weeks during the flowering period. Too much nitrogen can prevent flowering.
Reproduction of the Decembrist is extremely simple. Every few years it is worth growing young specimens - more compact, pretty, which bloom more abundantly than old ones. This succulent is easily propagated by cuttings taken from shoots. To do this, it is enough to have one old branched shoot. Reproduction is best done after flowering. Very delicately cut off a piece of the process, consisting of 2-3 segments. nine0003
Dry the cuttings for a day. Cut cuttings left for some time without water will not wither, as there is enough water in them. The stalk is planted in the ground only after scarring at the cut points. Water and prevent the soil from drying out. Rooting usually lasts 3 - 6 weeks.
The second way is to germinate cuttings in water.
