Years ago, before I understood this horticulture business, I was given a Christmas cactus. It lived in the conservatory in Kirby Muxloe, and for a number of years it bloomed beautifully during the festive season. Then it didn't anymore. And one year it went brown and crispy [my fault entirely]
A couple of years ago, Liz gave me a cactus which produced leaves, but nothing else. However, I spotted an article about "helping your Christmas cactus to bloom" It advocated keeping the plant in the dark for around 14 hours each day, and in the light for about 10 [yes, that adds up to 24!] The article said within 6-8 weeks, you should have blooms. The plant is properly named a schlumbergera.
So I am trying! When I get up, I put the cactus on the bedroom windowsill, and in the late afternoon I return it to the space in the wardrobe.
Acanthochronology is the name for the study of the growth of cactus spines over time. I guess an acanthochronologist somewhere worked out the patterns of light/dark times needed to produce blooms. I thank them for their efforts.
I'm currently giving the plant a little water each Friday. Is that enough? And should I be feeding it? if so with what? [I have bottles of tomato feed, and orchid feed to hand]
Sue,I have been following your blog for a number of years but this is the first comment.I have Christmas cactus and during the summer months after the last frosts I stand my plants outside on the patio where they get plenty of afternoon sun and everything the weather throws at them.When it gets to this time of the year I move my pots into my conservatory when I see those little buds forming at the end of the leaves.I used to bring mine indoors but having read that they don’t like being moved once in bud mine stay out in the conservatory on a small table and last year flowered for at least two months.I have never tried the dark method but it is good if it works for you.Wendy.
ReplyDeleteThanks Wendy for this advice. My previous cactus lived all year round in a conservatory, but we don't have one here. I will wait and see how this dark/light method works - but maybe consider putting my plant outside in the sunshine when the better weather comes! Thank s, Angela
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried growing a Christmas cactus, so I have no idea how often to water it or what to feed it. Maybe you can do an online search and see what you are supposed to do. Hope it flowers well for you!
ReplyDeleteWith your climate, I imagine cactus plants grow happily outside in the garden
DeleteI've got no idea about Cacti but I'm pleased your one is enjoying its extra Schlumber in the cupboard😁
ReplyDeleteHow exciting about the buds!
I was given a cutting of a purple houseplant in the Summer and it has thrived in our bathroom and now appears to have a flower which we are very surprised and excited by! No idea how big it will be! It has a massive pot I bought a year ago for a Monster Aloe which died!
Kx
How exciting. I like the pun
DeleteI killed the last Christmas cactus with neglect. I'll follow your suggestion for the one I've got now... I know once they've found their favourite place they mope if you move them.
ReplyDelete👍
DeleteThinking about it, with sunrise later, and sunrise earlier, I can just leave it on the windowsill on the stairs because we almost only use the electric light at bedtime.
ReplyDeleteI did wonder about leaving it on the back bedroom sill, with the blackout curtains closed behind it, but decided it might be too cool there
DeleteI had a Christmas cactus too that shriveled and died and I've never thought of buying another, so well done you. And the dark/light treatment would work for Poinsettias too to get the biracks red, thank you for telling about this,
ReplyDeleteI've killed many poinsettias over years. Now I have a silk one which comes out each December!!
DeleteThe timings of light and dark sounds like what is done to get poinsettia to turn red. My sister has Christmas cactus, and it seems to flower without any special care, though I don't know if she fertilizes it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Celie. Nobody else has mentioned feeding. Maybe I should ask at garden club
DeleteThey do need feeding especially when flowering. I've not heard of the dark light trick, but mine sits on the kitchen window sill all day, and of course it gets several hours of dark at night. Every now and then the leaves need a delicate wipe over, as they do get dusty, (unless of course you dust it regularly??) They really dont like to be moved. Mine has just started flowering. Hope yours continues to thrive.
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember one year you posted a picture of your amazing cactus in bloom. I confess that dusting plants isn't high on my to do list!
DeleteI had a Christmas cactus, a gift from a friend, it was in flower when I received it, and was in a white pot within a macramé 'basket'.
ReplyDeleteOur bathroom ceiling had an odd angled corner at the tap end of the bath, with a lowered beam.
(Fortunately, we had a separate shower cubicle, as only a tiny tot could have showered in the bath).
Husband put a white cup hook in the beam, and the plant lived there very happily for over twenty years!
I changed the pot for a bigger one after about six or seven years, but still she (her name was Gladys) hung there in the bathroom flowering merrily away!
I never fed her, and only watered her when I remembered to do it, she seemed to thrive on neglect.
Unfortunately, when we had the bathroom altered, she was moved into the spare bedroom, where she was not at all happy, and just gave up and died.
I hope your plant flowers merrily! X
Mine has lived on the bathroom window sill for 2 years. If it blossoms I will move it out of the bedroom. I hope it copes with the move!
DeleteThey're quite hardy. I leave mine in the coldest part of the house until blooms start appearing (not necessarily just at Xmas time) then bring the plant into the warm and light. I've never fed mine, just top-up with fresh compost couple of times a year. Water more in blooming season!Cuttings are easy to achieve too. Stick a leaf or two in a little water or plant directly into compost. Either way should work.
ReplyDeleteUseful advice A. Thanks 👍
DeleteNot my favourite plant, except when actually blooming! I did hear that they don't like to be moved once the buds have set, if that is helpful to any enthusiasts. (I just read your first commenter who says the same about moving them).
ReplyDeleteThey are certainly prettier when covered in blooms
DeleteMy father grew Christmas Cacti very successfully, the secret to flowering at Christmas is to let them dry out for a couple of months in the summer, then resume watering in September.
ReplyDeleteThank you for that tip!
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