I needed to know the best location and water amounts to keep it going so I can pass it to my kids. The plant will do fine in a daytime temperature of 70 degrees F and 60 to 65 degrees F in the evenings. I'm going to continue reading your tips regular to refresh me and hopefully keep my cactus for years. The cactus is full of blooms which is an amazing sight in the period around Christmas. Just be sure not to give it a pot that's too big; the Christmas Cactus flowers best when it's pot-bound. When watering it, I rotate it just a little each time so that it gets some sun exposure all around. Your plant is a living thing like you, so it deserves the best. A Christmas cactus might seem like a difficult plant to care for, but if you enjoy growing plants, it only takes a little bit of effort to keep them healthy and happy. This article was co-authored by Maggie Moran. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. This article has been viewed 4,734,232 times. Southern California high desert north of Palm Springs. Typically the flowers are a … This jasmine plant care article is for people seeking to fill their indoor space with the…, This geranium care article covers everything you need to know about growing and maintaining geraniums indoors,…, This stromanthe triostar care article has been created to cover all the tips you’ll need to…. Solution: If you’ve caught it early, you may save the plant. But it can depend on whether the plant is indoors or outdoors as well as the amount of sun, water, and humidity it is exposed too. This article has clearly designed directions and. What you are seeing is a good thing as these are roots looking to grab onto something. If you want to encourage your Christmas cactus to bloom, keep it cool following its blooming period and keep the soil a bit moist and feed it. ", almost died. How to Care for Your Christmas Cactus so It Will Bloom All Holiday Season Long With a little TLC, this winter plant will flower again and again. Choose a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer or half strength water soluble formula, for example 20-20-20 or 20-10-20. To ensure your Christmas cactus gets enough moisture, Satch recommends checking the soil.When the top layer of soil feels dry, or when its leaves start to wrinkle, is when you should give your plant a good drink.Make sure that your cactus is properly potted with lightweight soil that allows for drainage into a planter with holes at the base. "I learned so much. This article was co-authored by Maggie Moran. You can also grow it in a mixture of 2/3 regular potting soil and 1/3 sand. Give your Christmas Cactus bright but indirect light. The Christmas cactus, like other holiday cacti, are largely easy to care for. For tips on how to make sure your Christmas cactus blooms in time for Christmas, read on! If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Christmas cactus is a beautiful and exotic winter-blooming indoor plant native to Brazil, and is a popular alternative to Christmas plants such as poinsettia.In winter, the plant produces gorgeous flower on the tips of its stems, in vivid colours ranging from pink to purple (and sometimes yellow). Thanks! I've had to make a few changes. Thank you so much. Christmas cactus is an easy plant to care for, but there are a few rules to follow if you want it to flower each Christmas. The Christmas cactus should never be placed near a door that opens and closes to the outside. These cacti are epiphytes, which means they grow on trees, so their roots show above the ground as well as below. A little Christmas cactus care goes a long way, so you don’t need to care too much for it to see it bloom, although this may not always happen precisely in time for the holidays. You can fertilize after the cutting has grown one new segment. Never moved it. However, if large amounts are ingested, it can lead to vomiting and diarrhea, so be careful where you place it! There are also pesticides available to control thrip. I hope I do it correctly! If your environment is close to that, you should be fine. Christmas cactus should be repotted every three to five years, at the beginning of the growing season in April. ", find out if they have to be in a pot with drainage, and I found out why mine only blooms at Easter, and why the buds drop off (too much water). We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Wanted to find out how much watering, "What a great article! My cactus has bloomed, and now it has round pink 'bulbs'. ", frost, then bring them in and they bloom between thanksgiving and Christmas. That being said, too much direct sunlight can burn its leaves, so keep the Christmas cactus in an appropriate area to avoid this. The plant should be well established within a couple of weeks, at which point you can water it normally. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2c\/Care-for-a-Christmas-Cactus-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Care-for-a-Christmas-Cactus-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2c\/Care-for-a-Christmas-Cactus-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid148675-v4-728px-Care-for-a-Christmas-Cactus-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"