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Thanksgiving Cactus Forming Blooms Again?

11 years ago

I have a TC that is forming blooms again. The plant sits on my kitchen table and the light is left on late into the evening (midnight even). At Halloween, I noticed that buds were forming on the side by the window. I left them until they were larger and then turned the plant so I could see the blooms. The blooms opened right before Thanksgiving.

As the blooms started to fade, I noticed that it was forming blooms on the side that I had turned toward the window. So I waited and when the blooms were larger, I turned it again. It bloomed around Christmas. Here is a picture from then.

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Those blooms are just finishing up. When I was watering it today, I noticed blooms forming by the window again. So I will wait and turn it again in a couple weeks. My question is whether the plant will wear itself out blooming all the time? Each time it has 20-30 blooms. It is a very healthy plant and I fertilized it well last spring and summer (maybe even into the fall).

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Comments (9)

tommyr_gw Zone 6
11 years ago
Perfectly normal. Ralph Snodsmith (RIP) said his bloomed up to 4 times a season.
pirate_girl
11 years ago
Just beautiful, lucky you. Perhaps a combination of that particular light exposure & abundant fertilizer were exactly to its liking. Wish we could bottle your conditions, nice job!!
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val1
Original Author
11 years ago
Tommyr, thanks for the information. I will enjoy them and keep turning the plant until it decides it is done.

Pirate_girl, thank you. I do feel rather lucky, I didn't believe I would get any blooms since the light stays on so long. Evidently, the conditions next to the window are great for blooming. It is always around the bottom edge that it blooms. The top segments have not formed blooms under my care. I will continue to fertilize it like I did last year and do the same with the new ones I purchased this year.
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
11 years ago
That's way cool, so pretty! What side of the house is that window?
pirate_girl
11 years ago
What kind of fertilizer, If I might ask? Anything special?
val1
Original Author
11 years ago
Purple, the window is a south window and I have left the plant (and many others) in it year round. I have never had anything burn. The sun does not shine directly on them in the summer. I think that angle of the sun (it is almost directly above in the summer) makes it possible to leave them there. I am fortunate to have four large southern windows. I also have three small south windows downstairs. My Christmas Cactus is in one of them and does very well.

Pirate_girl, I don't use anything special. I have fertilized my most of my plants with the same thing, Miracle Grow Tomato Fertilizer (half strength). I read somewhere years ago when I got an amaryllis that it would work for it and I had it available since I use it in the garden.
chloeasha
11 years ago
I have one about to rebloom as well. Schlumbergeras have 2 ways to trigger bloom-- light and temps. Mine was first triggered by the decreasing light, and now that I moved it to a window sill, it is likely reblooming because of the cooler temps. Perhaps yours is in a draft which is just perfect for it. Congratulations!
Amanda (asarumgreenpanda, z6MA)
11 years ago
How beautiful, and so cool that you've had continuous blooms to enjoy. Mine is also budded right now, I think because lengthening days can also trigger blooms. (It's been in the same place, same temperature, since late October.)

Amanda
val1
Original Author
11 years ago
I gave a cutting to a friend last spring and her little plant is full of blooms too. The blooms are almost as big as the planter she has the cutting in. So cute.

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