Hiya Cyirra and all, Congrats on the blooms! They're really, really lovely! I don't have any of the yellow/gold types so it's really fun to see yours. What conditions are you growing yours in? I still have the one in these older pics ('Dark Marie')--it's in my den right now and is budding up nicely (and making a couple of early blooms each week too). Here's a pic of one of the early blooms from this week, it will make its larger flush in a month or three. I've gone a bit overboard with Christmas cacti over the last couple of years, but they're so durable, and they love it here (indoors) and they bloom regularly for me (although often not until mid to late winter) so why not, right?? Here's a pic of a small rescue plant I got two years ago as an utterly wilted MESS with only five segments. Some bright light and occasional water have helped it revive. Happy gardening indoors and out everyone, and tomato, please post pics of yours when they bloom! Grant

The business of bud drop on moving themm, seems to be abt moving them while they're setting the buds, 'til they get at least an inch long (or perhaps almost their full length, just not open). It's when the buds are developing that they seem to be most vulnerable to dropping. As mine hangs in the window, I don't touch it, or move or turn it (laziness on my part), it's fine. MIM, Pls. try to relax, likely it'll be fine, just don't turn or move it all from here on out, 'til finished blooming. Watering it was not a problem (blooming is a lot of work, I continue to water mine). I wouldn't have used those spikes either, but it prob. not a problem, tho' if you can remove the mushy spike w/ a spoonful of mix, I'd do so. Whoever said they fertilize right after bloom & give it a bit of water, I'd disagree w/ that, 'cause the plant takes a rest for at least a month after blooming. Mine usually looks awful at that time, I consider it tired & resting & leave it be for a month or so, then water some. Once I see the first new segments, I resume full strength watering. I disbelieve this business of watering would make the blooms too heavy & cause them to drop. Nonsense, these plants hail from tropical Rio de Janeiro, sometimes in the January rains (when this blooms & the rains can cause floods there), it rains buckets, the blooms would never have survived. (I grew up there, so I can personally attest to those heavy rains). I think your plant will be fine, I know it's exciting to see 1st buds. Just pls. be patient, leave it alone & watch the buds grow. Congrats on yr. buds & I hope they do well for you!

My Christmas cactus has lived in the same window for 17 years and has bloomed every year. It is in a south facing bay window, I turn it every two or three months except when buds are on it. It is huge. I repotted it about 5 years ago and since then has been in the same soil, same everything. It is too big to handle much without damaging it. It gets Gardens Alive plant food for flowering plants three times a year, a shower when dusty, and otherwise no special attention. EXCEPT for about two months ago, when I started misting all my plants foliage with Eleanor's VF-11. Now almost everything has new growth on it, including both my Christmas and "Easter" cactuses. It usually starts setting buds now, but for once I see no buds! Just lots of new growth. I wonder if I goofed it up by giving it the VF-11.

We have two in our office. Someone brought them in 3 years ago at Xmas time. The one has never flowered again but the other has bloomed every year since and is now covered with gorgeous pink flowers. This plant is totally ignored and is only watered when the soil is bone dry. They both sit on the same shelf, in the same lighting conditions, so I don't know why one would bloom and not the other.