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Cacti & Succulents

Easter cactus question

10 years ago

Last year my Easter cactus didn't flower, she just kept putting out new segments. She's seemed to slow down growth and I'm hoping she will flower this spring. I've read they need a cold period in order to coax them to flower. As you can see in my pic she sits under the window and I've been making a habit of keeping the window open when it is cool out especially at night. I'll rotate the plant every few days so the whole plant gets the same treatment. Also I try and keep the light off in the room at night, although I do have a lamp on the wall with a red bulb in it I occasionally use if I do use a light. The thanksgiving cactus beside her bloomed beautifully last year, stopped around January and started again until late April.

So my question, do these Rhipsalis need a cold period to flower? Do they need to be root bound too? I'm hopping for flowers in the spring! They were the most gorgeous shade of orange I've seen in a flower.

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Comments (2)

monet_g
10 years ago
Your plant looks healthy. There's two schools of thought on the cold period, Will. Some say it's a must while others say it's not needed. Mine has not bloomed, either, since I brought it home two/three years ago. It has not had the cool period, so this coming season, she's getting one!

My plant has grown well after spending the summer outdoors in bright shade. It's rec'd good water and fertilizer, but, I'm going to cut way back here soon. (Will pull way back on N and K, too.) I don't want her so happy that she just gets fat and lazy. ;-)

I don't think any plant likes to be root-bound. That could be an "old wives tale" regarding over-potting.

Gail
Crassula2013
10 years ago
Lots of info here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Holiday cactus info
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Thanks everyone, I have cut back on the water. I actually was making a point about the watering in reference to right after it bloomed. I read here one should stop/cut way back on watering soon after it blooms, as this is considered it's *resting period*, which is where I think the process of failure started. I have it in a chunky, well draining mix (1 part potting soil, 1 part perlite and 1 part orchid bark). I also have a TG cactus and CC, that are doing awesome. I give them all the same treatment as in watering, light fertilizer. Pirate, I cut off some of the smaller new growth as a way to help put the energy back to the roots. I haven't done that since I cut off the flowers. When I removed the flowers, I just clipped them off at the end of the segment where they were forming. The stuff I mentioned in my post was just trying to give a picture of what I did, which brings me to where it is. I didn't realize these were so touchy. Like I said, I grow two others and they are indistructable, they thrive on neglect. That's how I treat this one. Pug, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that can't raise a EC. Hopefully both of ours will recover. I did read a link someone posted on this forum about EC. They say people don't grow them cuz they aren't like TG abd CC in their care, they are harder to grow ? ? ? So maybe it isn't us =) Thanks again everyone. . . I will re-pot it and check the roots, I'll keep you posted. Maid
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