I had to give my nice one away when we moved so I'm starting over again. I watered it once a week and kept it in the kitchen window on the North side of the house. It liked the colder air and bloomed towards the window so I had to rotate it to get it to bloom on all sides. I can't rememer fertilizing it. It was one of those plants that thrived on neglect.

I treated myself to a Christmas Cactus this year. I didn't know squat about them..but found this!

Here is a link that might be useful: Care of Christmas Cactus

Patti, here is mine:

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it is several years old, I am not even sure how old. I know, I planted it in this former cookie jar before 1998.

I have it on a north facing window bank, and this year it didn't make it outside for the summer. There really isn't a good spot for it out there. When I did put it out, I wasn't that careful about bringing it in. Just did it, before the frost. :)

Overall, it is easy to take care of. Water about once a week, and turn it if you want it to grow kinda straight. I turn all my plants a quarter turn when I water them. That way, they grow straight. :)

Good luck with yours.

Moni

We have several at the center.
They are blooming (idiots) right now.
I did not know this until recently but you water the plants regularly until the first of November let them dry out.
When the buds start forming (at the end of the stalks) start watering again.
We started watering a little early this year and didn't get many blooms. We should have waited another week.
We don't keep them in direct light. The main source of light in the hall is some big east windows and the plants are about twenty feet away from those windows.
They are beautiful!

Lori

I rescued a little red one from the supermarket post-Christmas 3 years ago. It does seem to thrive on neglect :-) I repotted it last year in straight MG from the bag; it spends its life on a south-facing window (doesn't get direct sun in summer) and seems to be a Thanksgiving cactus, rather than Christmas. They are easy to propogate - just break off a couple of leaves and put them directly in the soil or water to root. I try not to let it get too dried out but you know how that goes sometimes.

Mine likes to spend the spring, summer and fall on the north-facing verandah, getting really good indirect light and a bit of morning sun. It can get totally dry and even wilt a bit with no apparent damage to it. The kittens played in it one winter when it was inside and broke it in so many places, I was throwing huge chunks of it away. That was 3 winters ago, and here it is right before Thanksgiving-

I might fertilize it twice a year but it doesn't really seem to care either way.

I bought one at a yardsale this summer about the size of Flameys for 2 bucks! I was shocked at the price! It's blooming now.I never had one before so we'll see how it does.I hung it outside for the remainder of the summer then brought it in.

See Flameys post and add my name. Size and color too.
In May, when I set my plants outside it goes out too, for the summer. Semi shade (no direct sun). I fertilize 1/2 strength every other watering in the winter. It likes to be in a saucer full of flat stones with water to the bottom of the pot it's in. Needing/liking the humidity the furnace dries up. It's in the kitchen in an East facing window. I have 2 new ones (slips from my sis last year) going in the guest bedroom.

Leslie

Patti, you've gotten great advise already but I just wanted to add that once your cactus starts to set buds it does not like to be moved. The buds will fall off and won't bloom for you. At least that is my experience. I have a really big one that is in full bloom (pink) right now. I will try to take pictures later today. they do thrive on neglect. Mine is on a covered screened porch all year long. It does not get any direct sun. Now and then I take it outside and hose it off just to get rid of dust, bugs, etc. They like to be pot bound.

This year I picked up a red one and am on the hunt for a white one.

~Betsy

I killed mine several years ago, but I'd love to try another. I have a cool south-facing window I think it might like.

For me, i could say i can throw all the directions out the window!!LOL I say that because mine lives outside all year long and they thrive on neglect.I only have one in the house,a white one,and it lives among my african violets,and is doing well also.I'll have to get some pictures of them later today when i get back from shopping.

Guess you could call me a take a chance kinda gardner.I have many plants,gardens etc,I buy them or plant a lot from seed,rarely do i follow directions printed on labels.I plant,if they don't do well i move them til i find a place where they are happy.
Kathi

My great gram had one that she kept on top of the TV..that thing bloomed (in my mind) every day of the year..and was huge!
She lived in a tiny house with lots of windows...

I bought mine at KMart before Christmas...They had several colors...White with light pink showing, pink, dark pink and the red.

I'd really like to have one large pot with all the colors mixed.

The plants were only $3.69. I thought that was a good price. but I wish I would have bought more.

My daughter has two colors in hers...maybe I can get a couple of leaves from hers.

She got hers off a plant at work...she said it bloomed several times this past year.

patti

What kathi said.
Neglect the heck out of 'em. Mine bloom twice a year. They have needed repotting for years. The window they are in is 150 degrees in the summer and frozen in the winter. There is just no rhyme or reason why they have survived 15 or so years. LOL
I'm afraid if I repot them and start taking care of them, the shock'll kill 'em. LOL
Oh, but I do have them in clay pots and water from the bottom (when I think of it). The pots sit inside glass pie plates and I just dump water in the pie plate.

You've gotten some good answers, and you might also want to ask your question at the Cacti $ Succulents Forum.

There are several threads with discussions on Christmas cacti and more information on their FAQ link:

Here is a link that might be useful: Cacti & Succulents Forum

Several years ago I bought one from Walmart, it was small and didn't do anything until I transplanted it into a larger pot and it took off growing. It is gorgeous and I keep it outside under the patio cover, it gets some sun but not the scorching heat, I water when it gets completely dry, it is in the greenhouse now until spring.
Oh, pick off the old buds and it will keep blooming, mine didn't like being the house during Christmas so we put it in the greenhouse.

Linda~

Don't throw those chunks away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
stick 'em in the dirt! they will sprout roots and take off! break off sections and do the same thing, that helps keep it bushy and not leggy

my tiny little one boomed 5 times this year. I keep it in a north facing window year around, behind the sink.

I have a light pink, red, white and a yellow one. I happened to be at my daughter's nursery one day when some were delivered and she asked how to care for them..He said if you have a nice shade tree in the spring and summer put them under it. Let mother nature take care of the watering. Which I take to mean they don't need a lot of water and do best in the shade. Before frost bring them in and put them in a place where they do not get full light. He said to get good blooms they need some darkness every day.To root, he says it is better to break off at a fork and just stick in potting soil, much better than rooting in water.His advise has worked for me. Betsy, I do hope you can find a white. They are my favorite.

Rosegirl,i don't think i've ever seen a yellow one!! Could you post a picture??

Another yellow plant i've been looking for for a few years is a yellow epiphylium.I have a couple shades of pink and white,but no yellow------------------yet anyway.
Kathi

I wish I'd taken a picture of my yellow one while it was in bloom - it's a really pretty buttery-yellow.

I have several colors and they all finished blooming within the last couple of weeks.

Neglect them - put them outdoors in the spring and let them get chilled before you bring them inside for the winter. Mine bloom reliably every year.

Oh yah,that is another point I forgot. They do like complete darkness for nighttime.
Leslie

I am allergic to them. I got one from a supervisor at work and I kept it on my desk. After about a week, I stuck my finger in the soil to see if it needed water. The plant stuck me and my finger got swollen and sore. I needed several visits to the doctor and had to fill out Workers' Comp forms. I am also allergic to pyracantha thorns. A doctor said if I am allergice to two that I know of there is a third thorn that I don't know about.

Oh Kathi - I miss my epis ;-( I had been given several "cuttings" and they were all healthy, rooted and blooming when I left CA. I did give them to friends so I know they got good homes.

I could probably do them in the house here in NY but I just don't have the space. I think there is an Epi society in SD and you might get starters at yard sales or ask on Freecycle.org. O'side must have a Freecycle.

C

All but my bright pink one has finished blooming and it is putting on the second set of blooms. Usually 2 blooms will come from each end of the stem. When the first one finishes blooming the other one will bloom in about a week.
Sorry, I can't post a picture of the yellow one.