Christmas cactus care.
Victoria Tiefenthaler
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
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Sherry8aNorthAL
3 years agoVictoria Tiefenthaler
3 years agoRelated Discussions
My new Thanksgiving cactus
Comments (8)TJ, that's a beauty. Growhappy provided you with some good links of info. I'm afraid to go the the shops these days. It seems everywhere I go there are holiday plants popping up all around me. How does one resist all that eye candy!? I've seen the Cyclamen, Christmas Cactus, Amaryllis, Hyacinth temptations and I've brought home an Amaryllis and Hyacinth - so far. Today I saw my first Poinsettia, which I know I will be unable to resist this year. I'm trying very hard to limit myself to just a handful of holiday plants this year but I don't know how long before I cave in...LOL... I'm sure you can understand that! Enjoy your new plant. It's gorgeous. A Christmas Cactus will forgive you almost anything except for overwatering! They have very small root systems so be very careful with the water jug. Most flowering plants like being a little snug in their containers so don't worry about whether the pot is too small....See MoreChristmas Catus
Comments (48)TY Josh. I can't add to or improve your critiqué of the landscape link, except to ask a question. If the person who wrote the info does not know how long it would otherwise take a plant to dry, how much water it needs for the conditions in which it lives, how can a specific future watering (or NOT watering) schedule be prescribed? I would consider any plant taking a month to dry in the likely extremely dry air of a heated home in most parts of the US this time of year, in extreme peril. Fredman, when I said weirdness and strange rituals, I was referring to the amalgam of odd info out there in general about holiday cacti, in conjunction with the instructions about withholding water in particular in the link under discussion. I was vague about that, sorry. The sheet from the landscape company is a good example of how doing something badly is worse than doing nothing at all. And that staying within the focus of your business/knowledge is what makes an entity reliable. Why would anyone seek house plant advice from a landscaping outfit? The fact that this advice exists in this context is weird and inappropriate IMHO. Why spread bad/incorrect info nobody expects you to have anyway? Why not ask your mechanic or bank teller? I don't think it's necessary for you to apologize, but absolutely accepted. If you hadn't brought it up to discuss, there would be no chance for folks to supply specific, qualified disagreements. If you were following or interpreting the advice incorrectly, it's good to ask about it. TG, obtaining info is not being outsmarted, it's being smart, educating yourself. It sounds like you believe the concept that there is a difference in soil textures, and how plants respond to them, but not interested in experimentation for your own plants? When oxygen is not present, root function is compromised. If that's also while the moisture is present, it's going to be tough going. Folks aren't trying to tell you (or anyone) that your plants are doomed to fail, just that they could be safer, things could be easier, if one isn't worrying about rot/suffocation when watering a thirsty plant. Using these principles, any potted plant should be most able to be at its' best in the captivity of a pot, assuming other factors (temp, light, PH, etc...) are acceptable. I have one watering scheme for all (non succulent/cacti) plants, water before they get too dry while inside, everybody gets a drink every 2-3 days outside. Easy peasy. Here is a link that might be useful: The above link, clickable, *Care and recognition of holiday cacti*...See Morecare of a Christmas cactus
Comments (7)I had one for years and it was a wonderful plant that bloomed faithfully every year. Then...I got a new cat..:( He would not stop eating the leaves and I had to give the plant away :( I kept mine in an east facing window and it got lots of morning sun..and just regular watering...etc. Some people say you are supposed to put it in a closet for X amount of darknesss to get it to bloom...but I never did and mine bloomed every year. I miss mine :(...See MoreHoliday cactus from Grandma
Comments (6)Holiday cacti are technically cactus, they're just not desert cactus. I like to have mine in a looser mix than just regular potting soil--quite a bit of bark and perlite. I wanted to start over with some of mine and have rooted four sets of three cuttings since winter and they're growing like mad in that soil mix. Most of them are two segments each, but some were just one and a couple were three. I don't know if the number of segments makes a difference, but I've heard from unreliable sources that they shouldn't have a lot of branching off the segment that will be rooted. I would ask for multiple cuttings like Rob wrote and take socks' advice. I generally rotted 1 out of 4 cuttings because they were a little too wet too soon (I'm guessing), having watered them lightly right away, even though in a very porous mix. It was also rather cool where they were. So I had four segments from each plant and ended up with three of each, which will eventually make for a decent sized 'plant' after they grow and ramify....See Morewoodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
3 years agoUser
3 years agowoodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
3 years agofunctionthenlook
3 years agolaceyvail 6A, WV
3 years agorina_Ontario,Canada 5a
3 years agoUser
3 years agohibiscus909
3 years agoVictoria Tiefenthaler
3 years agoPhoenix Rising (Zone 7a/b, NJ)
3 years agocallirhoe123
3 years ago
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