Thanksgiving Cactus confused - blooming now!

last year

So my Thanksgiving Cactus is very confused - it is blooming NOW! It did not bloom last fall. Possibly the change in environment had an impact since we moved from Colorado to Kansas in late summer.

I've had it sitting in the window sill where it gets more direct sunlight and noticed it started getting red color in the leaf ends - which is pretty. I haven't changed anything else with it, and I never really did much to it in the past and it always bloomed. But I read that to help them to bloom they require less light, so tried keeping it in a room with the lights turned off after dusk, or kept it covered by the curtains. When that didn't work by end of Dec., I just went back to keeping it on the window sill and planned to try again in the fall. Then it started getting buds on it and is now blooming!

So either it's turned into a Spring Cactus, lol, or it will still bloom come this Nov. Will be interesting to see what happens.

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mstywoods
Original Author

last year

Thank you Skybird for your info sheet! You know I don't think I knew there was an Easter Cactus. Mine is definitely the Thanksgiving Cactus by the description of the segment teeth - pointy. Interesting L Clark that yours keeps blooming earlier and earlier. I guess it's true that they will bloom whenever they want to, lol.

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Comments (9)

plantladyco
last year
I have 2 that are blooming now that also bloomed in November!
popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
last year
Mine bloom outdoors in the summer too. Plants do what they please!
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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.
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Telling the differance between the holiday cactus is really confusing for a lot of people, usually people are refering to the same plant when they say Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus. These are what's available in stores between Thanksgiving and Christmas and have the wide leaf segments with jagged edges . But the true Christmas cactus are the ones with slim smooth edge segments and tend to hang down and these are what have been passed down through the generations and can seldom be found to purchase retail. Easter/Spring cactus are usually sold between Easter and Mothers day around here and the plant looks a lot like the real Christmas cactus but the flowers are very differant and they open and close up each day. My Thanksgiving cactus start blooming around the first of November and bloom through December than rest for a few weeks and than bloom again but not as many flowers and my Christmas cactus are starting to bloom now. It's still a bit early for Easter cactus to be blooming in most areas. I grow all three types and once you see them side by side it's really easy to tell the differance. Jo
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I have 3 TG cacti and they all bloom at least a couple times a year - usually around Christmas and Feb/March - although they never bloom together. One'll bloom, then another, then the last, then the first will start up again. It's kind of entertaining really. They're all in the same spot and get no kind of special care at all. Right now my oldest - the first one to usually start budding - is budding up again now after it's Christmas display. It's has lovely white flowers with an ever so slightly pink centre. It's become a little tradition if you will, of mine every year to find a TG cactus - of course always mislabeled CC cactus - with different colored flowers than the ones I already have. I find it fun and exciting. Guess eventually though I'll run out of colors to find.
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Tom, that's crazy for a Thanksgiving cactus! This may be information you already know, but on the outside chance you don't, I'm posting this response. There are Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter cacti. They look very, very similar but the are actually different. Could yours be an Easter cactus? Read everything you ever wanted to know about all three varieties at the link below. By the way, the bloom is very pretty! Carol Here is a link that might be useful: RECOGNITION and CULTURE of the HOLIDAY CACTI
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mstywoods
Original Author
last year
Oh interesting! I've only had mine bloom in Oct. - Dec., but have always kept it indoors.
Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
last year
Hi Misty,

I have three that are blooming a little right now too, I think all three of them bloomed at least some "around the end of the year!" Like PopMama said, plants do what they please!

It sounds like you did the right thing with them, but in case you have any questions, here's the "light part" of my Gardening with Skybird, All About Christmas Cactus - Rooting and Care sheet.

"Christmas cactus can take pretty much any light conditions, but I recommend at least an hour or two of direct sunlight a day. They bloom by length of day, so when the days start getting shorter you need to be sure they’re not somewhere near a light where they’ll get too much artificial light to set bud. Keeping them in a room where you don’t very often turn on lights is perfect. Cool temperatures will also help them set bud, so if possible give them cooler temps along with the “long nights!” Once they start to set bud you can move them wherever you want them—“extra” light won’t affect them anymore after they start budding."

I don't post the "entire" sheets online since other folks copy them and post them as their own and then make money from them, but if you'd like a copy of the entire sheet either email me directly if you still have one of my gmail addresses, or else PM me with your address and I'll attache it to an email and send it to you!

It's nice to see you still around here now and then!

Skybird

F 03.03.23 @ 1735 MST
mstywoods
Original Author
last year
Thanks for this Skybird! Would love to get your full sheet - just PM it to through Houzz if you can. This fall I will pay more attention to the light it is getting so it will set bloom at the time it is 'supposed' to :)

Except for the difference in altitude and humidity during the summer, the temps here seem pretty similar to the Denver area. We always used a humidifier in our bedroom there in CO and when we were packing to move I decided to get rid of it as I thought "won't need that in Kansas!". But I forgot about dryness during the winter due to use of the heater and ended up buying another one - lol. Wish I'd kept that one I had there as it worked much better than the new one. Like so many things, they seem to make things so cheaply any more!
Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
last year
Hi Misty,

I don't see any way to attach a document to a PM, so if you'll send me a PM with just the email address you're using now I'll send it right away. Or--are you still using the email mstyw---- at hotmail? If so let me know here and I'll send it there.

Skybird

SU 03.05.23 @ 0034 MST
mstywoods
Original Author
last year
PM'd you Skybird!
L Clark (zone 4 WY)
last year
Mine blooms about a week earlier every year. Used to be a Christmas cactus, now it's almost a Halloween cactus.

Thanksgiving Cactus confused - blooming now!

mstywoods
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plantladyco

popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)

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Thanksgiving Cactus confused - blooming now!

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plantladyco

popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)

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