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The Iowa Gardener: Christmas cactus brightens dreary winter days
As the holidays approach, the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) holds a place in our holiday hearts as a nostalgic seasonal favorite. Today, succulents are now very on-trend, so these lovely, undemanding cacti are endearing themselves to a whole new generation.
Native to Brazil, they have become a staple in many households because of their distinctive foliage and exquisite flowers that brighten up dreary winter days. There are actually three different types of what we call Christmas cactus:
- Thanksgiving Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii): Known for its earlier blooming period, typically in November, the Thanksgiving cactus exhibits pointed, claw-like projections on its stems.
- Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera truncata): The true Christmas cactus blooms later, around December and features flattened stem segments with scalloped edges.
- Holiday Cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi): This hybrid variety combines traits of both the Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti, often blooming in between their respective periods.
While Christmas cactus are low-care, they are not no-care. And like all plants in winter, they are a little sensitive to blasts from furnace vents or strong drafts from the freezing outdoors.
Light
Place your Christmas cactus in bright, indirect light for most of the year. They may burn in very bright direct light, like a big, sunny, south facing window. Like many holiday plants, such as poinsettias, flower formation is triggered by reduced daylight, so keep them away from, say, that kitchen sink light or hall lamp that you keep on all night.
Temperature
Maintain a moderate temperature range that is comfortable to humans, too —between 60 degrees to 70 degrees. Avoid sudden temperature fluctuation, which can cause bud drop, so don’t put close to outside doors that open frequently.
Watering
These are cacti after all and need excellent drainage, so don't put them in a pot without a drainage hole. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out between waterings (wriggle your finger into the top bit of soil if you can.) Only then should you water. Water too much and they will rot, but if the plants are starting to shrivel at all, you are not watering enough.
Humidity
Surprisingly for cacti, these plants appreciate higher humidity levels, especially in indoor environments where central heating is drying out the air. Usually they do fine, but if yours seem to be suffering, try placing a tray of water with pebbles beneath the pot.
Fertilization
Don’t overfertilize. Don’t fertilize when the plant is blooming and instead fertilize only during the spring and summer, when it’s growing new foliage.
Pruning
After it blooms, it will benefit from a light cutting back to shape the plant and encourage bushier growth. At any time, remove any dead or decaying stems.
Repotting
If it’s bursting at its pot’s seams, so to speak, re-pot your Christmas cactus every two to three years, after it’s done blooming. Use a well-draining potting mix and a pot that is only an inch or two bigger for best results.
Propagating
You can take cuttings from Christmas cacti by cutting off a few 3- to 4-inch segments. Allow them to sit out overnight to dry out and “callous.” Then insert the ends into any well-drained potting mix and keep lightly moist but not overly wet. In a few to several weeks, they should develop roots.
With a little bit of thought and care, your Christmas cactus will last for many years. Many families, in fact, hand down Christmas cacti from one generation to another. So who knows? The Christmas cactus you cherish today might hang around to see many more holidays for decades to come.
Veronica Lorson Fowler is co-publisher of the Iowa Gardener website at www.theiowagardener.com.
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