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About a year ago I received a very large Christmas cactus and it was very full. Gradually many of its limbs have fallen off to about a tenth of what it was. I know nothing about them except to not overwater them and no direct sun light. I was ready to toss it out because I thought it was a goner, but then it actually bloomed the most beautiful bright pink blooms at Christmas. Now the blooms are gone but it still looks in eally sad condition. It has a handfull of very long stems (about 18-20" long) that droop. Anything I can do to liven it up? Is there a way to cut it back and if so will it produce new stems? Instrucitons will be helpful.

2007-03-24 10:52:25 · 4 answers · asked by rock55 4 in Home & Garden Garden & Landscape

4 answers

I had a Christmas cactus for four years now too. It was planted in a 4 inches diameter and 4 inches deep porcelain vase. It was root bound then when I got it and I didn't bother to re-pot it. The first time, it did what happened to your plant. It loses a lot of it's leaves too but I found out it was just adjusting to it's new environment. Like what your plant did, it bloomed too beautifully on Christmas and every Christmas ever since. I have my plant in an east facing window then and until now.

I think you're doing okay with your cactus. It's pretty much adjusted now. It's maybe an eyesore now but it'll eventually produce new leaves like mine. Mine's thick now, yours will be too. Don't toss it away, it'll come back.

What you can do, if you want, cut the long branches and plant them in another pot to start new ones. This way, if the mother plant dies, you have extra. It's that easy.

You know what I did this year, I bought me some orchids last January and every time I fertilised them I prepare a lukewarm water in a big bowl and soaked them in it. The left over water, I used it to water my other flowering indoors plants including my cactus, you know what, it started blooming again for Easter. Now, I don't only have a Christmas cactus but I got me an Easter cactus at the same time. Good lock!

2007-03-24 15:15:27 · answer #1 · answered by egan 5 · 0 0

Drooping is its natural way of getting some rest after it flowered for you.

Let it be potbound, underwater it, give it a bit of sun - sunlight is fine as long as its not suddenly too intense or UV/outdoor exposure (too much too fast can "burn holes" in the leaves) and as long as its not going into flowering mode, no fertilizer for now, and don't worry about leaves. In my climate leaves are a summer job for this tropical cactus (I'm in New England) when its growth is in a spurt.

Oh, and come back to us in September for the re-flowering instructions!

2007-03-24 16:38:02 · answer #2 · answered by Sweetie 2 · 0 0

go to just ask to find out

2007-03-24 10:58:48 · answer #3 · answered by Elaine F 5 · 0 1

Common name - Christmas Cactus

Scientific name - Zygocactus

Origin - A group of epiphytic cacti native to the South American jungles

Light
While the Christmas cactus can adapt to low light, more abundant blooms are produced on plants that have been exposed to high light intensity. Keep your plants in a sunny location indoors. Plants can be moved outdoors in summer, but keep them in a shady or semi-shady location. Too much direct sunlight can burn the leaves. When it's time to bring the plants back inside in the fall, slowly adjust the plants to life indoors by gradually increasing the number of hours they spend indoors each day. If you want to grow it indoors in a south or west window, you should shade the plant with glass curtains. No diffusion of light is needed on the north or east. Many growers move the plants to the broken shade of a porch or patio or plunge the pot in a shady spot in the garden during the summer months. Christmas cactus needs shading from the sun between May and September.

Soil
Well-drained soil is a must for Christmas cactus. Use a commercially packaged potting mix for succulent plants or mix your own. The ideal soil for Christmas cactus is composed of equal parts of garden loam, leaf mold and clean coarse sand (not sand from the seashore). Add a quart of wood ashes per bushel of mixture. One-tenth part by bulk of old dry cow manure may be added if garden soil is poor.

Water
The plant is not a true cactus and is not quite as drought tolerant as the name infers. However, it is a succulent plant and can store a reasonable quantity of water in the leaves. Water thoroughly when the top half of the soil in the pot feels dry to the touch. The length of time between waterings will vary with the air temperature, amount of light, rate of growth and relative humidity. During the summer, water so that the soil is continually moist. When fall arrives, water the plant only well enough to prevent wilting.

During the month of October, give the plant no water. Cautiously resume watering in November, but don't let stems get flabby from over watering. If the atmosphere is dry, place pot on a tray of pebbles. Keep pebbles moist with water in the tray.

After plant completes blooming, let it rest by withholding water for six weeks. When new growth appears, re-pot and top-dress with fresh soil. Resume watering to keep soil fairly moist.

Fertilizing
As tender growth appears in the spring, apply a weak solution of liquid houseplant fertilizer at 2 to 3 weeks.

Temperature
Prefers warm temperatures, although evening temperatures of 50 to 55 degrees F can be used to initiate flower bud formation (which normally is responsive to day length). From October on, keep the plant where it is cool at night (60 to 65 F). Keep away from drafts from heat vents, fireplaces or other sources of hot air.

Propagation
Shady conditions or filtered light are necessary for Christmas cactus to thrive. You can force bloom by setting the plant in a coolish (60 to 65 degrees F) location, where the light is low but not absent during the day. Do this soon for Christmas bloom. Do not let the soil dry completely, but water infrequently to keep the soil just moist. Watch for signs of buds at the ends of the leaves, and increase humidity and light when they appear. If buds appear too soon, hold them back by reducing the temperature.

The Christmas Cactus is easily propagated by taking short Y-shaped cuttings of the stem tips. A well-tended cactus will reach unmanageable size in time. To root cuttings for new plants, cut back shoots from the tips, cut at the second joint of each tip. Place cuttings in a moist peat and perlite, or peat and sand mixture. Water sparingly at first to prevent rotting of cuttings. After two or three weeks, water as you would any other cutting. When cuttings are rooted, pot them in a very loose mixture of good potting soil.

Re-potting
Plants should be re-potted every two or three years, or whenever pot is filled with roots and the soil appears to be depleted of nutrients. Christmas cactus usually is re-potted in the spring, but a plant which is unhealthy because of the root system can be re-potted at any time of the year.

Bud dropping
Common causes of bud dropping are over watering, exposure to cold drafts, a position too close to a hot radiator or vent and lack of sufficient potash in the soil. Water plant sparingly and feed a little liquid manure weekly.

How to get your Christmas cactus to flower
These plants are easy to grow but are sometimes difficult to get to bloom. A medium light intensity and a soil high in organic matter are recommended. Do not allow the plant to dry out, water when the soil surface begins to feel dry. The plant may be kept drier in fall. Any fertilizer may be used according to label directions. Cool temperatures or long nights are required to induce blooming. The plants bloom when given night temperatures near 55 degrees and day temperatures below 65 degrees.

Flowering is related to day length and night temperatures. The temperature range for flower bud development is 55 to 60 degrees for a six week period. If temperatures remain in this range they will develop buds regardless of day length. If temperatures get above that range, the plant will need 13 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night. This can be done by placing them in a completely dark room, or covering them for the recommended time, or longer, each night with a dark piece of cloth.


Or just keep the plants in total darkness like a closet till buds develop. For holiday blooms this usually means in late September to mid October.

During flower bud formation, stop fertilizing and only water enough to keep the leaves from becoming shriveled. Once buds do form then you can keep the plant in normal light and temperatures. Keep it evenly moist and fertilize every other week with a mild fertilizer solution.

The schedule of the ideal life of a Christmas Cactus

January - Flowering.

February to March - Resting (55 degrees, infrequent watering).

April to May - Water thoroughly when potting mix begins to dry out.

June to August - Place outdoors in a shady spot.

September to October - Plant prepares to flower. Reduce length daylight hours. Keep on the dry side and cool (55 to 60 degrees F) until flower buds form. Then increase water and temperature.

November to December - Flowering. Water normally. Temperature no less than 55 degrees F.

2007-03-24 11:01:48 · answer #4 · answered by One Knowing The Truth 3 · 0 0

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