Why hasn't my Christmas Cactus bloomed?

Question

My Mother started mine with a cutting from hers almost 3 years ago and it has never bloomed. Her's is over 20 years old. Mine looks healthy but it just has never bloomed and I wondered if I was doing something wrong, I had it outside during the summer and I put in the bathroom when it started getting cold outside. Can anyone tell me why it hasn't bloomed?

Answer 1

Here's the trick to get your Christmas cactus to bloom in December:

1. July, August, September: Use bloom food every time you water (water every 2 weeks)

2. September and October: 14 hours of darkness, with 8-10 hours of indirect light every day

3. November and December: bring out to bright indirect light and watch it bloom!

Answer 2

The secret to make Christmas cactus blooms:
1. You must give the plant 50-70 degree temperature. The key here is "below 70" if you have heated bathroom, the plant won't bloom. The plant needs this treatment until showing buds. You can do this treatment again to make the plant rebloom (mine rebloomed 3 times last year during winter/early spring)
2. Darkness at least 8 hrs.

My friend gave me this plant 4 yrs ago, bloomed every year and this plant is blooming now in my unheated bathroom on windowsill, so easy to maintain.

Answer 3

Well your answer is plain and simple you say it is in the bathroom How much light is this plant getting?Cactus although need little care they do need light i am assuming your bathroom has no or little light you need to place this plant in a area where it receives some light and sun shine and to let you on in a little secret that people who know about this type of plant when they are budding they do not like to be moved their buds will fall off they like to be watered during the summer time and the water cut down in colder times believe it or not if taken care of in the same type of condition all the time christmas cactus will bloom several times a year they need light and the right watering conditions always check the soil with your finger all the way down to make sure the soil is realy dry in the root area

Answer 4

I bought mine last Christmas. I didn't feed it or anything after it bloomed. I put it outside over the summer, basically mistreated it and ignored it. It got watered a little here and there. When the temps went down into the 30's I brought it into the walkout basement. I again ignored it.

To my amazement, when I went down into the basement to get out the Christmas decorations, it had buds about to burst open. I brought it upstairs and placed it on the kitchen table. It bloomed beautifully. I'm still amazed. Hope this helps a bit.

Answer 5

Cactus are suppose to be hard to bloom plants or so what I think. I had more than 5 types of cactus which are flowering when I bought them but stop blooming since the last flowering withered.

Answer 6

Christmas Cactus does not bloom every year.

Answer 7

Be careful not to overfeed it starting in the fall. I actually pretty much abuse mine by withholding water this time of year and keeping it out of direct sunlight until buds form then move it to a spot saw from a heat source that gets non direct light and it goes nuts.

Answer 8

Paul has it down preety good follow that and next year see the blooms

Answer 9

It could be because it hasn't gained enough energy, so maybe next year it will get new buds, make sure to fertilize it.

Answer 10

It probably requires cold weather and what you've been doing has confused it and it thinks its in hibernation mode.