Home»Cactus - Succulents»Christmas Cactus
Schlumbergera(shlum - BER - ger - uh ) AKA vacation cacti are so named because they run to bloom around specific vacation .
Perhaps the most famous of these is theChristmas cactus , the name hold mainly to the speciesSchlumbergera bridgessiiand its buckleyi hybrids .
Photo Credit: Instagram @aykehermans
Christmas cactus mainly differs from its sibling , the Thanksgiving cactus , but the two can overlap due to its prime blooming time .
But what ’s better than having a Christmas cactus providing wonderful flowers when most of your other industrial plant are hole up ?
How about several specimens spread around the business firm ?
The Christmas cactus is surprisingly well-fixed to spread , mean you may have as many as you need after a few years of study .
How to Propagate Christmas Cactus
As with any plant , there are some normal to propagating successfully .
The respectable news is that these rules are somewhat simple compared to a mess of other plants .
When To Propagate The Succulent Holiday Cactus
The best prison term to commence ( propagate ) Christmas cactus is in outpouring , when the works uprise new growth .
Never distribute from a parent plant that is presently blooming , as the works will be set its energy into the flowers , thus retarding any root outgrowth .
Choosing the Best Christmas Cactus Cuttings
You ’ll desire to look for root with at least 3 leaf segments ( sleep with as phylloclades ) .
Examine your chosen staunch for any polarity of disease or plague .
Once they have a uninfected circular of health , take appreciation of the lowest section you desire to remove , twist it 180 ° degree , and then pull up .
This ensures a clean break without damaging the segment below .
endeavor to avoid cutting when possible , as the segments are design to break this way .
Preparing the Cactus Cuttings
Before you’re able to plant the cutting , you will have to let them dry in a darker sphere .
As these are succulents , this dry period will allow the cuttings to shape a protective callous over the wound .
The callouses will help thin out the risk of rot and other complication once you transfer .
Your cutting off will be quick to plant in 3 to 7 mean solar day , but the exact sentence can vary .
Use your best judgment on whether the callous on a finical cutting is firm enough .
Preparing the Christmas Cactus Potting Soil Mix
While the cuttings are healing , you could beginmixing your potting soil .
Christmas Cactus soilshould have some degree of aggregate to ensure it ’s well - draining .
A blend of 60 % percent tropical potting admixture with 40 % percentage coarse sand or perlite is a skillful choice .
you could also produce a intermixture of equal voice constitutional matter ( such as compost or peat ) and combine ( common sand , gravel , or perlite ) .
When buy a commercial-grade commixture , forfend cheap products , as these are often unsterilized and may hold torpid cuss or spores .
You should also aim for a soil pH somewhere between 5.5 and 6.5 .
Can You Propagate in Water?
Technically , Christmas cactus can root in H2O , but only if the callous is well - formed .
You should transplant to grime as shortly as the rootage begin forming to avoid the peril of root rot .
line : When take root a cactus in water watch out the water horizontal surface . DO not allow the roots to dry out or the cutting to outride submerse in water .
Planting the Cactus Plant Cuttings
Evenly wash the land when you ’re about to plant , but avoid create it too wet .
Although this is optional , dip the slip into rooting hormoneto assure quicker , healthier root ontogeny .
Plant the cutting to approximately ¼ of its length late .
position the potting cuttings in a location with bright , indirect light ( no direct sunlight ) and an ambient temperature between 70 ° and 85 ° degrees Fahrenheit .
Keep the grime moist while the industrial plant takes root , but be measured not to overwater .
It will take or so 3 hebdomad for the cut to begin organize unexampled growth .
mark that the plant wo n’t farm its first blooms for approximately 2 years .
tie in : Tips on Watering Christmas Cactus
Final Note: Getting More Shoots
After successful rooting of the cut , you ’ll probably notice the unexampled industrial plant rarely make more than one or two unexampled shoots .
There is a way to improve the feast that ’s exchangeable to clip many other plants .
Approximately 6 to 8 weeks after planting the press clipping , the fresh section should be about ½ ” inch long .
curve off the new section once they strive this duration , and the flora will react like a Snake and bring forth multiple shoots where the one was removed .
