Since I cut and pasted this directly from the archives, I hope Jan won't
mind. It was easier than giving instructions. Jan's post follows:
I've posted this to the list several times before. Seems like it might =
be
appropriate again. I originally put this information together to give =
out
with plants I had contributed to a fund raising auction. I've continued =
to
add to it as I've accumulated more information.
j-
The Christmas/Thanksgiving Cactus
These plants are often called Christmas cactus, although many varieties
bloom closer to Thanksgiving. Calling them holiday cactus begs the =
question.
I've found them to be tough and easy to grow. If their requirements are =
met,
they will reward you with a beautiful show of flowers every fall.
Soil requirements
Rainbow Gardens, a succulent plant nursery in California, recommends a =
mix
of 40% perlite and 60% peat moss. They call this "Cornell mix" as it was
shown to be ideal for holiday cactus in tests at Cornell University. =
I've
grown them successfully in all sorts of combinations of commercial =
potting
mix, compost and other soil amendments.
Water requirements
I've found them blessedly forgiving of occasional lapses in watering. =
Good
drainage is important. What problems I have had have been the result of =
over
watering, poor drainage, or soil that didn't allow enough air to =
penetrate.
Make sure the soil doesn't stay soggy for days on end. I've had problems
with root rot when I used pots with built in drip catching saucers,
especially if the plants were outside for the summer and the weather =
turned
rainy.
Propagation
New plants can be rooted easily from cuttings of two or three stem =
sections.
In fact, you'll often find that segments knocked off by accident have =
rooted
by themselves, just lying on the soil in the pot. Cuttings can be potted =
and
kept moist, although I generally root them in water. Roots will form =
very
slowly if at all if the soil temperature is lower than 70 F. You can
pollinate the flowers, using a small soft paintbrush. They don't self
fertilize, so you must use pollen from a plant that is not a clone of =
the
one you're pollinating. The easiest way to be sure is to cross pollinate
different colored plants. The section just behind the flower will =
enlarge to
form a red or magenta colored seed pod that stays on the plant for a =
year or
longer. The presence of seed pods may diminish flowering the next year. =
I've
not yet raised new plants from seed, but I hope to try it some day. I =
have
directions for germinating the seeds if you are interested.
