Wintertime Gardening....Christmas Cactus
While the poinsettia remains the most popular of the holiday plants,
a healthy Christmas cactus in full bloom is a great gift idea for
that special gardener. They are easy to care for and can be grown
indoors throughout the year. The flowers range in color from yellow,
salmon, pink, fuschia and white or combinations of those colors.
=95 Common name ~ Christmas Cactus
=95 Scientific name ~ Schlumbergera bridesii
=95 Origin ~ A group of epiphytic cacti native to the South American
jungles
=95 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.
=95 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.
=95 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.
=95 Fertilizing ~ As tender growth appears in the spring, apply a weak
solution of liquid houseplant fertilizer at 2 to 3 weeks.
=95 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.
=95 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.
=95 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.
=95 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.
=95 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 time temperatures. The
temperature range for flower bud development is between 55 and 60
degrees for a period of six weeks. As long as the temperatures remain
in this range they will develop buds regardless of day length. If the
temperatures in your home get above that required range, the plant
will need 13 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night. One can do
this by placing them in a completely dark room, or by 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 general schedule of the ideal life of a Christmas Cactus ~
=95 Jan ~ Flowering.
=95 Feb to Mar ~ Resting (55 degrees, infrequent watering).
=95 Apr to May ~ Water thoroughly when potting mix begins to dry out.
=95 Jun to Aug ~ Place outdoors in a shady spot.
=95 Sept to Oct ~ 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.
=95 Nov to Dec ~ Flowering. Water normally. Temperature no less than 55
degrees F.
Sher in Sher's Garden
