12 or more hours each night for 6-8 weeks. The naturally long, cool nights of autumn provide this. If your home is kept warmer, move it to a room where you can lower temperatures. Water less frequently and discontinue fertilizer. Introduce these changes gradually. Sudden changes can cause the flower buds to drop. Once buds begin to show, return the plant to its normal conditions. During bloom, keep the plant moderately moist and fertilize lightly with a high potassium fertilizer. After blooming, the plant should rest until March. Decrease watering and withhold fertilizer during the rest period. Cacti flower best when crowded in their pots. This also reduces chances of root rot so repot only when absolutely necessary, perhaps every three years. Repot in late winter - early spring after blooming is finished. The cactus will grow to the circumference of its pot. If you want a bigger plant, put it in a wider pot but increase the size only incrementally. Your garden centre will have a good selection of pots with holes in the bottom. Combine 3 parts potting soil to one part sand for the potting medium. Prune the Christmas cactus to either maintain a desired size or to promote branching. More branching will result in more blooms. Pruning is best done right after blooming. Give the stems a quick twist in between one of the segments. You can also use a sharp knife or scissors. If you are pruning to reduce its size, you can remove up to one third of the plant per year. If you are trimming to make them grow in more fully, you only need to remove the end 1-2 segments from the stems. The fun thing about trimming a Christmas cactus is that you can easily root the cuttings and give the new plants away - just like Great Grandma did. Propagate by cutting off sections of the stem consisting of two or three joined segments. Allow each section to dry for a few hours. Plant into a 3-inch pot containing a mix of 50% sand and 50% potting soil. Insert one half of the first segment into the soil. Don’t water. Mist it to keep soil from drying out completely. It is normal for the cutting to wilt. In four to six weeks, the cutting should root and will begin to show new growth. You can water and fertilize after the cutting has grown one new segment. Keep the cuttings in bright, indirect light. With good care and a sharing spirit, the Christmas cactus will continue to bring color and warmth to holiday homes for generations. HOME & GARDEN MAGAZINE
HOLIDAY 2013
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