Beyond the Tag - Part 1 You have been blessed by a loved one who thoughtfully gave you a lovely plant for the holidays or maybe you just couldn’t resist that plant sitting on the shelf screaming to you “buy me, buy me!” but now what? Like many others, myself included, the “tag” just does not give enough information to help you keep your plant thriving for the months or years to come. This article will provide you with information on two of the most popular plants purchased during the holiday seasons, Christmas Cactus and Norfolk Pine. Next month, we will discuss Amaryllis and the Poinsettia. Christmas Cactus Christmas Cactus is actually a part of the succulent family, native to Brazil’s humid forest, producing showy flowers during the winter months. It is nontoxic to dogs and cats, and if properly cared for can live for many years. Christmas Cactus requires fifteen consecutive hours of darkness and cooler temperatures to trigger the blooming cycle. The plants that are purchased at the store are forced to bloom at the required time for purchase. You can force it to rebloom by simply starting eight weeks before the desired date by providing the required cycle of darkness and cooler nighttime
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Article submitted by the Gibson County Master Gardeners
temperatures. After blooming, the plant moves into active growth, continuing to like shorter days and cooler nights. Once it moves into active growth, they like bright indirect sunlight, too much direct sunlight can burn its leaves giving them a light red tint. If this occurs, change the location of the plant. Common problems arising while taking care of this plant are water requirements. The general rule of thumb when it comes to watering a Christmas Cactus is when the top inch or two of soil is dry. Overwatering can cause several issues discussed later in this article. Since this plant likes humid conditions, to help increase the humidity around your plant, fill a pot saucer with pebbles and add water to just below the tops of the pebbles (the pot should not be sitting directly in water). The air will become more humid as the water evaporates creating a happier environment for your plant. Here are some common troubleshooting answers. Stems falling off? You have over watered and the roots and/or stems have rotted causing them to break off. Buds dropping? Remember this plant likes darkness; it needs a minimum of thirteen hours of nighttime darkness. Also, if there is a sudden drop in temperatures this plant either will drop blooms or may not open. It does not like cold temperatures. Leaves wilt and shrivel up? This can be from either over-watering or under-watering. Over watering can cause root rot and suffocate, making them unable to absorb water. If you see this happening, immediately repot in fresh, slightly moist soil. If any roots are black or mushy, remove them and pour hydrogen peroxide over the roots and rinse. This will kill any remaining bacteria that will spread to the other roots before you place it into fresh soil. Fun Fact! Did you know there are sereval types of Cacti such as the Thanksgiving Cactus, the Easter Cactus and the Christmas Cactus? The care is the same, only difference is the leaf shape and time of blooming. See the illustration for examples of leaf shapes www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cactisucculents/christmas-cactus
October 2022
Small Town Living