How To Keep Your Christmas Cactus Blooming Annually
A cactus is one of the last things you’d expect to mark the beginning of the winter holidays, but that’s exactly what a Christmas cactus does. This tropical plant is, in fact, a member of the succulent family. It is a common houseplant that goes relatively unnoticed until early winter, when it explodes with colorful blooms. It will continue to bloom like clockwork each Christmas, but only if you take good care of it.
To ensure your Christmas cactus blooms year after year, you must water and fertilize it properly, adjusting the levels throughout the year. This plant requires lots of indirect sunlight, as well as significant periods of darkness once its buds appear. Keep the plant in a warm, humid spot in the home, such as a sunny bathroom, and use quick-draining soil.
Like many members of the succulent family, Christmas cacti are relatively easy to keep alive. But there is a big difference between a surviving plant and a flourishing one. If you love the magical winter blooms that sprout from this plant every December, then keep reading. Below is a list of all the ways to keep your Christmas cactus blooming every year.
14 Ways To Help Your Christmas Cactus Flower Annually
1. Prune It Correctly
Like most plants, a Christmas cactus requires some pruning. Pruning plants correctly can make or break them. As a general rule, you should always wait until your cactus has finished blooming and the days are becoming longer before you prune it.
The best time to prune a Christmas cactus is the early spring. Pruning a Christmas cactus is relatively easy. Trim it at the joints, cutting enough to encourage new growth and keep the plant full without it sagging too low. Pruning a Christmas cactus will help keep it looking its best and also increase the chances it will bloom again next year.
2. Find The Right Spot For It
If you’re determined to have a Christmas cactus that blooms annually like clockwork, then you need to find it the perfect spot in your home. For most of the year, this plant enjoys many hours of indirect sunlight, similar to most succulents.Â
Its needs change once it starts to bud, which means you may need to relocate it throughout the year for best results. Paying attention to your plant’s light needs is always a great way to ensure it will yield timely blooms.
3. Water It
When you think of cacti, you probably immediately think of dry soil. The Christmas cactus, however, is not a desert cactus. It is a more tropical plant, native to Central American rainforests, which means it requires more moisture.Â
This plant enjoys damp soil, so water it regularly (every 1 to 3 weeks) to keep its roots from drying out. You should never overwater it, as this plant can die if it becomes waterlogged.
4. Avoid Temperature Fluctuations And Extremes
A Christmas cactus makes such a great houseplant because it loves being kept at room temperature and even likes the mild dip in temperature most homes experience in the evening.Â
Apart from these natural variations, however, you should avoid exposing your Christmas cactus to additional temperature fluctuations. Never put your Christmas cactus in extreme high or low temperatures. Keep it away from heat sources like radiators and HVAC vents, and avoid placing it near a drafty window, especially in the winter.
5. Improve Soil Drainage
The Christmas cactus loves quick-draining soil, so it’s always a good idea to find ways to improve soil drainage within the pot you’re growing it. You can add substances like diatomaceous earth, perlite, or even small pebbles to your potting mix to help improve the soil drainage. Faster drainage will keep your plant thriving and help prevent root rot.
6. Fertilize In The Spring, Not Fall
You might think you should add fertilizer once you see buds appear on your Christmas cactus in the fall. Resist this urge, as the opposite is true. Choose a slow-release, all-purpose fertilizer that provides nutrients for up to 6 months. Give this food to your cactus in the early spring.
Feeding your Christmas cactus a slow-release fertilizer in the early spring will give it all the nutrients it needs to flourish during its peak growing season, and set it up for success when it’s time to bloom.
7. Use The Right Soil Mix
The Christmas cactus grows in rainforests on trees and in cracks in rocks, like other succulents and tropical flowers. Therefore, it likes coarse, quick-draining soil rather than highly absorbent potting mixes with peat moss.Â
Choose a potting mix designed for orchids or succulents, if possible. Alternatively, choose a well-drained potting mix that mimics these tropical conditions.Â
8. Keep It In A Humid Environment
One reason why a Christmas cactus sometimes struggles indoors is a lack of humidity. If your home is climate-controlled and dry, you need to increase your home’s humidity near this plant. The Christmas cactus is native to rainforests, so this plant loves humidity.
Consider placing your Christmas cactus in a bright, humid room, such as a sunny bathroom. Alternatively, you can place your Christmas cactus over a wet dish of pebbles. As the water evaporates, the humidity levels around your plant will rise.
9. Ensure It Gets Periods Of Darkness
For most of the year, a Christmas cactus prefers a minimum of six to eight hours of indirect sunlight. This will give it the energy it needs to grow and thrive. Once it forms buds, however, its lighting requirements change.
To encourage timely blooms, provide 12 hours of complete darkness for your Christmas cactus once you notice its growing buds. Ensure these 12 hours of darkness continue daily for at least 6 weeks to encourage your plant to bloom in time for the holidays.
10. Deadhead Dying Blooms
Once the blooms shrivel and die after the holidays, promptly remove them. Not only will this make your plant look better, but it is also fantastic for your plant’s overall health. By removing dead flowers, you help promote new growth.
11. Reduce Watering If You Don’t Notice Timely Buds
Another way to help trick your Christmas cactus into blooming on time is to restrict its watering. Your plant should produce buds around mid-November, and no later than Thanksgiving. If you don’t see any buds by Thanksgiving, consider reducing the the amount of water you give it for several weeks. The reduction of water simulates the dormancy period this plant would experience in nature, and should help produce buds quickly.
12. Patience And Persistence Are Key
Christmas Cacti can take several years to bloom, especially if you start with a small sapling. It’s a plant that requires patience, as it blooms only after a full year of nurturing care.
Once your cactus blooms successfully for the first time, however, the seasonal routine and needs of this plant should become easy to remember.
13. Consider Propagating New Plants Annually
It’s surprisingly easy to grow new Christmas cacti from an existing plant. Simply cut a few (at least 2) segments from an existing plant and allow the cuttings to dry for a day or two. Then either plant this segment directly in soil, or allow it to root in water.
By propagating new plants each year, you have plenty of backup plants in case something goes wrong with your existing plants. If you can keep these plants alive all year, they will make great DIY holiday gifts for your friends and neighbors.Â
14. Repot The Plant As Needed
When you keep a Christmas cactus as a houseplant, you must be prepared for it to grow year after year. As it grows, you must repot it. You should usually repot your Christmas cactus once a year.Â
Remember that while a bit of root constriction is ok, you should not let it become completely rooted in the pot. The best time to repot your Christmas cactus is usually after the blossoms die in the winter, but before you fertilize it in the early spring.
Summing Up How To Ensure A Christmas Cactus Will Bloom Annually
The Christmas cactus is an ornate and beautiful holiday decoration. It brings a bit of tropical color to an otherwise evergreen season. This fascinating plant provides stunning natural blossoms and will continue to bloom annually as long as you take good care of it.
Remember to prune and repot your Christmas cactus each year, and always provide it with well-drained soil. Ensure your plant gets the correct levels of sunlight, darkness, and water throughout the year. Fertilize your plant in the early spring and keep it in a humid, room-temperature controlled environment throughout the year.
Related Guides:
- Are Air Plants Good Houseplants? (And How To Keep Them Alive)
- What To Know Before Growing Houseplants
- How To Keep Indoor Plants Alive And Thriving In The Winter
Tom Gaffey is an expert writer who currently resides in Washington D.C. Tom has a passion for real estate and home improvement writing, as well as travel and lifestyle writing. He lived the last twelve years in Hawaii where he worked closely with luxury resorts and event planners, mastering his knowledge of aesthetics and luxury products. This is where he found his passion for home improvement and a keen interest in DIY projects. Currently, Tom resides in Washington D.C, and also working on his debut fiction novel.
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