Christmas cactus for the holidays

The Christmas cactus is an incredible houseplant. Whether you choose to display one or more in your home or you want to send one as a gift, you can be sure that it will impress anyone and everyone.

When a Christmas cactus produces flowers, it is quite an amazing display of floral splendor. The flowers are bright in colour and they bloom for a very long time too. Despite the name, they are not in fact cacti but they actually naturally grow in the branches of trees in Brazilian rain forests. It’s important to keep this in mind since it influences their environmental preferences. Instead of the dry climate that other cacti enjoy, the Christmas cactus enjoys higher levels of humidity.

Christmas cacti can thrive in most types of soil provided it drains well. The pot in which you grow your Christmas cactus should also have holes to allow excess water flow out. These plants enjoy indirect light and moderate temperatures. During the summer, the plant should be placed in a shady spot.

Before watering, you should always check the soil first. If the soil feels dry the to touch, it’s time to water. Make sure that you pour water slowly over the soil and soak the soil until water runs out the drainage holes. Allow the pot to rest somewhere and let the excess water flow away before you put it back on display.

The plant can be fertilized every two weeks during the spring and summer while this can be slowed to once a month in the winter and autumn. Pruning in June will help encourage more blooms. You can even root these off cuts and grow more plants. If your plant is not blooming, it could be due to too much light or it could be too cool.

Some common problems that can affect your plant include mealy bugs and root rot. Both can be prevented, of course.