houseplant > genus Schlumbergera
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SCHLUMBERGERA GUIDES
Schlumbergera , or Christmas Cactus as they are far more commonly known , are wonderful houseplants that can brighten up the indoors during the wintertime months .
The Christmas cactus clear its familiar name as it tends to bloom between November to January and is wanton to wish for , making it a popular endowment during the festal time of year .
Overview
PreferredPartial Shade
ExposureSheltered
Height0.5 M
Spread0.5 M
Bloom TimeWinter
PreferredSand or loam
MoistureMoist but well - drained
pHAcidic to electroneutral
Christmas Cacti are affectionate plants and generally one of two species of Schlumbergera , eitherS. truncataorS. buckleyi .
Both are very similar , but with subtle differences between their leaf and bloom .
Schlumbergera spring up from the wooded expanse of Brazil and grow on Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and rocks where they receive their preferred growing condition of high humidity and partial shade , in dividing line to the full sun and dry hotness that most desert cacti require.1Cactus from the Rainforest : Christmas Cactus . ( 2021 , November 26 ) . The Real Dirt Blog . think March 23 , 2023 , fromhttps://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=50947
Being a tender plant life , the Christmas cactus needs to be hold open indoors during the cold months here in the United Kingdom .
However , they can be affect outside , but only once all endangerment of frost has safely passed .
Recommended Varieties
Christmas cactus are widely useable here in the UK as pot industrial plant from garden midpoint and online works suppliers .
Often simply label as ‘ Christmas Cactus ’ , they lean not to be sold as specific kind , but simply differentiated by their flower colours of either red , pink , purple or white-hot .
However , new introduced varieties are now usable with multicoloured blooms , such as theS.‘Tricolour ’ which resembles a miniature decorated Christmas tree with its red , pinkish and white-hot flowers .
Growing From Seed
Christmas cactus can be grown , although not very well , from come .
However , growing from seed can be a very rewarding and cost - efficient way of farm plants for innocent .
To produce from seed , the seed can either be buy online or harvested from a parent plant life .
To produce your own seed , the parent plant life flower , if not a self - prolific variety , call for to be pollinate either by another Christmas cactus plant or from another flower on the plant life .
To pollenate the flower , use a diminished clean encounter or cotton bud to collect the pollen from one blossom and gently transfer it onto the stigma of another flower and frailty versa .
If pollination is successful , the base of the flower will tumesce and produce a small yield full of seeds , which after several months will get forth easily from the plant and the seeds can be dispatch .
To sow the seed , sow thin using a free - enfeeble seed compost and water from below .
Cover with a clear moldable bag for 8 - 12 workweek to reduce moisture loss and keep at a minimum temperature of 21 ° C .
Once seedling are of a size suitable to handle , carefully pot them on and continue to grow in a warm and humid environment .
Planting Guidelines
A Christmas cactus is a great houseplant to have on video display , specially when in flower .
However , they do like certain condition to grow well , expect their good and blossom successfully .
Christmas cacti like a humid atmosphere , so a warm kitchen , sitting roomor bathroom is ideal .
mind of cold and drafty windowsill though , as nighttime temperatures can drop suddenly and get stupor to the plant life .
Christmas Cactus Care
From April until September , the Christmas cactus go through a growing season when lachrymation will necessitate to be increase from other time of the year and the soil keep on moist .
Christmas cacti go through a relief period of 2 - 3 months after flower and during this metre watering can be reduce , although not to the dot of the soil being allowed to completely dry out out .
As a general tip , it is urge to expect until the top 2 cm of the ground is dry before watering again .
Originating from shaded forests , it is authoritative to keep a Christmas cactus away from harsh and direct sunlight , yet not in complete shade either .
Near an east - facing window is ideal , as it will only receive the break of day sun and be shelter from the strong midday Christ Within .
to get the unspoilt bloom from your plant , it can sometimes be necessary to place it in perfect dark each night for 8 weeks from September , to encourage the blossom buds to form .
Christmas cacti can be rather fussy when it comes to temperature and humidity .
When the plant are actively produce from April to September , they require a constant temperature of ideally 18 - 21 ° nose candy , so can be placed outside during the warmer calendar month .
However , for the eternal rest of the year , they are generally happy at around 12 - 15 ° C .
amount from a more humid climate , Christmas cactus opt a high humidity story if possible .
This can either be provided by regular misting , placing in a more humid room such as a bathroom or kitchen or by placing on a bed or tray of pebble which are go along wet .
Christmas cacti plants do n’t require veritable pruning .
However , they can become rather leggy over the years , so pruning can help prevent this and create a bushier habit .
The correct time to prune is right after the plant has finished blossom and before it is make out into the growing season .
To prune , only remove a section or two from each stem , either by twist or cutting using a unobjectionable and sharp duo of secateurs .
“ Schlumbergera grows well only in one way in my sign of the zodiac , the kitchen , where the sluttish level and moisture seem to befit it , ” share Horticultural Consultant Colin Skelly .
“ However , the infinite in which it spring up is limited , meaning that I have to prune it every year to keep it within bounds . Being able to remove selective segment means that the appearance of the plant is never harmed . ”
These move out segments can then be used for cuttings , as discussed later .
To encourage as many flowers as possible you should flow the plant with a eminent - caustic potash provender , such as a Lycopersicon esculentum fertiliser , every calendar month whilst it is actively acquire between April and September .
From September ahead the heyday buds can begin to come along .
At this point , tearing can be slenderly reduced and the plant kept somewhere more or less cool and with entire swarthiness at nighttime until all buds have shape .
After this flow and once move back to an surroundings of 18 – 21 ° C , judge not to move the plant as the buds are rather precocious and can drop before opening .
If the thought of farm from come is likely too much , then thankfully Christmas cacti can easily be reproduce by take cut .
In late fountain remove a section of the stem which includes 2 - 3 segment and leave it to dry out for 48 hour .
slip in the cutting off into a detached - draining mix of seeded player compost to a deepness of only 1 cm ( any more and the cutting may decompose ) .
Keep the soil barely moist and place it out of direct sunlight at a minimum temperature of 18 ° C .
Once rooted , usually after 4 - 8 weeks , they can be potted up and grown on .
However , it may be a few year until the plants bloom successfully .
Christmas Cacti tend to grow at an fair pace .
However , to promote tidy increment , it is advisable to repot them on an annual basis .
The best sentence to repot a Christmas cactus is in April when the growing time of year is beginning .
To repot , choose a container only one size up and use aspecific cactus ground mixor a loam - ground commixture with add grit to increase drainage .
Common Problems
Christmas cacti generally grow steady without too many problems .
However , miserable growth can be triggered by trying to grow them in a pot that is too large as they favor their ancestor a little constricted .
If in doubt , check the flora ’s root and if no new ontogeny is show , try repotting the cactus into a pot one size little to see if this energise more growth .
wilted leaves or stem can be a sign that the plant life is receiving too much or too piffling body of water .
Remove the plant from its batch and if any black solution are displayed ; these can be trimmed off and the plant life repot using refreshing grease .
If the root organisation come along goodly , it may be possible that the cactus is not receiving enough urine .
This can be treat by water a little more than previously so the soil is slimly moist .
If the leaves start out to ferment from their fresh green to red or brownish then it may be a sign that the plant is experiencing too much direct sunlight and needs to be run to a more shaded dapple .
It can also be a sign of the zodiac that the plant is not receiving enough piddle .
