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Great Houseplant: Holiday-Blooming Cactus
You may know it as Christmas cactus, but whichever holiday floats your boat, this plant is a year-round beauty
Houzz Contributor. I'm a landscape designer and freelance garden writer living in hot and humid Austin, Texas. I co-authored "Indoor Plant Decor: The Design Stylebook for Houseplants" (St. Lynn's Press) with Kylee Baumle. Follow me on Twitter @MulchMaven or on my Facebook page, J. Peterson Garden Design.
Houzz Contributor. I'm a landscape designer and freelance garden writer... More »
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Just because this plant enjoys the spotlight around the holidays, don't forget to enjoy it year-round — its striking form and foliage are difficult to find in any other plant. You might be wondering why I'm writing about Thanksgiving cactus now. The answer is: because what most people think of as Christmas cactus, and what most nurseries sell as Christmas cactus, is actually Thanksgiving cactus. True Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) is very difficult to find, so the more readily available Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) has been commonly dubbed Christmas cactus.
Now that our semantics have been cleared up, here's what you need to know about this ubiquitous holiday plant.
Now that our semantics have been cleared up, here's what you need to know about this ubiquitous holiday plant.
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| Botanical name: Schlumbergera truncata Common name: Thanksgiving cactus Water requirement: Average Light requirement: Bright light until early fall Mature size: 12 to 18 inches tall; cascades over the edge of a pot Benefits and tolerances: Generally pest and disease free Seasonal interest: Profuse blooms from late fall through January |
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Planting notes. Here's where this holiday-flowering cactus gets tricky. There is a secret to getting these plants to rebloom every year, and I share this secret with one consideration: I know many people, myself included, who do nothing special to their Thanksgiving cactus and are still treated to annual flowering.
That being said, traditional advice for these plants is to give them bright, indirect light (on a covered patio or through a bright window) until September or October. At that point, it's suggested to reduce the light to about 10 hours a day for 20 to 25 days.
Put a box or bag carefully over the plant from 6 to 8 p.m. or place it in a darkened garage during those hours. This imitates the short day cycle that is necessary for these plants to set buds for holiday flowering.
When the buds begin to set, increase watering and bring the container out to a brightly lit area for holiday display, but never let the plant sit in soggy soil.
That being said, traditional advice for these plants is to give them bright, indirect light (on a covered patio or through a bright window) until September or October. At that point, it's suggested to reduce the light to about 10 hours a day for 20 to 25 days.
Put a box or bag carefully over the plant from 6 to 8 p.m. or place it in a darkened garage during those hours. This imitates the short day cycle that is necessary for these plants to set buds for holiday flowering.
When the buds begin to set, increase watering and bring the container out to a brightly lit area for holiday display, but never let the plant sit in soggy soil.
by Rikki Snyder
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Distinguishing traits. Thanksgiving cactus and Christmas cactus are both flat-leaf cacti native to the tropical forests of Brazil, but they're different in subtle ways. Thanksgiving cactus has pointed or claw-like stem ends, while those of the Christmas cactus are rounded.
Thanksgiving cactus also begins to bloom earlier, setting out buds in mid to late fall with flowers in white, fuchsia, pink, red and salmon. Most plants bloom profusely from about one month before Christmas until later in January or even into February.
Thanksgiving cactus also begins to bloom earlier, setting out buds in mid to late fall with flowers in white, fuchsia, pink, red and salmon. Most plants bloom profusely from about one month before Christmas until later in January or even into February.
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| How to use it. Plant this holiday bloomer in containers of festive colors (red, green, silver) and display it with other houseplants or other seasonal flowers, like poinsettias or cyclamens. If you live in a very mild area (zones 9 to 11), you may be able to leave this plant outside on your patio throughout the season. All other zones should plan to display this plant indoors during the colder months. |
Ideabook published on Dec. 7, 2012.
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They are relatively easy to care for, and their multitude of draping leaves are very pretty, and the blossoms are beautiful. I have no trouble getting blossoms, the seasonal changes in Utah seem to trigger them just fine, but I have noticed that I get more and bigger blossoms with frequent fertilizer application. I used to stop fertilizing in deep winter time but found my plants like to be fertilized all year long.