Home»Cactus - Succulents»Christmas Cactus
The plants known as Thanksgiving cactus , Christmas cactus , and Easter cactus are three endearing eccentric of flower holiday industrial plant . Unlike desert cactus , these plants are epiphytic plant that acquire in tropic jungles in trees .
Although there are many similarity between the three , specific differences will help you enjoin one from the other .
One gravid conflict between the three types of epiphytic cacti is the folio conformation .
Thanksgiving and Christmas Cactus are Cousins
You may also have noticed the difference between the genus names of Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus and Easter cactus . Easter cactus is an unrelated works , but it still has many similarities with Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus .
Bloom Time Differs
Another big deviation between these holiday cacti lie in the time of year when they bloom . As the vulgar name suggest , Schlumgera truncata tends to bloom early in the tumble .
Schlumgera bridgesti has a somewhat later bloom clock time . And Rhipsalidopsis gaertnerrii blooms early in the give . It expect longer downtime to goad blooming .
What is DownTime?
Even with their departure , these three case of epiphytic cactus are “ short day ” plants . Cool temperatures and extended periods of darkness induce bloom .
Bring them in if you keep these plants outdoors through the summer , and place them in a cool , dark localisation to further bud to set .
Here are some good locations for holiday cacti downtime :
Thanksgiving cactus and Christmas cactus need about six weeks of downtime .
Easter cactus postulate a more lengthy eternal sleep . Two or three months of short days will encourage your Easter cactus to blossom .
How Often Do Holiday Cactus Bloom?
After your Thanksgiving or Christmas cacti have bloomed , they may blossom again in the springtime as a light rushing of bloom of youth . To boost this , when all of your holiday cactus blossom are spend , return the plants to a little day go under .
How Do You Know Your Plant is Ready to Bloom?
When your epiphytic cactus farm buds , you’re able to move it from its resting billet to a ardent place setting to enjoy the flowers . Once in a while , this move will spur bud drop .
How Can You Prevent Bud Drop?
Hot temperatures , drafts , undue sunlight , or excessive water may cause bud drop .
Remember that these epiphytic cacti , unlike desert cacti , do not like direct sunlight . Place your vacation cactus in a draught - free , warm location with rich bright , but indirect sunshine .
Be careful not to overwater . Use the soaking and dry watering method acting when the first in of cactus soil is quite dry .
Do n’t apply fertiliser during bloom sentence . Instead , fertilize lightly , betimes in the spring after the blooming has finished .
This is also the good time for repotting . Even then repotting may not be necessary . These sort of plants do good when they are slightly root - bond .
remark that repotting just before or during flush time will cause bud drop . Never repot a holiday cactus during bloom time .
Is It Hard to Take Care of Holiday Cacti?
Holiday cacti are long - go and easy to propagate from cuttings . These epiphytic cacti are easy - care and resistant to most diseases . Be very careful not to overwater as this will make ancestor rot .
If the parting of any of these holiday cacti commence to turn blood-red , you are giving the plant too much sunshine . Other campaign may be too little water or too little phosphorus .
Evidence indicates that single plants can live on for more than a hundred . Also , they are sometimes handed down from one generation to the next within a family .
