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The Christmas cactus is a favorite gift that often grows into a family heirloom. With proper care you can keep this holiday favorite flowering for four to eight weeks.
Keep your flowering Christmas cactus in a cool bright location to extend its bloom time. Avoid drafts of hot and cold air, moisture stress and other changes in the environment. This can result in bud and flower drop.
Water the soil thoroughly and often enough to keep the soil slightly moist. This tropical plant may look like a succulent, but prefers a bit more water.
Fertilize with a dilute solution of flowering houseplant fertilizer once it has finished blooming. Then move it to a sunny window or under artificial lights with your other houseplants.
Rebloom your cactus by providing cooler temperatures, drier conditions and as some experts believe 14 hours of total darkness each night. Start on Oct. 1 for blooms next Christmas.
A bit more information: The Thanksgiving and Easter Cacti look very similar to the Christmas cactus, though the bloom times vary. For more information on identification and care of these plants click here.
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