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How to Make a Christmas Cactus Bloom
Encourage Christmas cactus blooms by giving them lower temperatures and adequate darkness during the weeks leading up to the holidays.
Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) provide a welcome burst of red, pink, white, orange or purple flowers in winter, which makes them classic holiday houseplants. They flower so abundantly, you will want to see them re-bloom year after year. Christmas cactus grow outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11 but are usually grown as houseplants.
Pinching Back
Stop fertilizing the plant and pinch back stems in June to encourage new growth and flower terminals. With your fingers, twist off one or two segments of each stem. Do this only once. It creates new branching and new bud development for holiday blooms. In September pinch back any segment that is less than 1/3 inch long. These short, immature segments will not produce flower buds by bloom time.
Water, Light and Temperature
A Christmas cactus needs low temperatures between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit and darkness to start its bloom cycle. Begin in September to provide the plant with these conditions. Place your cactus in an area of the house that remains at 60 F during the night and receives only nine to 10 hours of light during the day. The plant needs 14 hours of darkness each day to begin bud production.
Continue to water weekly until the flower buds begin to develop. Reduce the watering to every other week as the buds grow. Allow the cactus to dry out between waterings.
Tip
The flower colors will be more intense if you slightly underwater a Christmas cactus. But don't reduce it so far that the plant looks dehydrated or the buds might fall off.
Check how damp the soil is by inserting a finger up to the first knuckle to gauge dryness. The soil should feel slightly dry but not parched.
Warning
Wrinkled leaves indicate overwatering or excess heat. Make sure the soil is not soggy to the touch and the room stays below 70F. Reduce watering if necessary so the soil stays slightly dry to the touch.
Enjoying the Flowers
Move the Christmas cactus to its display area when the flowers have developed enough to begin to open. Make sure the plant continues to receive bright, indirect light and the room temperature does not go above 70 F. A warm room causes flowers to fade and drop off quickly.
When a Christmas cactus is given enough darkness and low temperatures beginning in September, it will bloom successfully at the end of December. The flowering period lasts seven to eight weeks when temperatures are kept under 70 F.
Tip
Keep a Christmas cactus in light shade, away from drafty areas and water it weekly. Water the plant when the growing medium is dry to the touch. It will tolerate slightly drier conditions during spring and summer. Most Christmas cactuses benefit from a few weeks outdoors in summer in a shady spot.
