1 week Ago By Sophie Harris
With bright red, pink, purple or white blooms, the Christmas cactus is the perfect way to brighten up a room on a gloomy winter’s day. However, according to the experts at Eflorist , it can be a little tricky to take care of, and particularly tricky to get it “blooming”. Luckily, they’ve shared the five biggest mistakes to avoid, and what to do to ensure it stays alive to last for years.
The pros said: “It’s important to ensure you’re watering a Christmas cactus, as these plants need moist soil to thrive, so it’s recommended to water them at least once a week once the top inch or two of soil is dry - meaning you can sometimes wait up to two weeks to water it again. “A Christmas cactus is a succulent and often grows better when bottom-watered. To do this, simply place your Christmas cactus in a container that can hold enough water to cover half of the pot.
“Leave it for around five to 15 minutes or whenever you see that the top layer of soil is moist, and ensure that you allow the houseplant to sit for a couple of minutes to allow it to drain any excess water.” Another mistake people often make is choosing the wrong soil, as using the wrong one can affect growth, as well as cause other problems such as rotting the roots and stems. Use some decomposed compost or peat, as well as some gravel, sand or coarse perlite, to help airflow and water drainage.
The pros continued: “A Christmas cactus will be far more likely to bloom when it’s kept in the optimal conditions, and despite its festive, wintery name, it will need lots of bright indirect sunlight, relatively humid conditions, and warm temperatures. “The cactus will need around four to eight hours of bright, indirect sunlight, followed by a period of continuous darkness, ideally around 13 hours. “The best place to locate the plant is in a place with indirect sunlight, such as an east-facing window or even a bright bathroom.
“However, if you’re keeping your Christmas cactus in the bathroom, ensure to move it to a darker place at night. Alternatively, you can place it in a room that doesn’t see the sun in the evening.” When following this process, flower buds will usually begin to show in around six weeks, at which point they can be put back on display, still avoiding direct sunlight.
The flower experts said: “It’s equally as important to feed your Christmas cactus with a premium fertiliser, or a 20-20-20, or 10-10-10 plant food diluted with water, to ensure it receives all the necessary nutrients it needs to grow. “A balanced fertiliser will have an equal ratio of the main three nutrients for plants on their packaging, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium or N:P:K. “A Christmas cactus requires more magnesium than other plants, so you can also use magnesium sulphate, such as Epsom salt, mixed with water, to add more nutrients to your cacti.
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