Holiday Cactus Tips, Tricks & Blooming Secrets! Schlumbergera Care

[@jonstfrancis]

One trick I discovered with large holiday cacti is to put the pot in a container but place large stones in the container for the pot to sit on; that way you can water it often but the water doesn't stay around the bottom of the pot which is what causes wilt and if too long rot.

[@FreePlantsForever]

Good tip!

[@BeckyA59]

My apparently Thanksgiving cactus that I got last year is starting to bud. It's in the window in the living room so it's getting that artificial light, I didn't know it needed dark like a poinsettia does! But it looks like we'll get a few blooms at least. TBH in my home, as much as I love having many plants, they need to be able to survive under benign neglect 😁 to some extent

[@FreePlantsForever]

Nice! Luckily these cactus do fairly well with some neglect 😅 as long as you don't do anything drastic in the next month those blooms will stick around 🌼

[@fbiagentfrank]

I only buy plants that can handle neglect and the only time I have any issues with them it's because I'm giving them too much attention😂 I've got dozens of pothos, philodendron, and snake plants.

[@BeckyA59]

It's decided to start blooming again which is awesome!

[@karenamalfi8551]

Thank you for this video. I have my Mom’s Holiday cactus and it’s 30+ years old. It’s doing very well. And I didn’t know that it’s common for them to live so long. It’s nice to still have it 🙂

[@FreePlantsForever]

Yes! I've heard some amazing stories about heirloom holiday cactus, how wonderful that you have your mother's cactus. So special.

[@karenamalfi8551]

@@FreePlantsForever Thank you 🙂

[@jonstfrancis]

I have a Christmas (x Buckleyii) which is like 40 years old. But there is some footage on youtube of ones much older, like 200 years old.

[@robertwormley4294]

I got mine from a lil ol lady who said she always had it. You could barely get your arms around it, so beautiful thick and even tall. I've taken many starts in my thirty years with it.

[@nirmaliedesilva2497]

What's the best soil mix for Thanksgiving Cactus? Thank you for the informative video.❤

[@lorrainejudd2425]

Thanks for your video, i am repotting my Christmas cactus that is not blooming.

[@FreePlantsForever]

Perfect time of year. Give it some good plant food and let it build up its energy to give you some great blooms when the winter comes.

[@caseykatie9655]

How often do you water these plants? What does it mean if the leaves are wilting and a little wrinkly/shriveled?

[@Tammy-1979Y]

Do you have any suggestions on how to repot a Christmas cactus that has been in the same pot for 15+ years? The pot has 2 different varieties of cactus in it and I thought it would be good to separate the plants into 2 new pots with fresh soil. I hesitate to disturb it but the dirt is rock hard and the plant has never bloomed well. Any ideas?

[@barbararoller7340]

When do you recommend fertilizing if you live (like I do) in a place where you don't really have much of a winter season. I live in Southwest Florida. "Winter" weather is as rare as a few days each year or sometimes as long as 2 to 3 weeks, in mostly January. The temps will drop down to 40 or below - sometimes we might get down into the 30s but then the sun comes out and during the day we are back to 60s/70s. The rest of the year we are in mostly in the 80s to mid/high 90s. We are considered "sub-tropical", with a rainy season from June to the end of October and LOTS of humidity. My succulents are mostly in my screened lanai where they get about 8 hrs of very bright filtered sunlight and lots of humidity - they are thriving. But not sure if my Thanksgiving cactus would be happy there.

[@juliecaywood8083]

Thank you for the info....great! My Christmas cactus is outside (July) in the shade in Texas! The leaves are turning red...is that o.k.?

[@EtherealSunset]

Is it normal for dome of the growth near the top to start growing roots?

[@KnutRogerJakobsen]

My christmas cactus have gotten pale green, almost yellow leafs. What should I do to make it happy again?

[@joycekelley6362]

I ordered this Thanksgiving cactus online. I replanted it. I am worried about the color of the first segment. It is gray. The rest of the segments look good. It came three little stalks in soil wrapped in clear Syran wrap. I live in Arizona. It is hot summer here. The soil was very hot. It took nine days to arrive. I took it out of box, unwrapped it and left it on counter to cool down. Then I gave it a drink and planted them. They had roots. Do you think it will be okay or is that first segment no good. I have kept it under a grow light and our house is cool. I tried to post a picture but it seems I can’t post pictures here.

[@FreePlantsForever]

Hopefully it's just taking time to adjust to it's new surroundings and didn't get too hot. If the first segment starts to go squishy, it may have rot and you might want to cut it off and just keep the healthy looking segments since they propagate really easily. Keep an eye on the segments and keep feeling them to make sure they stay firm. If they're squishy, that's when you take action.

[@StalkerNaturaliste]

Easter cacti are not Schlumbergera but Rhipsalidopsis.

[@FreePlantsForever]

Ah, good to know! 🌵

[@crystalvanness9139]

I have a Christmas plant and the leaves are very thin and limp what can I do to bring it to life

[@FreePlantsForever]

I would check the soil. Usually thin and limp leaves are a sign that it needs water, but if the soil is wet then it could be root rot. If it's in soggy soil the plant should be removed from the soil and any rotten or soggy roots and branches should be cut off, and dried out to re-propagate. I hope that helps!

[@cynthiacharlery710]

How can I get a plant

[@shericreates]

I wish I could propagate mine. Every time I try they either wilt or dry up. I have tried every techniques. And my big one I have had for years are dropping limbs. I transplanted it back into a clay pot because it was in one of those self watering plastic pots. Not my favorite. Maybe I used too big of pot?

[@ROlson-dx2jc]

Clay is the best for them. Also they like a smallish pot. I have made the mistake of overpotting them and it really makes them decline in health. The new pot should be just a little bigger than the root ball.