Thanksgiving & Christmas Cactus Care: September/October 2023

[@nolanholmberg311]

I agree with you that the temperatures along with the light be restricted are the key to getting big beautiful blooms! So I’m in central North Carolina in the Raleigh metro area and I found the key to getting my thanksgiving cactus to bloom regularly with very little work is I kept them outside all summer long and really keep them outside all the way until our first frost date usually around December! The natural transition of the natural light and the temperatures. I’ve got at least double the amount of buds on all my thanksgiving cactus since last year and the only thing I changed was letting them hang out outside from the second my last frost date started to the day the temperatures dip under freezing. Now as we all know our southern heat in the summers is something else but at least here in North Carolina our summers are so humid I had very little issues with my cacti not being able to get enough water. I kept them under a big hickory tree and they never got direct sun but they loved the heat and grew like crazy! In the peak summer heat I was watering them daily but they didn’t care they just kept chugging along lol! If you ever get the chance to I highly recommend you try keeping your holiday cacti outside for the growing season each year because the results I’ve seen in this first year alone is evidence enough for me to continue this strategy for growing my holiday cacti for years to come!

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Nolan and thanks for sharing this helpful info! I would grow mine outside, but I have critters that get into EVERYTHING in my yard...and I know they wouldn't be able to resist playing football with my plants if I put them out there. lol Growing them outside in the summer gives them a huge blooming advantage. I'm so glad to hear that yours are blooming so well since growing them outside during the growing season. Happy growing and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

[@linetteevans8337]

Hi Amy. I'm here in Wisconsin. I repotted my Thanksgiving/Christmas cactus (5or6) into a large pot in May. My patio faces north and is covered. I also get some east and west sun. Brought her in at the end of September. Buds galore! It has now bloomed this morning for Halloween. I really don't care when it blooms,just that it is. It is a miracle! Sometimes, I feel they just have a mind of their own. I thank you for your wonderful guidance. I love your monthly care guide from years ago.

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Linette! Thanks so much for your sweet comment! I'm so happy that your cactus is blooming, and you're so right...they bloom when they choose. 😊 Have a great day!

[@ellenhaben1217]

Hi Amy!💚I live in Celina Texas and my thanksgiving cactus usually start budding and blooming in late November and December and rebloom through March. I keep my holiday cactus in cold dark rooms in October and leaving my blinds cracked throughout the day and night. I am misting them and checking in on them throughout the week. I have Flo,from my flower mound home and 9 other 12/24 inch plants in the room preparing for budding! Sending good vibes and hugs💚👍! .

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Ellen! Thanks so much for sharing how you grow them! Have a great day! Amy 😇⚘

[@balerinabalerina6]

Beautiful Christmas Cactus Blessings for you too

[@kimhumiston2686]

Thank you for your blessings and blessings to you as well!

[@ttschrock7126]

Hello! I have found you again! I have been busy canning instead of orchids, but also love Christmas cacti and here you are!! What a pleasant wonderful surprise. You golden green thumb have made Christmas cactus amazingly gorgeous. Cannot wait to catch up on your videos.

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi!! I'm so glad you found me again...it's great to hear from you! 😇❤️🌺🌸🌹

[@woowooone]

Beautiful!

[@bigtomatoplantslover6205]

Wow Lovely Plants ~ Thank you for good sharing 😊 LIKE 91 My friend, have a good relationship 😊

[@michelleslifeonrepeat]

Great hearing your voice.😊

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Thank you Michelle! 😇🐕🌸

[@hillbillyorchids]

Aww Jazzie is such a cutie pie! 🩷🩷🩷 My goodness that cactus I gave you bursted in growth! Amazing! Ill be interested in seeing if it blooms for you. Mine is small and it blooms. All my cacti are still outside with low temps of 50° sometimes. I am leaving them a little longer this year than usual. See how that works out. Have a great weekend. ❤🫂

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Paula! Can you believe how much it's grown!! I had to repot it...and I'll have to repot again in the Spring. It's exploding out of its pot already. I hope it blooms! 50 degrees for a while should definitely do the trick. Blessings to you, sweet friend. Jazzie sends hugs! 😇🐕🌸💜🙏

[@shirleyholt898]

Hi Amy and Jasmine. Thanks for all the info on growing cactus. May you all have a wonderful blessed 😇 weekend. 🥰❤️

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Shirley! Jasmine and I hope you have a great weekend too! Blessings! 😇🐕🌸💜🙏

[@Wanda705]

Hi Amy! All your Cactus looks amazing! I'm hoping mine gets some buds..fingers crossed. Miss Jazmine is too cute! Have a Wonderful Weekend! ❤❤

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Wanda! I'm hoping your cacti bloom for you...keep me posted! Jazmine and I hope you have a wonderful week! 😇🐕🌸💜

[@rkenn100]

Hi, Amy--I am so excited! For the first time in about 3 or 4 years since I've been growing holiday cactii, I am finally getting blooms on 2 of my Thanksgiving cacti. We live in central IL and I put them out on a shaded south-facing porch this summer. They grew like crazy! I discovered your channel about mid-summer, so I started using your fertilizer regimen until the end of August, then moved them into a cooler unused guest room facing a western window, reducing the watering. One of my 2 Thanksgiving cactii started putting on blooms in late October and has some amazing blooms for the first time since I brought it home several years ago from the store. The other one is setting some tiny buds, so I've experimented with moving it to our living room, which is generally just has a lamp on in the evenings since we sit in an adjoining family room most evenings, so I'm eager to see how it blooms out now. I hated to have them all back in an unused room where I can't enjoy them! The 3rd cactus I believe might be a Christmas cactus and it is a start from one of my mom's plants. I'm hopeful it will bloom finally after I have struggled to keep it alive over the years, but now is healthy and strong. I've also got an Easter cactus that I grew from a start from my aunt in northern Florida and it also grew in leaps and bounds this summer on the porch. It's been sent to the cooler guest bedroom as of this month (November) and I'm eager to see how it does with blooming. I so want to thank you for your videos. I feel like this is the best info I've gotten as far as specific details on how to grow holiday cactii (and orchids and African violets!) month by month. I have little index cards that I keep nearby to keep me on track, using your information. Last year I banished them to a cooler basement room with a small window and they barely survived. I was so disappointed and discouraged, so your channel has made me excited again and hopeful about growing these plants, especially the ones from my mom's plant and my aunt's plant (her sister) in Florida. Mom has some dementia and this plant is a lovely connection to wonderful memories over the years of my mom. So thanks again--I look forward to all your videos! Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Rhonda! Thanks so much for sharing...I'm so happy you're getting blooms this year! Happy Thanksgiving! Amy😇

[@Spoke76]

I'm also here in SW Knox County. I have Easter and Christmas cactus. I'm still watering as well. I don't have a sunroom nor a room with sun. I face NW so my house is dark. They don't do very well in the winter. Hoping they blossom this year.

[@bettedaviseyes8563]

Jazzie is so cute! Warms my heart to see her in your sunroom, scratching itches and inspecting roots 😊 Best wishes to y’all.. ♥️

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Thanks so much! We're so happy with this lil gal! 😇🐕🌸

[@sharonholmes4444]

💚 I totally agree with you. Temps everywhere have set records. We had historical brutal heat here in Arizona this summer as you know. Its 🍂🍁🍂 Autumn now and I'm grateful! Those baby salmon cacti cuttings i sent you are from a "very" robust plant. Its moma is the strongest of all my cacti. It will be bloom and be a giant in no time at all! Blessings my friend 😇

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Sharon! So glad autumn has brought you cooler temps! I think this time of the year is the most beautiful here. Cant wait to see Miss Peachy when she blooms, you can tell this cactus is robust! Many blessings to you, dear friend! 😇🐕🌸🌵

[@sharonholmes4444]

@@OrchidWhisperer My favorite season as well. 🍂🍁🍂 Always has been.

[@tammyinnalabama]

Happy October. We're expecting highs of 89 most of the week. I'll continue to water mine with just filtered water. When you say not to fertilize them, does that also mean no calmag or seaweed, just filtered water? Jasmine is adorable!!! 🥰 Im going to move my phalaenopsis into a little greenhouse I have on my patio for a couple of weeks to get some lower temperatures. Maybe they'll bloom for me this year. I'll put my smaller cacti outside too. Have a wonderful week. 🙋‍♀️🐛🦋🌵🌻

[@memorydandaroy1618]

I’m glad I read your comment I didn’t know to use filtered water on these I just do on my African violets and orchids. Thank you 🙏🏻

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Tammy! I give mine just r o water this time of the year...they've been fed well and they're ready to go. That's a great idea with your Phals. Keep me posted. Jasmine and I send you lots of blessings! 🐕🍁🍂🌺😇

[@Mimi-63]

Hi Amy 🌸, thank you for the video, I was wondering about the LED lighting. I’m going to cut my lighting back tomorrow 10/1. It’s weird because one of mine has a small bud 😂 with no changes of temp or lighting…I guess it’s just ready to go! Here in southern Texas we’re still in the 90’s but much better than 100’s 😅. I’m so excited that you have a Samba Brazil, they’re absolutely beautiful!! The colors are stunning. My cacti are loving their new pots and new soil from Orchid Supply, looking forward to beautiful blooms 🌼🌸. Little Jasmine was adorable today 🐾 , many blessings to you my friend. Chrissy 🤠

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Chrissy! It sounds like your cactus is going to bud soon too...I'm hearing this from several people! It's early, but I've learned they do what they want to do! 😅 I'm so glad to hear they are doing well for you. Jasmine and I wish you a fabulous week! 😇🐕🍁🍂🌺

[@luciaorquidea-detudoumpouc9252]

Está linda demais minha querida amiga ❤️

[@Joe-nj3bb]

Amy, I hope you have some orchids to show off during Thanksgiving. I'm planning on repotting two new paphs tomorrow or Monday with clear pots and the fine mix by Repotme. Since it's fine bark which is small, I'm guessing it doesn't need to soak for as long. I have a feeling it's going to break down faster than the usual medium size bark I've been using. I also found out that oyster shells are a slow release source of calcium so I'm going to try that as well. If you have any other tips for paphiopedilums, I would appreciate reading your advice. I couldn't find any videos about them on your channel. I live in CT so I'm guessing they will do well with the cooler weather here.

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Joe, I do have blooms to show for Thanksgiving...trying to carve out some time to do a video on them! I haven't grown Paphs in a long time, but they aren't hard to grow. Same light as Phals as I recall. Thank you for checking in, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

[@melissazoeller6675]

Hi Amy, I’m binge watching your videos on Christmas cactus care. Mine does have the scalloped edges so I was expecting buds to form a little closer to December but mine is budding and it’s 11/4… I was happy to see I didn’t have to make my flash cards for monthly care 😉 but 3 years ago you said you didn’t stop fertilizing it and it was beautiful and in this video you said you stop fertilizing… what did I miss? What changed? I know plant care evolves and I have to adjust to changing conditions but I clearly missed something. 🤦🏽‍♀ Help! And thank you so very much for your videos, they’re very educational. Keep the blessings coming and God bless you and keep you ❤

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi Melissa! I stopped fertilizing mine while they were in bloom...they don't need it while they're blooming and the blooms last longer. Hope that clarifies. Happy growing and many blessings! Amy

[@ellietobe]

The holiday cactus that I purchased last year at Christmas time is already full of flower buds. I have done nothing different to it. The plant has remained inside all year long. We are having temperatures that are a bit cooler, especially at night time but being inside I doubt that this cactus has noticed that difference. I have not been watering it a whole lot because August and September have been quite humid and I wanted to avoid overwatering with such humid conditions. The room where most of my plants are is not air conditioned so they must have some sense of temperature changes but not much. We have not needed to turn on the heat yet. I water all of my plants less when it is extremely humid as it has been for over a month. Since it is budding now I assume that my Christmas cactus is not going to have flowers on it to celebrate the holiday season. I’m still trying to locate a true Christmas cactus. I don’t believe that the corporate retailers even know the difference.

[@OrchidWhisperer]

With these plants you never know...you might have blooms all the way through the holidays! Happy growing!

[@southernbiscuits1275]

Your videos are always so positive. I really appreciate that. I was pleased to see you talking about Thanksgiving cacti. My plants have grown an incredible amount over the summer. As soon as it got warm enough for me to place them outside, I started fertilizing them with the mix you showed on your channel. It works wonders!! I was looking at my plants this morning and noticed that several of them have set buds. They are under the carport where they get the morning sun. I live in NC so, like Tennessee, the days have become shorter and the temps have become lower. I guess this is why some plants have set buds. I have a couple of questions for you. In the next two weeks I will be bringing my plants inside. Will the change in environment cause the buds to fall off? Also, with these plants beginning a blooming cycle so early in the fall season, will they be bloomed out when the holidays get here? I thought the plants would set bloom after I brought them inside. I had no idea it would be this soon. An observant question on my part: granted that there is a need for less light and cooler temps, however, is there a specific amount of light and temps that must be met or (just wondering) is the lessened light and drop in temps more about numbers relative to what the plant is used to? Your plants bloom even though the temps don't reach the lows that are given to be necessary to set buds. Maybe the drop from the summer temps to the fall temps is large enough to set buds. Maybe it isn't the specific number of the temps and the reduction of light that's important. Maybe the factor is the percentage of drop in temperature and light. I have no idea. I am just wondering. By the way, one of the plants that's set budss was rooted a month ago when the wind knocked the mother plant over. The stems rooted immediately and now the plant has buds. Is this a common thing to happen? Thank you so much for your ideas.

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi! Since they have already set buds, bring them in before it gets cold. Try to move them when the outside temp and the inside temp is the same. That will reduce the risk of buds dropping. Happy growing! 😇

[@sheiselwilliams1]

Hi Amy, New viewer here.👋 I'm so glad I found your channel. Your Jasmin is so cute!❤ I grow orchids and 2 Thanksgiving cactus along with other houseplants. I'm new to growing Christmas /Thanksgiving cactus. One of my Thanksgiving cactus came from a small piece that I took off my parent's plant after they passed away. It is now about a year and a half old and appears to be doing very well. 😊 The other is a rescue plant given to me by a friend. It looks like it probably hasn't been repotted for several years. I know it was being watered incorrectly soaked for 12 hours or more, then nothing and very dry for probably 2 weeks or more. I'm gently nursing it to good health, and it is looking MUCH better. Do you think it would be ok to wait until spring to repot it? Thanks & God bless, Sherrii

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi and welcome to my channel! Yes, I would wait till spring to repot. Have a great day! Amy 😇⚘

[@sheiselwilliams1]

@@OrchidWhisperer Thank you😊

[@tksixangels44]

This week we are mostly 80s . We will be down slightly below 60 and then Friday 39. Mine are outside until we get too cold.

[@tillissabarcia7538]

How cold is too cold?

[@tksixangels44]

I brought mine in at 40

[@lisaallen7219]

I just brought this cactus today at Walmart. Christmas or Thanksgiving cactus. How can I send you a picture?

[@ROlson-dx2jc]

Thanks for another great video, Amy. Are you repotting your Thanksgiving cactus in 100% Glacier Gold potting soil or do you still mix some orchiata bark in as well? If you changed your medium is there a reason for switching? Always enjoy your videos!

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi! Actually, they're potted in the Glacier Gold/Orchiata bark mixture I mentioned before. Thanks for catching that, I'll mention it in my next cactus video. 😇 Have a great week! 🍁🍂🌺🍁🍂

[@ROlson-dx2jc]

@OrchidWhisperer Thank you! I have a baby Thanksgiving cactus that I potted with the soil/bark mix and it is so very healthy! I appreciate your videos so much

[@TerriKelly-rx3it]

I purchased a Thanksgiving Cactus at a local Supermarket. It finished blooming and many buds fell off which I hear is normal with the adjustment of moving it to my house. My question is, it is in potting soil which seems like it holds too much water. I would like to transplant it into cactus soil. Should I do this right now and realize the plant will go thru a little shock or should I just leave it alone?

[@OrchidWhisperer]

I would wait to repot till Spring. Check it to see when it needs to be watered, and water it lightly since the soil tends to stay damp. Make sure the soil doesn't stand in water. Happy growing!

[@vildhallon4709]

Oh no I just watched this video after repoting my Christmas cactus ... oh well. Maybe i'll get some flowers next year instead

[@OrchidWhisperer]

It might still bloom...keep me posted! Happy growing! 😇

[@vildhallon4709]

Update: she is currently in bloom and the flowers are a beautiful hot pink color! So apparently she was alright with the repot, I'm so glad I got to see some flowers!

[@OrchidWhisperer]

@@vildhallon4709 I'm so glad she bloomed! You're obviously giving this cactus great care. 😊 Happy growing and thank you for keeping me posted! 🌺

[@sharonperry6366]

Hi Amy, Is there a way I can message/email you? Thanks in advance

[@memorydandaroy1618]

Dear Amy What fertilizer would you recommend the numbers #-#-#. (?) For these guys. When it is time to fertilize Thank you for the information 😊 PS. My dream is to have a sunroom solarium.

[@OrchidWhisperer]

Hi! You can use any type of houseplant fertilizer you want to. I use MSU orchid fertilizer...13-3-16 spring and summer. Happy growing! 😇🌸

[@memorydandaroy1618]

@@OrchidWhisperer thank you Amy so much for replying God Bless you & your family Yes Jasmine is a cutie.