Thanksgiving vs. Christmas Cactus: Dave's Bonsai E67

In this episode, I dive a little deeper into the cactus discussion between what I've been calling the Christmas Cactus and the Thanksgiving Cactus, which is what I actually have been working on for a few years. I'll break down the differences with the help of the ever-powerful WWW world we live in. Make sure you check out the links below for more information on this discussion. Pay attention to how many times I continue to call it the wrong species.
Julie Nicole: • forcing your Christmas...
Laid Back Gardner: laidbackgardener.blog/
Flower Patch Farmhouse: • Christmas Cactus or Th...

[@Christmascactus88]

After watching the video about Christmas cactus, I feel extremely delighted and touched by the beauty of this plant. The video has helped me gain new knowledge about how to care for and decorate Christmas cactus during the holiday season. The images and information presented in the video demonstrate the delicacy and diligence in taking care of the Christmas cactus. From watering, pruning, to fertilizing, everything is done with love and meticulous care. I am also impressed with the way the Christmas cactus was decorated in the video. The LED lights and decorative accessories used created a warm and colorful festive atmosphere. The Christmas cactus is not only a decorative plant, but also a creative and impressive work of art. I am very grateful for the opportunity to watch this video and learn new knowledge about Christmas cactus. I hope to apply this knowledge to better care for my own plant and decorate a beautiful Christmas cactus in the upcoming holiday season.

[@coreyn]

Dave, This was fantastic my friend! all points where necessary, smooth transitions, so glad I’ve come across your channel. Gratitude.

[@DavesBonsai]

I appreciate your kindness!

[@markdcmountp]

I’m quite interested in seeing the before and after pictures of this cactus now that a year has passed.👍🏼

[@DavesBonsai]

It'll be showcased soon.

[@jackiedavenport1530]

Yeah, Me too!! 2022… Let us see it now!!

[@DavesBonsai]

@@jackiedavenport1530 I trimmed it up late November. Should be on my channel.

[@DavesBonsai]

Update soon on this!

[@bhards]

Interesting that the more rounded the leaves, the later they bloom in Nature...I love the cactus flowers of the Easter cactus, but they're all so beautiful, I thinkbtjis is the video I've been needing, thanks! 😸

[@TheBonsaiZone]

It's looking good Dave!

[@CAM0244]

Oh my such a beautiful plant. I could not watch all the cutting u was doing to what looked like to me a perfect plant. I do understand pruning, but I think that was a bit too much. I hope u decided to propergate all those healthy cuttings. I have a Thanksgiving cactus and it has red beautiful blooms every year, I've had it for 5 yrs now. Thanks for sharing.

[@coneflower5101]

I agree with you. That Thanksgiving cactus will have a hard time trying to grow out and bloom with Dave around. Poor thing. 🎄🎄

[@taggertA]

Nice job explaining and demonstrating the different varieties of the holiday cactus. Maybe you could tackle ficus varieties next. Great video

[@DavesBonsai]

Thanks, Tag. Ficus is a huge undertaking, but I'll work towards it.

[@mandyvieni331]

I would love to see Henry's blooms.

[@DavesBonsai]

That tree did not survive, but Henry gave me two new ones, that I hope to show off within a year. Stay tuned

[@mandyvieni331]

@DavesBonsai I know I didn't ask to see yours but I think it maybe closer to a easter cactus than a Christmas cactus. Although a Christmas cactus is a cross between Thanksgiving and Easter. I would love to see the comparison of blooms.

[@suemartell6116]

My blooms are starting...

[@DavesBonsai]

Mine will be about two more weeks.

[@markdcmountp]

It’s so funny how the wrong word can get stuck in your head..I recently had a broken garbage disposal in the house that flooded underneath my sink and caused a lot of damage and for the life of me every single time I talked about it I said “Dishwasher” 🤣

[@Elaine_P_Smith]

Thank you for defining the differences between Thanksgiving & Christmas cactus. I was just give what I thought was a Christmas cactus, but it's a Thanksgiving cactus. Could you use pieces of toilet & paper towel inserts to spread the branches? I love the bonsai look and didn't know that you could do it for Thanksgiving cactus. Could you do a video on kalanchoe.

[@DavesBonsai]

Saguaro, for sure you could. I have most often used rocks or corks from a bottle of wine. Whatever will hold branches apart and not damage them . I don't know much about Kalanchoe, but will look into it.

[@jackiedavenport1530]

This is great explanation in trimming this ‘Thanksgiving’ cactus. As I watch this, I am thinking… “I sure would love to get my hands on a few of those clippings”!! Also, would love to see a follow up on this. That was a drastic trimming. . Looks like a very healthy baby!

[@coreyn]

Subscribed my friend! Very well done👏

[@aniskalick5607]

Thanks for the advice God bless you

[@kikuekriskerker6431]

Dear, Dave I was watching you trimming and trans planting the Christmas Cactus today for the the first time I have noticed you have some experience,how to rimming and trans planting Bonsai. I have never thought of making the Christmas Cactus into Bonsai. I was wondering how long have you been training for those Christmas Cactus Bonsai ,they are looking pretty GOOD. One thing I have notice you were calling them Bon zai we pronouncing it Bon Sigh Not Bon Zai ... Over all you are doing GREAT.!! Dave . I myself love to make Bonsai and when I was living in Southern CA I Taught Authentic Japanese Bonsai for several years. my Family have huge Bonsai Shop in Japan also.. Good luck to you Dave,and keeping up Good work....KS

[@DavesBonsai]

those cactus have been in training for 3-5 years now.

[@janebrown3020]

wow great video!

[@baldyeti]

Great info for plant identification. Makes it much easier to tell the differences. Are you aware of them behaving differently? Lookin strong, Dave.

[@DavesBonsai]

My actual Christmas cactus has since died, and my Thanksgiving cactus and all it's cuttings are thriving.

[@raton_garden]

Good share 🎉❤🎉❤

[@user-wt5zi5yl3u]

❤ I love ur segments I have 4 cactus and now I've seen ur segments I know I have àll 3 2 thanksgiving and a Christmas plus an Easter one A friend of mine told me to try putting them in a plastic bag and put an apple or a banana and close up the bag for several weeks ñ then take them out Supposed to make them blood ??? Have you tried that method.

[@DavesBonsai]

I have not tried that.

[@cduff4505]

You’re much braver then I am! I can’t wait to see it grow out. I have a Thanksgiving cactus that’s I keep outdoors, morning sun and afternoon shade. Stays outside until nights are below 40. When I bring it in for the winter it sits in a south facing window and at night starting in November I put it in the guest bathroom for 14 hours of darkness and it blooms reliably. I may have to pull up my big girl pants next year and cut mine back! How are your plants in your indoor green house doing? Have you been able to even out the humidity? Fun video as always!

[@DavesBonsai]

I hope I can get mine to bloom big next fall. The "greenhouse" is doing pretty good so far. I do have more humidity at the top shelf for sure. If I was not working from home and checking my trees multiple times per day, I think I'd have more problems, but I'm still working to get the best overall humidity and temps. Though This time of year is not ideal if you give yours a good trim, it should be fine. Sounds like you have some nice consistency with the plant.

[@cduff4505]

@@DavesBonsai Ah, yes, working from home certainly helps. You may want to consider leaving a small gap of 1/4 to 1/2 inch at the top to help control humidity. I have A 1/8 inch gap (30 inches long) at the back of my 56g I finally settled on and it’s made a difference in keep the humidity stable, though it does has about 12g of water at the bottom. Another thought on the Christmas cactus, as you mentioned in your video, the less It’s repotted (or root pruned) the more flowers it tends to get. I never thought to treat it like a bonsai and work towards a specific look, such an interesting idea!

[@joanharkin6540]

WOW !!

[@Tybold63]

Ah that really sorted it out and now I know for sure that I have true Easter cactus! Mine is pink and sadly already gone out of bloom (before Easter or Påsk as it is called in my native language).🙌🌸

[@aggiegregorsky6100]

My catus only has a shade of color at the tip very small ones on a couple branches I thought here we go but now the tops are like a dark brown shade and don't seem to be a little bigger I did find more little bumps the same color that brownish color

[@aggiegregorsky6100]

What is a pask

[@marvelsmith4546]

What if I don't have a trunk on my cactus

[@DavesBonsai]

Watch my first cactus video and you will see it doesn’t start that way/. It’s when you isolate one section of plant it will trunk up. .

[@markdcmountp]

Please tell me how to grow my Thanksgiving Cactus like the one you have here with the thickened trunks.. It’s just fantastic.

[@DavesBonsai]

Funny, I’ve had more luck in the bonsai soil than in dirt. Let it grow, cut it back, rinse and repeat. Keep one main trunk and keep pruning it two to branched. Where there are three cut back to two. This tree is now about 5-6 years in the making/.

[@markdcmountp]

@@DavesBonsai When you say you’ve had more luck in the bonsai soil do you mean by starting cuttings in something like Bonsai Jack soil? Also, I think you’re telling me to keep trimming new growth off so that there’s only 2 branches (leaves) sprouts coming from what’s the intended trunk area instead of 3 leaves?

[@DavesBonsai]

@@markdcmountp that is correct. You can make the "tree" as tall as you like by cutting more down later. we go from one to two, but if you want the one longer, then you gut where there is two to make the trunk taller. 'it also will give more movement.

[@kathieeidem5670]

Do you treat for bugs after you bring your plants inside and if so what do you use…Thank you

[@DavesBonsai]

I treat them outside before bringing them in. I usually use neem oil, or any of the insecticidal soaps on the market. Even just soap and water. (Liquid dish detergent). Spray it on, rinse it off 20-30 minutes later and bring indoors.

[@ritameyer6915]

What kind of fertilizer do I use for my Thanksgiving cactus

[@DavesBonsai]

Whatever you got. Miracle grow works. Any liquid or solid that has 5-5-5 values on package will work fine. I use some seaweed and fish emulsion sometimes.

[@belindahopkins7875]

What type of fertilizers should be use?

[@DavesBonsai]

I’ve used some miracle grow and dr good earth. A few other varieties along the way, but mostly those two.

[@michaelmason4206]

Have you done a follow up to this Thanksgiving cactus?

[@DavesBonsai]

I did a few months ago when I repotted due to worry it was going too far downhill.

[@DavesBonsai]

I’ll find episode. Might be in the playlist of the cactus.

[@ginsburgerheide]

Cutting break my ❤️

[@DavesBonsai]

Yeah, sometimes it’s hard. But it comes back stronger every time.

[@lauratipton5301]

I thought it was really pretty before trimming.

[@cbow831]

Where's the Thankgiving cactus you butchered?

[@DavesBonsai]

It has over 50 blooms ready to pop! It should be stunning this year.

[@DavesBonsai]

Update sone soon!

[@judyjones5065]

How do you get the Christmas tree cactus to have a brown branch?

[@DavesBonsai]

Cut back and let it grow, then repeat. 2-3 years you should see brown forming.

[@judyjones5065]

@@DavesBonsai thank you for your reply. I guess I wasn’t thinking it would take so long. But I’m sure going to try. Thanks again for the reply.

[@annakennel356]

Wow, you whacked that plant like a weed. I'd never be brave enough to do that much trimming at once. It does not look that attractive. Hope you used the trimmings for new plants.

[@DavesBonsai]

It always comes back. And yes I do a fair amount of propagation.

[@greenthumbs9129]

I found this video where they are grafting Christmas cactus on to regular cactus stem: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHzdlYCol5qJd9E

[@mariarusso1653]

Bisogna parlare in Italiano che non si capisce niente

[@kenbad8271]

It's bonsai not bonesai like you pronounce it second I don't care what you do to it it'll never be a tree it doesn't look like a tree and never will and that's what bonsai is all about so you should give up trying to make Christmas cactus which is really an air plant that grows on tree bark in the jungles. It's' not a bonsai I've been growing and cultivating bonsai for 50 years I learned from Japanese bonsai tree makers and they don't use Christmas cactus or Thanksgiving cactus for Easter cactus to make bonsai it's just stupid.

[@DavesBonsai]

Thanks for your perspective. Regardless of what it is, I enjoy it and will continue to play around with it. Bonsai on . . .

[@judyjones5065]

Doing what you like is what it’s all about. Keep up the good job.