When any flower starts blooming in winter it is a beautiful sight, and there is nothing more beautiful than a Christmas cactus. These wonderful plants for and can be grown indoors, require very little care and come in a variety of colors such as yellow (my favorite ), salmon, pink, fuchsia, white and a combination of all these colors. A Christmas cactus can adapt to low light, but when kept in a very sunny location indoors it will produce more flowers.
The plant grows best in a well draining soil such as those used for growing succulent plants. The Christmas cactus is not as drought tolerant as many people think, but because it is a succulent plant it will retain and store good amount water. Air temperature, light, rate of growth will help determine the length of time between watering and then water when the top of the soil is dry. Cactus prefer warm temperatures but they should be kept away from heat drafts from fireplace or furnace vents
After your plant finishes its blooming, let it rest and do not water for six weeks and as new growth starts to appear repot it with and the replace the top soil with fresh new soil, then start watering, keeping it moist. As the new growth appears in the spring apply a weak solution of liquid houseplant fertilizer at two week intervals.
If you plan to move your Christmas cactus outside during the summer months, keep in mind that direct sunlight will burn the leaves, so find a shady or semi shady location to move them to. As fall approaches slowly start to adjust your plant to the indoors by bringing it in and leaving it indoors a little longer each day.
Christmas cactus only need to be re-potted every two or three years but if you notice roots filling up the pot or that the root system seems to be unhealthy then its time to re-pot, spring is usually best but when re-potting is needed it can be done at any time.
Eudora DeWynter offers tips on Caring for Christmas Cactus on her blog athttp:www.gardentoolguru.com
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