How to grow Christmas cactus and what to pay attention to

Growth habits of Christmas cactus

Christmas cactus is generally suitable for growing in a warm and humid environment. The most suitable temperature for its growth is 20~25℃. It is not cold-resistant. It is best moved to a warm place indoors for maintenance in winter. The minimum temperature cannot be lower than 10℃. It is suitable for growing in a loose, organic-rich, well-drained and breathable substrate.

Christmas cactus light requirements

If the Christmas cactus can be guaranteed 8-10 hours of light every day, it will bloom after about 2-3 months. However, it is necessary to avoid exposure to the sun in the summer and ensure sufficient light in the winter.

Growth temperature of Christmas cactus

The suitable temperature for Christmas cactus growth is 18-25 degrees. When the temperature is lower than 10 degrees or higher than 30 degrees, it will grow slowly and enter a dormant state.

How to grow Christmas cactus

To grow Christmas cactus, you need to provide a clay pot of appropriate size, use a mixture of leaf mold, garden soil and sand, water it appropriately, keep the soil moist, maintain a suitable temperature of 18 to 23 degrees Celsius and sufficient light, and fertilize every 20 days or so during the growing season.

Watering Christmas cactus

In winter and spring, Christmas cactus should be watered once every 7-10 days. Wait until the soil is almost dry before watering. In summer, water less often and spray water appropriately. Spray water frequently during the bud formation period. In autumn, water more often to ensure sufficient moisture.

Fertilizing Christmas cactus

It is best to use phosphorus and potassium fertilizers and potassium dihydrogen phosphate for Christmas cactus. During the growing period, Christmas cactus should be applied with multi-element compound fertilizers once every 15-20 days.

Christmas cactus pruning

Christmas cactus pruning is generally carried out in spring and autumn. After the flowers fade, they should be promptly pruned back from the 3-4 nodes below the withered flowers. In addition, if 4-5 new branches grow from the top of a node on the plant, only 2 should be left.

Cutting propagation of Christmas cactus

Prepare the Christmas cactus branches, put soil into a flowerpot with holes, plant the branches, compact it, place the flowerpot in a container with water, in a place with scattered light but no direct sunlight, wait for roots to grow, move it into a large flowerpot after roots take root, and fertilize it frequently.

Christmas cactus care precautions

During the maintenance of Christmas cactus, you need to pay attention to the loose and fertile soil, and the water and fertilizer management should be meticulous. It has a strong phototropism. During the maintenance process, the angle of each pot rotation should not be too large, especially after the flower buds appear. Each time the pot is rotated, you must pay attention to the small angle. If the angle is too large, the buds will fall off.