It’s the flowering season for Christmas cactus. Take care of it like this so it will bloom like a waterfall.

Cuttings of Christmas cactus

The temperature drops in autumn, which is a good time to take Christmas cactus cuttings.

Cutting steps:

1. Cut strong Christmas cactus branches from the Christmas cactus mother plant, preferably those grown in the same year, so that the survival rate of cuttings will be higher. Soak the cut leaves in carbendazim for about 20 minutes and then dry them.

2. The soil needed for Christmas cactus cuttings must be loose and breathable nutrient soil, such as perlite, vermiculite or pine needle soil.

3. Apply some rooting powder on the bottom of the dried Christmas cactus to speed up the rooting of the Christmas cactus.

4. Insert the Christmas cactus into the prepared soil and place it in a cool and ventilated place. After about 3-4 days, spray some water on the soil.

5. It will take about a week for the Christmas cactus cuttings to take root.

6. After the Christmas cactus has taken root, you can directly put it in a pot and then place it in a cool and ventilated place for about 1-2 weeks to slowly grow, and then you can carry out normal maintenance.

Water plug of Christmas cactus

If some flower lovers think that rooting by cuttings is too troublesome, they can also directly use the water cutting method to propagate.

Water plugging steps:

1. Cut the stems that need to be grafted from the mother Christmas cactus plant, dry the wound slightly, and then insert the stems into the water, with the lower part about 3-5cm in the water.

2. Fix the Christmas cactus in the hydroponic bottle, and then place it in a place with sufficient diffuse light and wait.

3. Before the roots grow out, change the water about once every 2-3 days. If it is tap water, it is best to let it dry for 24 hours before use. It took about a week for the roots to grow. After rooting, the plant can be transferred to soil culture or kept in hydroponics.

Grafting of Christmas cactus

The most suitable temperature for grafting Christmas cactus is between 17℃-25℃, so it is a good time to graft it during the clear and cool autumn weather!

Grafting steps:

1. Selection of rootstock. When choosing a cactus as a grafted rootstock, you must choose a cold-resistant variety, preferably one that will not wilt in winter, and the leaves must be thick so that there is enough nutrition for growth.

2. Selection of scion. The scion should be selected with relatively old, strong and thick leaves, and then the lower end should be cut into a duckbill shape.

3. Prepare a sharp knife, carbendazim solution and cotton wool. Use carbendazim solution to disinfect the Christmas cactus leaves, cactus leaves and knives, otherwise they are prone to black rot during grafting.

4. Make a horizontal cut about 1 cm away from the top of the cactus to expose the inner surface.

5. Use a small knife to make another horizontal cut on the cut surface of the cactus, the length of which should be about 2/3 of the Christmas cactus cuttings.

6. Remove the epidermis of the Christmas cactus that needs to be grafted, about 0.8-1cm, and remove the skin on both sides. When removing the epidermis, be sure not to cut too long, otherwise the wound will be exposed and will rot.

7. Insert the trimmed Christmas cactus into the cut on the cactus. You can fix it with a toothpick or clip, and then place it in a cool and ventilated place for about 2 weeks.

8. Then prepare the soil needed for cuttings, insert the grafted cactus into the soil, water it halfway, and maintain it in a cool and ventilated place for half a month, then move it to the light.

9. As long as you take good care of it, the grafted Christmas cactus will soon bloom beautiful flowers.

Lighting of Christmas cactus

Christmas cactus is a short-day plant. In autumn, it should be given about 8 hours of light a day, and placed in a dark place for the rest of the time. This will allow the Christmas cactus to differentiate flower buds as quickly as possible and bloom early, which is commonly known as "keeping it in a small dark room."

Watering of Christmas cactus

Christmas cactus should not be watered too much, otherwise it will easily get root rot. In spring and autumn, it only needs to be watered once every 3-5 days. During the summer dormancy period, it only needs to be watered once every 10-15 days. Be sure to wait until the surface of the potting soil is completely dry before watering.

Fertilization of Christmas cactus

Christmas cactus likes fertilizer, but fertilization should be stopped during the high temperature period in summer. From the beginning of autumn to before flowering, apply decomposed liquid fertilizer or compound fertilizer about once a week. During the bud formation period, apply 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution to promote flower bud differentiation and thus more flowering. When applying fertilizer, use a fine-mouthed spray bottle to apply it slowly along the edge of the pot. Do not get it on the leaves, otherwise it will cause leaf burns.

Pruning of Christmas cactus

1. Pruning after flowering

After Christmas cactus blooms, the withered flowers should be cut off in time, starting from about 3-4 stem nodes below the flower. This can reduce unnecessary nutrient consumption and allow Christmas cactus to bloom the next batch of flowers.

2. Autumn pruning

After a summer dormancy period, the Christmas cactus plant begins to become messy. It is a good time to prune it in autumn, which not only ensures its appearance, but also avoids unnecessary nutrient consumption, allowing the Christmas cactus plant to have more nutrients to prepare for flowering.

Before pruning:

After pruning:

What to do if the leaves of Christmas cactus become soft

The most common question Huahua receives about Christmas cactus in the background is that the leaves have become soft. So why are the leaves of Christmas cactus soft? Huahua thinks it is caused by root rot!

Solution:

1. If the root rot is not too serious, then water it less and increase the light appropriately to allow the Christmas cactus to slowly adapt.

2. If the root rot is very serious, you will have to change the pot.

(1) Take the Christmas cactus out of its original pot and clean the soil off the roots.

(2) Use a pair of sterilized scissors to trim off the old and weak roots of the Christmas cactus. Then soak them in a solution of carbendazim for about 20 minutes. Then take them out and place them in a cool and ventilated place to dry.

(3) Prepare loose and breathable nutrient soil, put the dried Christmas cactus back into the pot, and then water it thoroughly once. Then place it in a cool and ventilated place for about a week to cool down, and then move it to the sun.