How to prune Christmas cactus so that it will bloom out of the pot?

Christmas cactus is a favorite flowering plant for many people because of its diverse flower colors. However, timely pruning is essential if you want your Christmas cactus to thrive and bloom profusely. Pruning not only promotes the growth of new leaves, but also ensures that the flowers bloom in full bloom. So how do you prune Christmas cactus so that it will bloom out of the pot?

1. Pruning in summer

Christmas cactus grows slowly under high temperatures in summer and almost stops growing when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees. At this time, the small leaves and broken leaves on the top should be trimmed off, and the thick large leaves at the bottom should be retained to reduce nutrient consumption and help the Christmas cactus easily survive the summer.

2. Pruning in autumn

With the arrival of autumn, Christmas cactus will quickly grow new leaves. If the leaves are weak in summer, most of them should be cut off, leaving only the bottom leaves. If the weakness is mild, simply cut off the top few leaves to promote rapid recovery and growth of new leaves.

3. Pruning

If the leaves of Christmas cactus begin to wilt, it may be because of severe lack of water that has damaged the root system. At this time, most of the wilted leaves should be cut off, leaving three to five leaves above the soil surface to reduce the distance of nutrient transmission, promote root recovery and leaf fullness.

4. Pruning before flowering

When Christmas cactus is about to bloom in autumn, it should be pruned to remove newly grown leaflets and broken leaves, and the shape should be appropriately trimmed according to the crown width of the plant. After pruning in this way, Christmas cactus can bloom fully under suitable conditions and the flowers will be more neat.

5. Prune after flowering

Pruning after flowering will help the Christmas cactus resume growth. Whether the leaves are weak or the Christmas cactus is grafted, the leaves on the top that have bloomed should be cut off to promote the differentiation of flower buds at new growth points and prepare for the next flowering.

Through the above pruning methods, Christmas cactus will not only not become less and less, but will grow more new leaves in autumn and spring. As long as the plant is healthy, proper pruning will not have much impact on it. Regular fertilization is also key to ensuring the healthy growth of Christmas cactus. Use fertilizers high in nitrogen during the growing season and high in phosphorus when flowering to promote blooming.