How to care for Christmas cactus after flowering

Dormancy after flowering

After blooming, Christmas cactus will enter a dormant period, which is post-flowering dormancy. Because when blooming, Christmas cactus has consumed a lot of nutrients and vitality, and urgently needs rest, so it needs to dormant.

The first thing to do during the dormancy period of Christmas cactus is pruning. Because the plant consumes a lot of nutrients during flowering, the stems may become soft or even wrinkled. At this time, you need to trim the remaining flowers first, and then trim the stem nodes appropriately.

When pruning, cut off the thin and wilted stems, as well as the stems that are overgrown and have diseases and insect pests. This will concentrate the nutrients, promote better growth of the stem nodes, and maintain ventilation and light transmission.

After some pruning, the plant will be stronger and better for flowering next time.

Repotting and soil changing

After flowering, the nutrients in the Christmas cactus potting soil have been almost consumed. At this time, because the plant has begun to dormant, you can change the pot and soil.

After trimming the Christmas cactus, remove the pot and soil, and trim the roots, cutting off the rotten and aging roots. Then replace the soil with new soil that has good air permeability and drainage, and add some base fertilizer to the soil. You can put it in a pot at this time. If the plant has grown very large, you can change to a new pot.

After repotting, the Christmas cactus can be placed in a well-lit place and kept ventilated. After the dormant period, Christmas cactus can grow normally.

Next bloom

Generally, after Christmas cactus blooms, it is necessary to prepare for the next flowering.

After the dormant period after flowering, Christmas cactus can grow again. It needs to ensure suitable light and temperature, and sufficient water and fertilizer. In autumn, it is even more important to ensure its vigorous growth to lay a good foundation for the next flowering.