Experts give advice on 6 major questions about growing Christmas cactus

How to thin out the buds of Christmas cactus?

There are often 2 to 3 flower buds at the same time at the top of the stem node of Christmas cactus. There will be competition for nutrients among the flower buds. At this time, the buds need to be thinned out to concentrate supply to the remaining buds, so that the flower buds can grow stronger, the flowers can be uniform in size and bright in color, and at the same time, the flower buds at each end of the node can develop normally and uniformly. The method of bud thinning is to keep the strongest bud among the leaves at each terminal node and remove all the others.

After the Christmas cactus has finished blooming, the stems at the flower nodes become soft and wrinkled, and look like they are about to die. Is this normal?

It is normal for the stems of Christmas cactus plants to become soft and wrinkled after the flowering period. This is because the Christmas cactus plant has entered a dormant period. There is no need to worry that it will die. This dormant period lasts about one month. You can take this opportunity to prune the stems of the plant, cutting off 1 to 2 nodes to keep the plant shape neat. In addition, the amount of watering should be controlled during the dormant period, and the plant should be placed in a well-lit and ventilated place. Spray the plant frequently, and the plant nodes and stems can be transferred to normal management after the dormant period ends.

How to propagate a new Christmas cactus at home?

There are three main methods of propagation of Christmas cactus: cutting, grafting and sowing. For ordinary families, it is suitable to adopt the method of cutting propagation. The specific operation is: select strong and thick stem nodes, cut off 1 to 2 nodes, put them in a cool place for 2 to 3 days, and then insert them into the sand bed after the incision is slightly dry. The substrate is peat and sand in a ratio of 4:1, and the temperature of the insertion bed is 15 to 20℃. The humidity in the cutting bed should not be too high to avoid the incision from becoming too wet and rotting. It will start to take root 2 to 3 weeks after transplanting and can be potted after 4 weeks.

How to make Christmas cactus bloom early ?

Christmas cactus is a short-day plant. It can only bud and bloom under short-day conditions in autumn and winter. If you need to make Christmas cactus bloom early, you can treat it with short-day light. 8 hours of short-day shading treatment per day can make it bloom one month earlier.

What causes Christmas cactus to turn yellow, and how to deal with it ?

The main reasons for the yellowing of Christmas cactus are: high temperature, direct sunlight, dry air, poor ventilation, alkaline soil in the pot and damage by red spider mites. These factors will cause the nodes of Christmas cactus to turn yellow or even fall off from the base. During high temperature seasons, pay attention to shading and spray water on the plants frequently. At the same time, make sure to place them in a ventilated place for maintenance. When red spider mites are found, spray 1500-2000 times diluted 80% DDT.

How to water Christmas cactus in winter ?

Watering: The temperature is low in winter, the evaporation of water in the potting soil is reduced, and Christmas cactus does not demand much water, so try to control watering. For Christmas cactus grafted onto cactus or wood dragonfly, the soil in the pot only needs to be slightly moist. Too wet soil may cause root rot and falling buds and flowers. The soil should not be too dry and hardened, as this will also cause falling flowers and buds. Water the Christmas cactus grafted onto the triangular column as little as possible to prevent the triangular column from rotting.