Don’t put the long-lived Christmas cactus you bought here, or it may fall off and not bloom!

Longevity just arrived, keep your hands off watering

The Kalanchoe flowers in the flower market are almost all in a state of full of flower buds, which is really pleasing! When buying, be sure to pick the ones with more flower buds. Take them home and take good care of them, and they will bloom into big flower balls by the New Year!

1. Place it in the right place

The Kalanchoe plants sold in the flower market are all grown in greenhouses. When you get home, don't put them directly under the sun. First put them in a location with better lighting indoors, and it's best to keep the degree around 15 degrees. There is no heating at home (below 5 degrees), so it is best to put on a plastic bag to keep warm at night.

After about 3 days, if the Kalanchoe is fine, you can move it to a sunny place to expose the flower buds to the sun to make them open faster. However, it cannot be exposed to cold wind, which can easily disrupt the normal "biological clock" of the longevity plant and cause leaves and buds to fall.

2. How to water

Kalanchoe is very drought-resistant and even if it is grown in a greenhouse, watering does not need to be very frequent. Don't water it when you just get home. If you see the leaves are a little wilted, you can spray water mist around it when it is warmer at noon, being careful not to let it condense on the flower buds and leaves.

After about a week, the Kalanchoe has adapted to its new home environment and can be watered. It is best to prepare the water in advance at this time. Freshly tap water contains more chlorine. It will be less irritating if you leave it for one day before watering the flowers.

Kalanchoe is drought-resistant but afraid of waterlogging. When watering, be careful not to accumulate moisture in the pot. It is best to water at noon when the temperature is high and evaporation is fast. At night, when the temperature is low, it will not get frostbite. The Kalanchoe with flower buds only needs to be watered once every 7-10 days.

3. Should I apply fertilizer during the flowering period?

It is not recommended to fertilize most flowers after they have buds, because they are concentrating on blooming at this time and cannot absorb nutrients. Instead, the fertilizer will burn the flowers when it is dissipated, causing yellow leaves and bud disappearance.

As far as longevity is concerned, there is no need for special fertilizer. If you have just bought a Kalanchoe plant, it has usually been fertilized. All you need to do is expose it to the sun and wait patiently. If you have a Kalanchoe plant that you have been raising for a long time and the flower buds are slow to bloom, you can spray some potassium dihydrogen phosphate to stimulate the blooming process.

4. What to do after the Kalanchoe blooms?

When the Kalanchoe is almost blooming, you can prune it as soon as possible. After all, the withered flowers are not beautiful, so it is better to retain some nutrients for the next blooming. When pruning, cut 10-15 cm long along with the flower stalk, and you can cut it off with the first pair of leaves below.

After cutting off the dead flowers, don't rush to water them. Wait until the wounds heal before watering them. You can add some nutrient solution when watering, or you can use fermented rice water or soybean water to water, add some nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, and it will bloom again after 2-3 months.

When you buy Christmas cactus, don't put it anywhere

The Christmas cactus in the flower market has seven or eight flower buds on one leaf, each of which is full of vigor and looks like a small steel plate. After I brought it home, it became soft and the flower buds fell off within a few days. It was so painful to see...

1. Christmas cactus becomes soft when exposed to the sun

Christmas cactus is a short-day plant. It doesn't get much sunlight in the nursery, so it becomes dehydrated and wilted after being exposed to the sun for half a day at home. It is best to place it about 1 meter away from the sun. If your home does not have heating and the temperature is low, you can only place it in the sun to keep it warm.

After 3-5 days, when the newly planted Christmas cactus has basically adapted to the environment, you can expose it to the sun for no more than 3 hours a day. It is not good if it is exposed to the sun for too long, as the leaves will turn red and become thin (dehydrated).

When Christmas cactus blooms in winter, it is best to keep the temperature above 15 degrees and don't mess around with it: put it here and move it there. After choosing a location, do not move it easily. You can rotate it in the same position to ensure even lighting on all four sides.

2. How to water appropriately

There is no need to rush to water the Christmas cactus when you just bring it into the house. Wait for 1-2 days before watering. The flower market generally uses dark-colored nutrient soil. You can insert your finger along the edge of the pot to see if the soil that comes out is dry. If it is dry, then water it.

When watering the newly bought Christmas cactus, it is best to prepare dried tap water in advance and water it at noon as it evaporates quickly and causes less irritation. If you have heating at home, remember to spray humidifier around the area. Do not concentrate the spray on the leaves and flowers of the Christmas cactus, as this may cause spots, rot, and bud falling.

The frequency of watering Christmas cactus is not high, about once a week. Do not water it on rainy days. Problems will arise if the humidity in the air is high and it is difficult to evaporate. It is not too late to water it when the weather is sunny. It is best to water less during the flowering period, otherwise the flowers will wither prematurely.

3. Fertilizing Christmas cactus

Christmas cactus does not require much fertilizer, and judging from the flower buds on its heads in the flower market, it must have been added with fertilizer, so there is no need to add more fertilizer for the time being. Wait until the current buds have bloomed.

One thing to note is that the flowering fertilizer used for Christmas cactus in the flower market may only produce so many flower buds temporarily, and not all of them may bloom when you actually take them home. It is best to be ruthless in advance and pinch off the weak flower buds, leaving the strong ones.

4. What to do after flowering

After the Christmas cactus finishes blooming, you can pinch off the remaining flowers and the first leaf at the same time, so that it will be easier and faster to bloom again later. Wait a few days after pinching before watering, and there should not be too much moisture in the pot.

After pinching off the flowers, you can apply top dressing to the Christmas cactus. You can collect some bone residue (filter out the salt) and grind them into powder, or you can cook soybeans and add water to make fertilizer, which are both suitable for Christmas cactus. If you find it troublesome, you can also use flower nutrient solution, the universal version will do.