Cultivation methods and precautions of Christmas cactus

1. Water

1. Winter is the growing season for Christmas cactus, but the temperature is relatively low and water evaporates slowly. Do not water too much and keep the soil moist. Usually water it once every 4 to 5 days. Choose the midday time when the temperature is slightly higher for watering, and avoid low temperatures and water freezing.

2. The temperature is high in summer and water evaporates quickly. Even with shade, the soil in the pot is still easy to dry out. Water once every 1 to 2 days. Spraying water on the leaves frequently can not only ensure the normal growth of the plants, but also prevent heatstroke and reduce temperature.

3. Water normally in spring and autumn, water once every 2 to 3 days.

2. Fertilization

Fertilization is mainly carried out from September to October and from April to June, and decomposed animal manure or cake fertilizer is applied once every 10 days. Do not water before fertilizing, keep the soil in the pot dry, and the fertilizer will be more effective!

In spring, when branches and leaves sprout, apply more foliar fertilizer, mainly nitrogen fertilizer; stop fertilizing in summer; in autumn, use mainly phosphorus fertilizer to promote flower bud differentiation.

3. Temperature

The most suitable growth temperature for Christmas cactus is 15-25℃. Provide appropriate shade and cool down in summer, and it is best to move it to a sunny place indoors for maintenance in autumn.

In winter, the indoor temperature should be maintained at 15℃. If it is below 5℃, you will get frostbite. It can receive a little direct sunlight during sunny days, but if it is cold at night, you can cover the plant with a large plastic bag to prevent frostbite.

4. Lighting

Christmas cactus is a short-day plant. If it can receive 8 to 10 hours of light per day, it can bloom in February or March. In short, long light hours can promote growth, while short light hours will hinder growth!

5. Notes

1. Christmas cactus has a dormant period after it blooms. At this time, you need to control watering and stop fertilizing. After the dormant period, the flower buds grow out and normal management is resumed. In addition, in summer, because the temperature is too high, Christmas cactus will be forced to enter a dormant period to protect itself. At this time, you should reduce watering appropriately and increase ventilation. The plant will gradually resume growth after the temperature rises.

2. During the growth process, due to the consumption of nutrients by the Christmas cactus itself, the leaves will become soft after the flowers fall, which is a normal phenomenon. However, the condition of Christmas cactus is relatively poor after flowering, so you need to control the amount of watering to avoid root rot. While the plant is recovering, you can trim off the wilted leaf tips.

3. Christmas cactus cannot be exposed to the scorching sun, which will burn the plant, causing the stems and leaves to wither and fall off, or even die.