Blooming Holiday Cactuses Plants - Home & Family
There are Three Varieties of Holiday Cactus:
The different types of Holiday Cactus plants include: Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring or Easter. They are often mixed up because Thanksgiving plants are more readily available. The Thanksgiving plant leaf has spikes, the Christmas plant leaf is rounded and smooth.
The care for each type is approximately the same:
- Keep in a cooler room
- A humid environment is best
- Loose, well-drained soil
- Water when they start to dry out
- Fertilize only in the spring/summer and stop in September
Special Preparations to Coax The Blooms
- Start 6-8 weeks before flowering. Thanksgiving Cactuses - start by September 1st. Christmas cacti start november 1!
- Make sure the room is cooler at night (about 55-65 degrees).
- Completely cover the plant for about 12-14 hours nightly (you will do this every night for 6-8 weeks).
- Remove cover in the morning and keep in bright indirect sunlight.
How Long Will Blooms Last?
In a cool environment - blooms for weeks - up to a month. If hot, flowers die after 1-2 days.
How Do We Cross-Breed Within Each Variety?
- Gather pollen on a small paint brush.
- Paint pollen onto stamin of another plant.
- Repeat from flower to flower.
Get more from Gardening Expert Shirley Bovshow at Foodiegardener.com and Edenmakers Blog