I do love to see my Christmas cactus bloom this time of the year. I have three hanging baskets in three different colors: red, light pink and hot pink. They are loaded with buds and blooms this time of the year.. I’ll share some of my photos and how I care for mine throughout the year.
The light pink cactus above I have had now for fourteen years. This is a photo from last year. I had to cut it back this fall because of the limbs looking dehydrated. I cut the stems off at the dirt level and found the stem dried out. I believe it was because of the age of the plant. It looks healthier now, but not as big as it once was. I’ve started some new plants from the dehydrated cuttings. I first cut away the dead parts, then I allowed the cuttings to lay in a wash pan with water covering them for several days. This worked great to re-hydrate them to propagate. I laid them on the top of my pot of potting soil mixed with some sand, then covered them with a thin layer of the soil mixture. I haven’t researched any of this. I’ve just learned by experimenting. I hate to throw away plants, especially ones I love to see bloom. You can see below my cuttings rooted and are getting ready to bloom. Hooray!
I bring my cactus in when they begin to bloom or when we have a threat of freezing weather here in southeast Texas. I put them near windows that get bright sunlight verses low light because it helps the buds to continue to produce and bloom. Direct sunlight will burn the leaves. Keep your plants away from drafty areas. They love temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees, but are fine with the 50’s for short periods of time. Also keeping a cup of water nearby helps provide the humidity that these plants do need.
My guests at our recent Christmas party were quite impressed with my Christmas cactus. Here are two photos of what they looked like then (six days ago).
You’ll see what the above cactus looks like now at the end of my post.
Now for how I go about caring for my Christmas cactus during the year.
After the last frost in spring, I put my Christmas cactus outside on my back porch. It faces the north and gets filtered sunlight, because of the large Arizona Ash trees between our home and my art studio cottage. The above photo was taken last year. Here in southeast Texas we do have high humidity, which these plants do love. During the growth period in the spring and summer I do try to keep the soil moist, especially during the HOT summer here. I use some old wash tubs with water and set them in to soak for a little while. Allowing them to soak draws the moisture up to the bottom tips of the roots is better than watering from the top, because water can rest at the stem and dirt level and cause you to have stem rot. Also watering from the top does not get the water to penetrate down to the roots where it’s needed. Never allow the cactus to sit in water for long periods of time or you’ll have root and stem rot. I use a houseplant fertilizer during the growing season, but not while the plants are blooming. A wise neighbor lady shared that advice with me some twenty some years ago. I also spray/mist them with the water hose occasionally, especially during the HOT summer.
This is my hot pink Christmas cactus. This photo was taken in 2012. I re-potted it in 2013 because it had outgrown its pot. It is HUGH and very heavy now! I don’t dare split it up, because it is the only Christmas cactus that the House Wrens return to every spring. I try not to mess up their nest, so in the spring they just fix it up a bit and go to nesting. They’ve been doing this for the past five years now. I just love it!
They always lay five eggs, that hatch and fill the tiny nest to its capacity. I love to watch Gods creations! The parents are so dedicated and faithful feeding them. Here’s a photo from this past spring of the baby House Wrens. They move out of the nest during the day at times and snuggle back in at night. You can’t see all five babies on this pic but I can assure you they were there. I enjoy hearing them make their peeping sounds.
Below is the red Christmas cactus I bought three years ago in two small 3″ pots at Walmart for $1.97 each, because I wanted a red blooming cactus plant. I potted them both in a hanging basket. The cactus looked good then, but it looks much better now. This is one that looked so beautiful at the Christmas party.
Okay as promised, below is the bird nest Christmas cactus as of yesterday that is ready to bloom. I have it on my tea cart on our front porch, because of the 50 to 70 degree temperatures here right now. The other two cactus are hanging on the back porch. I took this photo as the sun was starting to go down. Loved the colors!
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about my Christmas cactus and the House Wrens. I do appreciate the gifts and talents God has blessed me with and what He has created all around me. Praising Him! Until my next post….. God Bless You!
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