There are a few basic tips that you need to know to successfully grow a Christmas cactus or what many call the Thanksgiving cactus. In this post, I share tips that work for me along with some fun facts about the plant.
The image above is from Ellen Tyner who is a Facebook friend.
In this video, I share a few important tips about the Thanksgiving and Christmas Cactus. You will quickly learn how to keep this fun plant growing in your home and or garden year-round. Using my pronunciation app on my iPhone I share the correct Latin name for the plants. I also share in the video tips on feeding and repotting the plant. ENJOY!
You all know I love to make videos so be sure to follow my Bren Haas Channel on YouTube. If you are a YouTube subscriber you will see my videos and other special presentations first so be sure to connect on YouTube.
Tips and Tricks To Grow Success
Below are a few tips I’ve learned over the years growing this plant in my home. I’ve killed a few along the way but also had a few bloom again with some basic tips. If you follow the tips below you should have no problem keeping the plant happy.
- Never let the soil dry completely out.
- Plant the cactus in a sandy soil.
- Do not place the plant in direct sunlight.
- Provide some humidity – use a pebble tray below the plant and keep it wet.
Assortment of Colors
Over the years I have owned a few different colors. Some of my favorites are the yellow and pink tip Thanksgiving cactus below. This was a display at a garden center I shopped outside of Rochester New York last December. I brought a few goodies home from this beautiful location.
What do you think of using the Thanksgiving Cactus in a combo planting?
In the photo above I have a black pot with proper drainage in a decorated ceramic pot. This will allow the access water to drain to the bottom and not waterlog the plant. For watering, I like to do the finger in soil tests after watering making sure the top of the soil is very wet. The cactus plants not like to be completely dry. Or it will look sad and dry like mine did in the video presentation above. Use a watering can and pour the water directly into the soil around the plant. Use a saucer of the container and filling it with pebbles that you will fill with water providing a micro-climate for the plant indoors.
Facebook Friend Shares Her Cactus
Below are a few options for displaying your larger Christmas and Thanksgiving Cactus plants. I love how my Facebook friend used another container to create a ‘pillar’ of sort. The 3 following images are from Ellen Tyner who shared her collection with me.
This is the room these beautiful plants are located. Ellen shares with me that this room is normally filled with plants. This photo was taken late Spring and several had been moved outdoors. My favorite room in my house!!
I asked Ellen on Facebook if she had any secrets to growing the cactus and she replied: ” I don’t have a secret….do have a consistent schedule for feeding and watering.”
Did you Know
You can tell the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) from a Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) apart from the shape of its leaves. The leaf segments, botanically termed “phylloclades”, are serrated or “toothed” on the former as compared to the more rounded leaf margins of the Christmas cactus. Read my post about this on my site at Christmas Cactus VS Thanksgiving Cactus.
More Cactus Post on My Site
below are a few of my favorite post about growing the Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus and other in this grouping. I’ve become a huge fan of growing cactus and succulent plants over the years.
Christmas Cactus Care Tips
The latest on the Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera) blooming in my dome garden. These plants are well over five years as noted in the vlog here.
Rare Tour of Cactus and Succulent Collection
In this post I share my rare cactus and succulents growing in Ohio. These are plants that will not survive without protections from winter in the north.
My Madagascar Palm In The Dome
In this post I share everything I have learned growing a Madagascar Palm in my home greenhouse. I wouldn’t mind having a few in my dome growing space in this post I share why. Be sure to scroll down to see videos featuring this plant and growing tips. Madagascar Palm The Madagascar Palm was a gift from a friend who started the plant from seed. This plant has been growing in my dome greenhouse since 2016. It has been a treat to watch it get taller and tackle the different temperatures in my dome. In the video below I share what the plant looks like in year 6 in my dome greenhouse. Questions can be submitted on my website. https://youtu.be/9ev12Lct7gk This video is part of my Bren Haas Channel. You can find more on my website so be sure to subscribe. About the Madagascar Palm One important fact about this plant is it loves sunshine and heat. I have only grown this variety in my dome greenhouse in the space that gets the most light. The Madaascar does best in hardiness zones 9a-11. I recommend growing it in a container so you can control the amount of water it gets and sunshine. First Photo of Madagascar Palm Standing Tall About The Table New Leaves Each Spring / Summer Keep in mind that the plant is said to be poisonous if ingested. It is also a good idea to keep the plant up and away from traffic because of its sharp spikes. The plant can grow to be 10-15 feet tall and 6 feet wide over time. This cactus also known as the Pachypodium lamerei is from Madagascar, Africa. If mine gets this big I will have to rebuild my dome greenhouse! More Information about this plant can be found on the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens Website. I hope to visit this location someday in the near future to share more with you. More Post On My Site Here are some additional shares about cactus and succulent on my website. Let’s Connect Thank you for checking out my post today about the Madagascar Palm. I would love to hear from you and what you thought of this information. Please be sure to leave comments on the section below feature on my website. Happy Gardening,
How To Grow a Cactus Indoors
One of my favorite things to grow in Ohio is cactus. I have many different varieties I’ve been enjoying for years so it is always fun to find a new one at the garden center. In this post I share how I to grow a cactus indoors. How to Grow A Cactus Indoors I really hit the jackpot the other day at Walmart. Not many people know that there are a bunch of houseplants including cactus in the garden center area of the store during the winter months. There are always new succulents and cactus in that section of the store. In todays video feature I share how I repot the cactus into a container to enjoy indoors. Don’t forget to scroll down and see images and more how to grow cactus indoor tips. The video feature on my page is from my Bren Haas Channel. Tips on Growing a Cactus Indoors Over the years I have found that this type of cactus is really one of the easiest to grow indoors. Although I will admit that my cactus do AMAZING out in the dome greenhouse as well. Below is a list of my personal growing tips for success when it comes to cactus. Do Not over water. Cactus love to be dry… think about it… they come from the desert! Use a good potting soil that has the best drainage LEAVE THE PLANT BE…. the cactus do not like to be fussed with. Grow in a bight location but not direct sunlight As I experiment with different cactus there will be more updates on my website so stay tuned by bookmarking my site. References About Cactus You know me, I love checking out what the extension offices are sharing about horticulture topics. I found this awesome documentation about how to transplant cactus on a few University sites. Personally, I learn so much reading about these studies. Click through these to see what you think: Arizona Extension |How to Transplant A Cactus University of Minnesota | Succulents and Cactus University of Vermont | Growing Succulents Indoors Let’s Connect I really appreciate that you took the time to stop by and check out my site today. Please be kind and leave me a comment below letting me know what you thought of this post. Perhaps you grow cactus in your home? I would love to hear from you so reach out soon. Happy Cactus Growing,
First Snow in New Year Dome Update
It is hard to believe we are well into the winter season and haven’t had much snow to talk about. Finally, a system is here and we have snow! In this post I am sharing the first snow in new year dome update. First Snow Dome Update In this video I share how the dome is performing during the first snow of 2022. See images and hear my personal notes on the structures new design. Also get to see some unique plants that are blooming in the dome greenhouse during the coldest time of the year with little sun. Watch the video below! https://youtu.be/st9jTYsTo6k Thanks for checking out my video. You can find more of my videos including dome updates on Bren Haas YouTube Channel. First Snow Dome Update Images In the video feature I share some unique plants that are doing great in the winter season conditions. My personal collection of images are in the photo album below. Click on each image to see more details about the plant. Christmas Cactus Spring of Pearl Succulent Blooming Dome Structure After Snow Update The dome has been in this location since October 2015. Over the last few years with been making updates to help grow better plants and save on cost. Winter is getting to be easier to conserve heat thanks to updates we have made. This past Autumn we add a new inside house wrap that is doing great. Check out the post about ‘buttoning’ up the dome and more on my site. Below are images featuring what is happening on the outside after these updates. Let’s Connect Thank you for stopping by my website today. I hope you scroll down and leave a message on my blog post today. You can always reach out to me on my website about the dome and other creative topics I cover. In the new year we are working on more dome structure updates so stay tuned. Happy Gardening,
Unboxing Succulents and Cactus From Mountain Crest
In this post I share a video featuring the unboxing of new succulents and cactus from Mountain Crest. Check out the video and list of unique plants below. Unboxing Succulents and Cactus Video Every time I do an unboxing on a vlog it feels like Christmas! Don’t you just love to see new plants as they arrive. I TOTALLY love it!!!! The video feature below you will see what the succulents and new cactus look like as they arrive. These products were sent during one of the hottest weeks of summer 2021 .. you won’t believe how these succulents and cactus plants looked at arrival. See Video Below: https://youtu.be/N4A3MOcsPfg You can find this video on my Bren Haas Youtube Channel. If you have questions or concerns please scroll down and send me a message. Succulents and Cactus Highlights Isn’t it fun to get new plants to grow in your home or garden? I spent $40 for some unique new succulents and cactus I hope to have for along time. It is so much fun adding new things to my collection. Below is the list of new succulents and cactus plants I purchased: Mammillaria blossfeldiana x 1 Salsa Verde – Sedum makinoi Grey Stonecrop- Sedum pachyclados Red Wiggle- Sedum ochroleucum Irish Bouquet – Aeonium lindleyi var. viscatum String of Dolphins – Senecio peregrinus Japanese Golden Sedum- Sedum makinoi ‘Ogon’ Calico Kitten – Crassula pellucida f. variegata Now to pick a favorite! They all look amazing so I am totally recommending this site based on todays delivery. Be sure to follow me to find out how these grow in my home garden. I’ll be putting these succulents and cactus out in my dome greenhouse. Thank you for stopping by my website today! Let’s Connect Have you ordered succulents or cactus online before? I would love to hear about your experience so reach out to me at the link below. Looking forward to sharing with you how these plants grow for me in Ohio so stay tuned! Happy Succulent and Cactus Collecting, More Succulents and Cactus Succulents and cactus are so frickin cool! I’ve been collecting and growing them since 2004 but I really didn’t get the bug until I had a greenhouse. Here are some of my favorite post about my collection.
Let’s Connect
I’d love to connect with you so please be sure to tweet me below or comment on this blog post. Do you have a Christmas, Thanksgiving or Holiday Cactus?
Happy Growing Cactus this Holiday Season,
9 Comments on “How to Care for The Christmas Cactus”
Hello
I’ve had luck with my Christmas Cactus blooming after keeping it in my dome greenhouse for at least 2 weeks during the late Autumn season. Basically, the temperature needs to be around 61* and the plant can not dry out or be in a drafty area. You can create these same conditions in your home. Maybe a closet or a spare bedroom that is dark. The plant needs to stay dark and late autumn early winter season is perfect. There needs to be at least eight days of 16 hours of dark and eight hours of light each day. If you turn the lights on it will breaks the dark cycle required. Originally I found these tips (that worked for me) on the Michigan State University Extension office site at: https://www.canr.msu.edu/
I hope this works for you. You’ve reminded me to go check on mine out in the dome greenhouse. I might just bring mine into the spare bedroom closet that is dark and document how it goes! The last time I did this I set a reminder alarm on my mobile phone so I didn’t forget the 8 hours of daylight each day for 2 weeks.
My Thanksgiving cactus has no flowers. Did you say to water it with a water/Epsom salt solution? Would keeping it in the dark during the day force it to flower?
Hi Marilyn,
I’ve had branches fall off my cactus, as well. I think it happens when the plant has been allowed to dry out too much and then watered. It damages the roots. It likes to be root bound, but pull the plant out of the pot and check the roots and make sure there are no root mealybugs or some other obvious problem. It may be a good idea to take some cuttings in the spring and start a new plant or two to make sure you don’t lose the plant all together.
I’ve had another branch broken off since I posted my query, and only have two left. I’m wondering if I over watered it. I may have to start anew with another cactus. I’m so sad because it’s a beautiful bright green leaf with vibrant coral flowers, and it blooms twice a year. It bloomed just before Christmas and what’s left of it is blooming now. It’s in a small pot; could it be root bound?
I had this happen before on one of my cactus – the problem was I didn’t notice that the water wasn’t draining from the container until it was too late. I had to repot the plant to get down to the bottom where the hole had been plugged by a few stones. ( NOT SURE how those got there!) I used cactus soil that is made to drain well. Is your soil wet???? Let me know so we can try and figure those one out together.
my cactus has been breaking off at the bottom of the stem – what am I doing wrong?
Forgot to mention that it does still bloom (twice a year for some odd reason) Bright pink blossoms but no more then 10 or so blooms.
I have one that was my great gramma’s, we believe it is alteast 50 years old. I am now almost 30 and can recall as a young child helping my Nan to wipe the dust off. Asha w/ Jolly Farmer