Home»Cactus - Succulents»Christmas Cactus
Although anticipate a cactus , the Christmas cactusis not like desert - dwelling cacti . This type of cactus is aboriginal to a hobo camp context and is an epiphyte that maturate in high spirits in tropic jungle ’ treetops .
Christmas cactus blooms in the wintertime and produces gorgeous flowers in a wide compass of shades , including :
Photo Credit: Instagram @desirable_blooms
Christmas cactus is a bit quicker growing than desert cactus and will need repotting more often . In this article , we discourse how and when you should repot your Christmas cactus .
tie in : Why Does n’t My Christmas Cactus Flower ?
Does Christmas Cactus Need Repotting Every Year?
Although these are jolly quick - farm plants , you may not need to repot your Christmas cactus annually . The plants do well when the root are a chip root - hold . If you repot too often , you could damage your industrial plant .
How Often Should I Repot Christmas Cactus?
Christmas cactus only needs repotting once every three or four years . If the plant face a turn weary or the roots start to grow out the bottom of the current container , your plant is ready for repotting .
When Should You Repot Christmas Cactus?
Springtime is the distinctive time for repotting most works , but Christmas cactus blossom during winter and need repotting immediately after the blooms fade . Never repot your Christmas cactus while it is flower .
How Do You Repot Christmas Cactus?
Take care when repotting your Christmas cactus because its limbs and leaves are a flake touchy . If you have a heavy , weighty flora , you may want to clip it back and take cuttings before you repot .
Additionally , lightly enclose Christmas cactus with lightweight material can help prevent breakage .
Get everything quick in advance so that you may transplant your cactus quickly and well without too much fuss .
You ’ll call for :
Christmas Cactus Soil Mixes
You want a light , airy , well - drain potting mix for this epiphyte .
Soil mixing made for succulentsor bromeliads are ideal .
you’re able to also make your own Christmas cactus mix using two part gamey - quality potting mixture and one part sand .
Another option is a mix of equal parts box garden soil , coarse guts / gravel , and peat moss .
Never use territory that comes directly from your garden as it may contain bacteria , fungi , and viruses that would harm your Christmas cactus .
Container
Take care not to give your Christmas cactus a mountain that is too big . Just move up to the next size tidy sum . Make certain that the container you select has lots of drain cakehole .
Good drain is a must . Christmas cactus is a moisture - loving works , like most air plant , but it can not stand in water . Use the soaking and ironic lacrimation method whereby you decant water through easy , aired soil and allow it to become almost dry before the next watering .
If the dirt stay too sozzled , root putrefaction will jell in .
1 . To repot your Christmas cactus , begin by preparing the foliage as distinguish above .
2 . Put an inch or two of bracing stain mix in the bottom of the new grass .
3 . lightly withdraw the plant from its original pot . Take care not to rip it from the land . Instead , endeavor to remove the stem ball entire .
4 . Once you have the plant out of the pot , rub down the root to loosen them and remove old soil . If the original potting mixture is quite compacted , rinse the roots gently to hit the land .
5 . Place your Christmas cactus in its young pot so that the top part of the root orb is around 1″ in below the top of the novel pot .
6 . Pat the soil down lightly so that no air air pocket remain .
7 . Water your Christmas cactus jolly and come out it in a humble - luminance location for a couple of days . Once your plant has settled into its young mess , you could start caring for it as common .
billet : Too much direct sunlight can burn off or bleach the leaves .
Do Your Best to Replicate Christmas Cactus’ Natural Environment
Just remember that Christmas cactus grow from nooks and crannies and treetops of tropical jungle configurations in the wild . Their soil lie in of natural compost composed of decaying tree leaves , bark , twigs , and interchangeable items .
In the wild , these plants receive lots of water that runs straight through their substrate . The roots dry out and get peck of air every day .
The closer you’re able to replicate these conditions , the better off your Christmas cactus will be .
