The Flowers of the Christmas Cactus
The Christmas cactus is a native of Brazil and can usually be found out in the wild growing in the forks of tree limbs, this is where they feed and it is usually on decaying leaves. The Christmas cactus is a popular houseplant that can sometimes survive outdoors in milder climates. The segments of the plant are flat and jointed and have rosy purple flowers at the end. You will find that the cactus usually blooms in the winter if it is indoors, if planted outside it can bloom just about anytime.
This plant got its name of Christmas cactus because when properly cared for will be blooming at the Christmas holidays. It is very important to maintain the proper temperature in the fall. Being as they are cared for as house plants it is better to keep the temperature around 50 degrees F. You need to keep them away from doors that open to the elements and away from heating vents otherwise the cactus will not flower.
In order for the Christmas cactus to bloom during the holidays it needs to be in indirect bright light during the day and complete darkness during the night, which means no night lights, lamps, or light from the television. Some people choose to leave the plant in the area with the indirect light and place the plant inside a dark colored trash bag. At night they just pull up the trash bag and secure it and during the day drop the bag to the floor.
Following the tropical plant guidelines for watering is a very good idea. The plant needs to be watered completely and you need to allow the soil to dry. Once the top inch or so of soil has dried out it is time to water, but during fall and winter it will need less water.
The Christmas cactus will remain alive and happy when the humidity is about 50 to 60. Keeping a bowl of water near the plant will help with the humidity. You can also place the cactus in a shallow bowl with small or flat pebbles and pour water half way up.
Fertilize the cactus with a liquid nitrogen fertilizer with a ratio of no more that 10 percent around the end of October to early November. On the fertilizer container is a set of three numbers, the first number indicates the percentage of nitrogen.
The flowers of the Christmas cactus are very colorful and are used as decorations during the Christmas season. Since the plants leaves are large, flat and the flowers hang off the end it is best to display them in hanging baskets. Once the cactus starts blooming it will continue to bloom clear to March with the peak blossoming in January. This is the reason many people choose to give the Christmas cactus as a holiday gift.
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