How do I care for a Thanksgiving cactus?
It’s important that the soil is well-drained as this plant doesn’t like to stay wet on a regular basis. It doesn’t like to dry out either. I water a 6” Thanksgiving Cactus every 2 weeks in summer and every 3-4 weeks in winter. Holiday cacti grow best when they are placed in a location with partial shade, such as an east or west facing window, with a temperature between 70° and 80℉.If you want your cacti to grow, then water is vitally important. In a sunny location, which gives them plenty of heat during the day, you can give them water every week. The only rule is: Make sure the soil is dry between waterings.South-facing windows provide the most intense and consistent light for indoor cacti, typically offering 6-8 hours of direct sunlight during peak growing season. This exposure closely mimics the natural desert environment and promotes healthy growth, vibrant colours, and potential flowering.On average, Thanksgiving cacti require watering once or twice a week. Before doing so, push your finger into the soil to feel whether it has dried out – if the top third of the soil is dry, then water thoroughly. Allow the water to drain through to avoid soggy roots.
How long can a Thanksgiving cactus live?
Regular pruning of your Thanksgiving cactus will help the plant to focus its energy on growing those beautiful flowers. The best time to do this is spring. You can hold onto your clippings and propagate them. Done correctly, this plant can live a long live of 20 to 30 years. Size: The Thanksgiving Cactus usually reaches a height of about 12 inches (30 cm), with a spread of up to 24 inches (60 cm). Flowers: It boasts tubular, asymmetrical flowers that can be pink, red, white, purple, or even yellow.By adjusting temperatures and limiting the amount of light your Christmas cactus receives, you can encourage them to bloom.However, a Thanksgiving cactus should also never be waterlogged as it is sensitive to overwatering. Allow the top 1-2 inches of soil to dry between watering and then water thoroughly until water drains out of the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot.Lighting: Place your Thanksgiving cactus in a location where it receives bright, indirect light. Too much direct sunlight can lead to sunburned leaves, so filtered light through curtains or a few feet away from a sunny window is ideal.
What triggers a Thanksgiving cactus to bloom?
Ideally, choose a location in your home with bright but indirect light. Next to a north- or east-facing window is often a good option. What triggers a Thanksgiving cactus to bloom? The light and temperature conditions are primary factors that trigger Thanksgiving cacti to bloom. Light Intensity: Place your indoor cactus near a south-facing window to provide the brightest light possible. Cacti require ample sunlight to trigger blooming.Improper Light The Holiday cactus thrives in bright, indirect sunlight, and it benefits from a balance of light exposure and shade. Plants grown in excessive shade may not produce robust leaves, leading to leaf shedding.While they are easy to grow, here are some basic tips to keep your holiday cacti happy and reblooming: Provide bright, indirect or filtered light. Keep plants out of a southern exposure. In the fall, provide a minimum of 13 hours of darkness for eight weeks to get blooms.Bright Indirect Sunlight – keep your Christmas Cactus in a bright spot in your house, such as a living room with south facing windows. It should not however, be sitting directly in the sun. Room Temperatures around 65-75 degrees.
Do Thanksgiving cactus like coffee grounds?
Coffee grounds are not a necessary ingredient for Christmas cactus care, but they can perk up the plant during its bloom time. The grounds give a boost of nitrogen and potassium and lower the acidity of their soil, which they like. Be careful not to overdo it! Coffee grounds are not a necessary ingredient for Christmas cactus care, but they can perk up the plant during its bloom time. The grounds give a boost of nitrogen and potassium and lower the acidity of their soil, which they like. Be careful not to overdo it!Plant Makeup: Christmas cacti are succulents, and they don’t naturally thrive on sugar. Their roots are adapted to absorb water and nutrients from the soil, not sugar water. Other Nutrient Sources:Boric Acid: While sugar water isn’t recommended, boric acid (0.Fertilize Christmas cactus plants with a water-soluble, balanced bloom formula houseplant fertilizer, such as 20-20-20 (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) or 20-10-20. Some growers suggest using African violet food.Is there any truth that fertilizing your holiday cactus either sugar water or epsom salt water makes them fuller? Epsom is magnesium and can benefit your plant but you should only use epsom once or twice a year.Unfortunately, many cacti die off during winter without proper care, and due to this fear, many people ask how to care for Cactus in winter. Keep in mind that some cacti can become frostbitten in harsh winds and temperatures; therefore, they need to be carefully covered with Burlap as late in the season as possible.
Where is the best place to put a Thanksgiving cactus?
Lighting: Place your Thanksgiving cactus in a location where it receives bright, indirect light. Too much direct sunlight can lead to sunburned leaves, so filtered light through curtains or a few feet away from a sunny window is ideal. The Christmas cactus (Schlumgera bridgesti) has leaf projections which are more scalloped or tear drop shaped. The Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertnerrii) has very rounded edges which are centralized on the leaf. All of these three cacti are known as short day plants.Prune a Thanksgiving cactus shortly after it has finished blooming. This will help the plant to branch out and form healthy new stems. Simply twist the stems between a segment to break them off, or use sharp scissors or hand pruners. Trimming the stems just one to two segments from the end will help the plant fill out.Propagating Thanksgiving cactus through stem cuttings is straightforward, and this method is usually the most successful. Make sure you use clean, sharp scissors or pruning shears to minimize the risk of disease.Explore the Unique Shapes of Holiday Cacti: The Christmas cactus has smooth and scalloped stem segments. The Thanksgiving cactus has more pronounced, pointed segments. The Easter cactus has stem segments that are more rounded in appearance.Regular pruning of your Thanksgiving cactus will help the plant to focus its energy on growing those beautiful flowers. The best time to do this is spring. You can hold onto your clippings and propagate them. Done correctly, this plant can live a long live of 20 to 30 years.
Do Thanksgiving cacti need sunlight?
While they are easy to grow, here are some basic tips to keep your holiday cacti happy and reblooming: Provide bright, indirect or filtered light. Keep plants out of a southern exposure. In the fall, provide a minimum of 13 hours of darkness for eight weeks to get blooms. Feeding. To encourage good growth and flowering, feed once a month during the growing season (April–September), using either a liquid feed high in potassium such as a tomato fertilser, or a specialist liquid cacti feed.Fertilize plants monthly from the time new growth starts in late winter or early spring, and throughout the summer using a one-half strength soluble fertilizer, such as a 20-10-20 or 20-20-20 with trace elements. Holiday cacti have a higher requirement for magnesium than many plants.