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- The Christmas cactus is one of the few plants that also blooms in winter. With good care, flowering lasts up to six weeks.
- Before flowering, around September, you should give your Christmas cactus a rest and put it in a darker place and water it less to avoid waterlogging.
- Otherwise, the cactus likes it bright and feels comfortable on a windowsill. However, temperatures here should not rise above 23 degrees.
Is the Christmas cactus poisonous?
Schlumbergera is harmless to adults. However, the Christmas cactus is poisonous to children and cats and should therefore be placed in an inaccessible place if there are children and pets in the household.
The Christmas cactus is one of the few plants that bloom in the winter monthsand – unlike other cacti – has no spines.
Together with the poinsettia, it is therefore one of the most popular houseplants during the Christmas season.
Furthermore, is This plant is particularly easy to care for and delights with a long flowering period between October and February.
The winter cactus with the botanical name “Schlumbergera” is one of the leaf and limb cacti originally comes from Brazilwhere it grows as a so-called epiphyte on the forks of trees.
Although the plant requires little care, it is all the more worth it because it up to 30 years old becomes. At Heimwerker.de we show you how to do this with our care instructions.
1. The right location for the Christmas cactus
Schlumbergera are short-day plants, which is why Flower formation depends greatly on the ambient temperature and day length depends. They therefore bloom on the shorter days in winter up to three times when temperatures are between 15° and 20° Celsius lay.
They also feel attached to you thrives in a bright to partially shaded locationfor example on window sills.
However, the Christmas cactus should not above a heater or in heavily heated rooms be set up because at a temperature of 23° Celsius it no longer forms buds and the flowers stop. He needs overnight approx. 12 hours of darkness.
A notice: However, flowering Schlumbergera react sensitively to a change of location and, in the worst case, drop their flowers. For this reason, if necessary, you should move these plants to another location either before or after flowering.
2. Care tips for Schlumbergera
For one multiple flower formation, remove dead parts of the plant after the first and second flowers. This way the Christmas cactus can grow new shoots.
During this time the plant is content with little water. In the Spring encourages regular fertilizer additions their growth. In addition to cactus fertilizer, normal plant fertilizer should also be used.
From The rest period lasts August to September This plant requires very little water and prefers a dark location. You can also use them in the warmer seasons outside in a place protected from rain place.
The Christmas cactus does not tolerate hard waterso that you can either collect Rain or boiled water should be used for watering.
As soon as the first buds appear, you should initially more water and less during the flowering period give. Finally, after the end of the flowering period, there is an approximately four-week rest phase during which the Leaf cactus kept almost dry becomes.
Our care tips for the Christmas cactus at a glance:
category | Care |
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Location |
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Water |
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Fertilize |
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Repotting |
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- View cactus fertilizer on Amazon.de »
3. Propagate Christmas cacti
After several years, these jointed cacti grow into larger bushes. If they are too big on the windowsill or if you want to plant new Schlumbergera, twists off the outer limbs of the plantto get Christmas cactus cuttings.
Danger: Don’t cut off the cactus limbs! The twisted plant parts are placed in a flower pot with soil. After a short time, roots will begin to form.
4. Christmas Cactus FAQ: We answer your questions
4.1. What helps with wilted leaves and rotten roots?
Became the Christmas cactus watered too often or with too much water, its leaves wither – recognizable by the brown spots. In this case you should take the Christmas plant out of the flower pot and Remove rotting roots and wilted shoots.
Then you plant it in fresh soil and give it a two-week rest, in which it is hardly watered. Then give him a little water and slowly return to normal care.
4.2. How often do you water the Christmas cactus?
Before flowering, i.e. in August/September, you can almost completely stop watering the Christmas cactus as it uses this time as a resting time. If the cactus then blooms, you should water it about once a week during this time.
Outside of these times, it is sufficient if you install the cactus first Water as soon as the first layer of soil dries out is.
4.3. How long does the Christmas cactus bloom?
In November you can expect the first flowers of your Christmas cactus. The individual flowers open for a few days.
Fortunately, the cactus blooms for quite a long time and so you can often get one six-week flowering enjoy.
4.4. How old does a Christmas cactus get?
Depending on when you get a Christmas cactus, your grandchildren may even be able to enjoy its flowers. The cactus can 30 years or even older become.
Image credits: shutterstock/Bozhena Melnyk, shutterstock/joloei, shutterstock/jan j. photography, shutterstock/Isabel Sala Casteras (sorted chronologically or according to the order of the images used in the buying guide)