Christmas Cactus

[MrKhay]

I purchased 2 Christmas Cacti at a rummage sale this past spring. They needed rescue. I repotted them in larger pots. One didn't make the transition. The other seems happy with it's new environs, spreading out, and the color is deep green. No buds, of flowers.

My mother took care of a Christmas Cactus that has been in the family for 5 generations. It nearly took up half the room. My oldest brother has it now, and blooms nicely every year for the Christmas Holidays. He mentioned that this year there is no flowers. He said that last year it bloomed around Thanksgiving, but there was no blooms yet this year.

Is there a particular method that needs to followed in order to have the blooms for Christmas?

[AlumniClub]

I have heard different things none of which I know to be true.

1) if you have two they cross germinate through the air.

2) some only blossom every other year.

3) they have to be pot bound to blossom.

4) they have to go through a period of hybernation so they know to germinate.
I remember my grandma not watering it in late summer and putting it in a dark room. Then next time I saw it it was out and starting to blossom.

Again, I have no idea if any of this is fact or just urban myth, but things I have heard.

[Lauri]

Hi,
Christmas cactus set bud to diminished daytime hours and/or to cooler temperatures. I gave my Christmas cactus away when it grew so large I literally used it as a pseudo Christmas tree one year. It became too large to haul outside for the summer where I kept it on the north side of the garage.

One other suggestion to grow a plant that doesn't have one leaf "stringers" that easily break off...remove (by twisting) any leaf that doesn't branch at the node. Not only will your cactus fill in but the "branches" will be stronger and very resistant to breaking off. Lauri