How to prune a Christmas cactus that doesn't bloom
Are you curious about an introduction to pruning a Christmas cactus that doesn't bloom in the aspect of green plants and flowers? Let's take a look together!
When a Christmas cactus doesn't bloom, you should cut off the weak flower buds on the plant and trim the long branches by one to two nodes to encourage nutrients to be concentrated in the full flower buds. Note that after pruning, you need to apply an antiseptic to the Christmas cactus' wounds to prevent bacteria in the air from entering through the wounds, which could affect the plant's recovery and growth.
How to prune a Christmas cactus that doesn't bloom
1. -- Perform pruning --
When a Christmas cactus doesn't bloom, you should cut off the weak flower buds on the nodes and trim the long branches of the plant by one to two nodes to slow down the rate of nutrient consumption in the soil, while also enhancing the growth of the Christmas cactus and promoting the full blooming of the flower buds.
2. -- Post-pruning care --
After pruning the Christmas cactus, move it to a shady environment to avoid strong light burning the wounds of the plant. Then, apply an antiseptic or lime powder to the wounds to speed up the plant's self-healing. Note that after applying, the wounds of the Christmas cactus must not come into contact with water, otherwise the plant may rot.
3. -- Disease and pest control --
When the Christmas cactus has diseases or pests, first cut off the affected or infested stems and remove the残花 (translation: residual flowers). Then, spray the Christmas cactus with pesticides for treatment. Note that before pruning, you need to disinfect and sterilize tools such as scissors or knives by placing them in a potassium permanganate solution.
4. -- Propagation methods --
The Christmas cactus can be propagated through cutting and grafting. Cuttings produce Christmas cacti with a longer lifespan but smaller plants and later flowering, while grafted Christmas cacti have a taller shape and can inherit the advantages of the rootstock, resulting in stronger growth.
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