How to Care for a Christmas Cactus to Make It Bloom
Article Guide: This article discusses how to care for a Christmas cactus to make it bloom and shares related experiences on the differences between Christmas cacti and蟹爪兰 (Disocactus ackermannii) in flower planting. The following is an introduction to the details.
Plants in the cactus family are spiny and not favored by some hobbyists, but most flower enthusiasts are still willing to grow these plants because they have beautiful blooms. They are basically lazy person's flowers, easy to care for and can bloom even with rough management, except for the golden虎 cactus that doesn't bloom easily. Recently, I fell in love with the caterpillar Christmas cactus. I saw my friend's Christmas cactus growing out of the pot and covered with flowers a few days ago. The Christmas cactus is indeed a plant that loves to propagate and blooms profusely. So, how should we care for the Christmas cactus to make it bloom? Sunlover's Plants will teach you a simple method, and you will learn it after reading the article.
Why Doesn't the Christmas Cactus Bloom? Master 4 Key Points to Achieve Full Bloom
①, Proper Soil for Blooming
It is true that the Christmas cactus is adaptable and not picky about the soil, as it can thrive even in vegetable garden soil, just like a pot full of caterpillars that even overflow the pot due to its strong sprouting power. However, if you want the Christmas cactus to bloom, you cannot use soil with high alkalinity, as it may look healthy but not bloom.
Suggestion: To make the Christmas cactus bloom, it actually is simple. It prefers slightly acidic sandy loam soil, generally mixed with loose, fertile, and well-drained humus soil. My friend uses a mix of peat, garden soil, and coal slag. This slightly acidic soil is breathable and has good drainage, making it easy for the Christmas cactus to grow and bloom in this environment.
②, Expose to Sunlight to Bloom
Why doesn't your Christmas cactus bloom? It must be because it is not getting enough sunlight. It is a plant that loves to be in the sun all year round and will bloom only if it gets enough sunlight. Christmas cacti lacking sunlight not only have difficulty blooming but also tend to grow tall and thin, making them less likely to bloom.
Suggestion: The Christmas cactus needs plenty of sunlight, even in winter. Exposing it to low temperatures can help with its bud differentiation. In spring, expose it to the sun as much as possible, and you will soon see flower buds. It can tolerate high temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius, and if the temperature reaches 40 degrees, slightly shade it from the midday sun. Direct sunlight can burn the caterpillars. In autumn, also expose it to plenty of sunlight. Therefore, a Christmas cactus that blooms fully is one that is exposed to plenty of sunlight.
③, Dry Growing Conditions to Bloom
The Christmas cactus doesn't bloom because you water it too frequently, always thinking that sufficient water makes it grow well. As a result, it fills the pot but unfortunately doesn't bloom. In fact, the Christmas cactus is drought-tolerant, not very fond of water, and excessive water may cause it to focus on growth and forget to bloom. Sometimes too much water can lead to rotting.
Suggestion: To make the Christmas cactus bloom, it needs to be grown in dry conditions. Too much water is not a good thing and can lead to non-blooming. To make it bloom fully, wait until the soil is completely dry before watering. Do not water if the soil is not dry. Watering when it is very thirsty can easily make the Christmas cactus bloom, and it will produce many flower buds, making it hard not to fill the pot with flowers.
How to Care for a Christmas Cactus to Make It Bloom
④, Supplement Phosphorus and Potassium Fertilizer for Blooming
Some hobbyists have well-growing Christmas cacti that don't bloom because the soil lacks phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. When the soil contains more nitrogen, the Christmas cactus will grow vigorously. All plants bloom, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are essential for flowering.
Suggestion: Never fertilize with a lot of liquid nitrogen fertilizer because it will result in small caterpillars that don't bloom. In spring, we should fertilize the Christmas cactus with a compound fertilizer high in phosphorus and potassium and low in nitrogen, which is beneficial for its growth and bud differentiation. You can use Flower多多2 fertilizer or monopotassium phosphate, diluted in water at a ratio of 1:1000 and watered or sprayed on the plant once a week. Three times will result in many flower buds (always spray on a sunny day), and then you can enjoy the blooming Christmas cactus every day, which is very beautiful.
Summary: The Christmas cactus is easy to care for and can bloom fully even when left outside. It is a sun-loving flower. If your Christmas cactus doesn't bloom, make sure to use the right soil, grow it in dry conditions, expose it to plenty of sunlight, and supplement phosphorus and potassium fertilizers before blooming. The Christmas cactus will then bloom fully.
This article shares how to care for a Christmas cactus to make it bloom and explains the differences between Christmas cacti and 蟹爪兰 (Disocactus ackermannii) for reference by netizens.