Holiday Cactus, part 2

Regardless of which type holiday cactus you bring home, it is native to the tropical jungles of South America.   While they are true cacti, these are  "jungle cacti" and they require very different treatment than the cacti species from arid or desert regions.  Still, they are very easy to care for and don’t require a lot of effort to bloom for you year after year.  They are long-lived plants, and are often handed down from generation to generation. 

All of the jungle cacti species thrive on "benign neglect".  They want a little bit of watering, an occasional feeding, and a temperature range between 40 and 100 degrees fahrenheit.  That's not hard for most of us to do.  They also like humidity between about 50 to 60%, which may require placing them in a room with some extra humidification or using a pebble tray like we talked about with orchids.

Once your cactus finishes blooming, it needs a rest period for a couple months.  During this time, your cactus is going to appreciate a slightly cooler environment, out of direct sunlight and water only when the soil is dry several inches below the surface.  Don't give the plant any fertilizer during this time.  I will tell you, though, that the only things I have found my cacti to be really particular about during this time are the watering and fertilizing.  I'm essentially a lazy gardener, so I leave my plants in the same brightly lit location as they were in before blooming and they do just fine.  

During this time of rest, you can also re-pot your holiday cacti, if they need it.  They love to be root bound and will bloom much more profusely when they are, so they rarely need to be re-potted.  I only re-pot mine when they have been in the same pot long enough for the soil to be "worn out", usually several years. 

When you start to see evidence of new growth (lighter, tender tips at the ends of the stem segments), you can begin watering more frequently.  You can also prune the plant during this time, if you want to keep its growth in check.  Just snip the stem segments you wish to prune away at any joint along the segment.  These prunings can be easily rooted for more plants, if you wish. 

April through September is the plant’s growing season. Feed the cacti about twice a month with a balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10 or 20-20-20.  Water only when the top inch of soil feels dry and with only enough water to moisten the root ball – don't soak the plant, and don’t leave water in the drainage tray. 

Holiday cacti benefit from a summer outdoors in a sheltered, partial sun location.  I move mine out as soon as night time temperatures are consistently above 40 degrees and leave them out there until fall brings night time temps down below that again.  Do not expose your holiday cacti to freezing conditions, though.  They are tropical plants and will be damaged by temperatures below 40 degrees and killed by temperatures at or below freezing. The advantage of moving my plants outside is that they are naturally exposed to the changing temperature and light cycles they require to bloom.  I simply bring them inside in the fall to a brightly lit location, free of drafts and with cool night time temps and wait for the buds to appear.

If you aren't able to move your cacti outside for the warmer months, you may need to put in a little more effort to get them to bloom.  September through October is the most critical time for ensuring your holiday cactus will bloom. Beginning in September, you'll need to put your holiday cactus in a cool room with indirect bright light for 10-12 hours and total darkness for 12-14 hours. “Total darkness” means no light whatsoever, natural or artificial light. You can easily achieve this by putting your plants in an unused bedroom or other room where you are not going in and out turning lights on and off.  You can also move your plant to a dark closet, or carefully cover it with light blocking  fabric for the required 12 to 14 hours each day.  Your plant will need these conditions for 6-8 weeks to ensure flower bud formation. Stop fertilizing, and reduce watering to keep the soil just barely moist (once every couple of weeks) during this time.

When your plant is full of flower buds, you can stop the light-dark routine and bring your plant out to be enjoyed. Be aware that moving your plant at this stage will result in the dropping of some of the buds - they resent being disturbed from their accustomed location.  This is another advantage of placing your cactus outside and allowing the process to occur naturally - you bring it inside and set it where you want it to be before the buds begin to set and then don't need to move it until the following spring. 

Once the buds are set, resume moderate watering. The cooler the location, the longer the blooms will last!  Keep the plant in a location with bright, indirect light that is free from drafts.  Don't place your holiday cactus near a heat register, exterior door, or drafty window, and keep it out of direct sunlight.   Easter cacti are more susceptible to bud and even stem segment drop from moving or exposure to drafts, so it is essential to keep those in a protected location.

In exchange for that little bit of water, an occasional feeding, and the right amount of heat and light, your holiday cacti will reward you with stunning displays for many, many years.