Closeup of a Christmas Cactus Flower - Jan 2011
I have a Christmas cactus which is n’t exactly a vegetable ( what ’s it doing here ) and is n’t exactly a cactus . It is a Zygo - cactus that looks more like a succulent . With aid it can flower around this time of year . I detect my flower bud in early December and it was blooming by Christmas . I got to allow in , I ’ve never had much luck in mother them to bloom so I did some inquiry this year ( after it bloomed ) It is awing it blossom at all this year think I did almost everything wrong .
Christmas Cactus plant - Jan 2011
Closeup of a Christmas Cactus Flower-Jan 2011
There is actually 3 hybrids of this cacti - Thanksgiving , Christmas , and Easter Cactus so maybe you do n’t have the Christmas type if you did n’t get it to bloom around that time . It is aboriginal from Central and South America and is a member in the Zygo - cactus family ( that ’s not Zydeco - it wo n’t trip the light fantastic toe ) . They are tropic cacti and have unlike care necessary than the standard cacti . So here is what you should do and what I did ..
1 . Your suppose to keep them in a cool elbow room start up around Sept - Oct , in collateral spark and where the temperature is around 50 ° . I had it in my main large way , in indirect light but in a part of the room where it was veracious by the flooring heater . I have to accept temperatures were sure as shooting much high as I ’m not going to be in that low temperature of a room ! Around Thanksgiving I notice the leave sting from the heaters so I move it further away .
2 . They also say to keep it in total darkness at night . That did n’t happen either as their are big windows that allow the Moon in and there are many sleepless nights where I go out into the great way ( meaning lights on ) .
Christmas Cactus plant-Jan 2011
3 . We ’re suppose to irrigate less when you want them to blossom which I always do anyways . Less meaning I really let it dried out between watering but not to the degree of wilt .
4 . Christmas cactus require 50 - 60 % humidity . secure hazard on that one in gamy desert . I coulda put a pan of water by it but like I say put it by the hummer instead . Opps ..
5 . It likes to be hatful bound - no problem there .
Fertilome Geranium, Hanging Basket & Pansy fertilizer
Fertilome Geranium , Hanging Basket & Pansy fertilizer
6 . The good fertiliser is 0 - 10 - 10 but they say no higher than 10 on the nitrogen which would be a 10 - 10 - 10 fertilizer . I blew it there too . I started give it a 20 - 20 - 20 around the offset of November which I have never done before . imagine to fertilize around 3 times ( that sounds about right ) But the plant By December 15th or so it started getting fiddling flush buds ! It seem to really liked it . The plant food was ‘ Fertilome Geranium , Hanging Basket & Pansy ’ , all purpose fertilizer -20 - 20 - 20 ( non organic - only in house )
So here ’s what I receive right ( and plainly it was enough ): the collateral sparkle , did n’t overwater , let it be pot bond , and did give it some plant food ( although the wrong ratio ) . It is still flowering beautifully . plain it ’s not as finicky as they say . Good thing plant are so forgiving at multiplication ..
