Propagate a Christmas cactus is not a great art. Offshoots can be grown quite easily from cuttings. Growing from seeds is more difficult and, above all, more time-consuming and is more suitable for experts. This is how Christmas cactus propagation works.
How can I propagate a Christmas cactus?
To propagate a Christmas cactus, you can use cuttings by cutting off shoots, letting them dry, planting them in potting soil and keeping them constantly moist. Alternatively, grow the plant from seeds by sowing them in potting soil and waiting patiently for them to germinate.
Propagate Christmas cactus via cuttings or seeds
Usually you propagate a Christmas cactus from cuttings. This method almost always works and you can quickly enjoy a cutting with lots of flowers.
To grow a Christmas cactus from seeds, you need some experience and a lot of patience. It can take many months for a new flowering plant to emerge.
How to grow cuttings from cuttings
- Cut cuttings with a sharp knife
- Allow interfaces to dry
- Prepare cultivation pots
- Insert cuttings
- keep moderately moist
- cover with plastic wrap if necessary
- set up bright and warm
Immediately after flowering is the best time to propagate a Christmas cactus. To do this, use a sharp knife to cut off shoots with one to three limbs from the mother plant. Allow the interfaces to dry for two to three days.
Fill small pots with a mixture of potting soil (€6.00 on Amazon) and cactus soil. Insert the shoots two to three centimeters deep into the soil and press the substrate carefully.
Place the cuttings brightly but not too sunny. Keep the substrate evenly moist, avoiding too much moisture. You can also cover the pots with cling film to keep the moisture constant. The film must be ventilated at least every two days to prevent the cutting from rotting or molding.
Growing Christmas cactus from seeds
Some varieties not only produce flowers, but they also produce fruits with seeds. When ripe, the fruits burst open. They contain many of the tiny seeds. Shake out the seeds, remove the pulp and let them dry. They must be stored in a dry place until sowing the following spring.
In spring, fill small growing bowls with loose cactus soil or growing soil. Sow the seeds as thinly as possible. Cover the sowing with a very thin layer of soil. It is best to use a floral sprayer to moisten the substrate so that the seeds are not washed away.
It can take several weeks for the seed to germinate and not all of the seeds will sprout.
Prick out after emergence
Once the young Christmas cactus plants have reached a height of around two to three centimeters, carefully prick them out. Later, the individual plants are transplanted into pots with cactus soil and cared for like adult Christmas cacti.
Tip
Commercial cactus soil is suitable as a substrate for Christmas cacti. But you can also use garden soil that you loosen with sand and gravel. It is important that the soil is not too rich in nutrients.
