For the Christmas cactus to develop its flowers in beautiful colors, the location and care must be right. Christmas cacti also need periods of darkness in order for them to bloom. Tips on How to Make Christmas Cactus Bloom
Why isn't my Christmas cactus blooming?
If a Christmas cactus is not blooming, it may be due to too much or too little water, a pot that is too large, a location that is too warm, a lack of dormancy, or too much light. Dark phases and appropriate care are crucial for flowering.
Causes why the Christmas cactus doesn't bloom
If the Christmas cactus doesn't bloom, there can be very different reasons. Often it is due to incorrect care or an unfavorable location. Reasons for no flowers are:
- watered too much/too little
- too big pot
- location too warm
- missing rest period after flowering
- too much light before flowering
The root ball of the Christmas cactus should never dry out completely but should never be too wet either. Waterlogging prevents flowering in any case. Water appropriately for the different growth phases.
It shouldn't be too warm where the Christmas cactus is located. During the day temperatures should be around 21 degrees. At night it can be a little cooler at 17 to 19 degrees.
Tips to Make Christmas Cacti Bloom
After flowering, allow a three-month rest period. During this time, the Christmas cactus is watered very sparingly and kept cooler and darker. You are welcome to look after him outside in the summer. However, it must be wintered frost-free at room temperatures.
Provide enough light, but avoid too much direct sunlight. The location should definitely be protected from drafts.
The Christmas cactus is a short-day plant
As a short-day plant, the Christmas cactus needs at least twelve hours of complete darkness from September to December. During this time, either place it completely dark for six weeks and make sure that it is not illuminated by artificial light sources in the evening.
When the flowers fall off
The flowers of the Christmas cactus align themselves with the light source. If you turn the pot shortly before or during flowering, the flowers will also turn. If this happens more often, the flowers fall off. Therefore, avoid changing the location of the pot.
Tip
Christmas cacti are quite easy to propagate using cuttings. They can also be grown from seeds. However, this method is more complicated and only suitable for experts.
