The Christmas cactus has its name for a reason, after all, the winter bloomer always shows off its magnificent flowers around Christmas. The exotic houseplant is - even if it is hard to believe at first glance - a cactus, but in contrast to its desert-dwelling cousins it has no spines and has a rather untypical appearance for cacti. Schlumbergera, its scientific name, needs special care so that you can enjoy the red, yellow, white or orange flowers for a long time.
How do you care for a Christmas cactus?
The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) is a tropical, flowering houseplant that blooms in winter and has no spines. Ideally, it should be bright but not in direct sunlight, kept moderately moist and supplied with cactus fertilizer during flowering.
Origin
" Christmas cactus" is actually not a species name, but a collective term for several species of leaf cacti from the genus Schlumbergera. These are native to the coastal forests of Brazil, where they grow as epiphytes (botanically epiphytes) on tall jungle trees. The specimens bred for home cultivation are exclusively hybrids, whereas the wild forms play no role as houseplants and are already highly endangered in their natural habitats. The scientific name of the Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera, comes from the French cactus collector and breeder Frédéric Schlumberger.read more
Usage
Since Christmas cacti come from subtropical and tropical regions, they are not hardy in this country and are therefore only used as houseplants. Since the flowers typically appear during the Christmas season, Schlumbergera is now part of the Christmas decorations in many households and is therefore available in many stores shortly before the holidays. The drooping shoots of this type of cactus look particularly good in hanging baskets or tall containers, where the colorful, lush flowers can easily grow over the edge.
Growth and size
Unlike many other types of cacti, the Christmas cactus has a shrubby growth with long, flat and fleshy shoots. These hang down due to their length and weight, which is why the plant is best cultivated in tall pots or hanging baskets. In addition, the Christmas cactus does not have the classic spines that are otherwise characteristic of cactus plants, but instead has fine bristles on the edges of the leaves. With appropriate care, the popular leaf cactus can live for many decades and grow up to 40 centimeters high. Very old specimens measure a meter or more in diameter, and the plants become woody from below over the years.
Bloom, colors and flowering time
The Christmas cactus is so popular because of its eye-catching flowers. These are always located at the tips of the shoots, have an elongated shape and are pushed into one another like scales. The petals themselves are bent back slightly so that the yellow stamens stand out clearly. The pretty inflorescences, which are available in various shades of red, pink and yellow as well as white, can grow up to ten centimeters. Schlumbergera produces a lot of these flowers between November and January, although the individual specimens last a maximum of five to seven days and are therefore not particularly long-lived. However, due to the sheer mass - with good care - the short flowering time is hardly noticeable.
leaves
Typical of the Christmas cactus are its long, flat and strong green shoots, which consist of several, usually oval to elongated egg-shaped and incised leaf sections. At their edge there are tiny areoles bearing bristles. The individual shoots can grow up to a meter long.
Fruits
Successful fertilization of the flowers actually never occurs when grown indoors, which is due to the lack of insects in the winter season and the fact that they are mostly sterile hybrids. That's why Christmas cacti usually don't produce fruit. If they do, inconspicuous berries will develop. These contain the tiny seed, only one millimeter in size.
Is Christmas cactus poisonous?
Schlumbergera is considered to be slightly toxic, but poses no danger, at least to adults. However, you should not consume any parts of the plant as this can lead to unpleasant, mild symptoms of poisoning. If possible, escaping plant sap should not be touched with your bare fingers, as it can cause skin irritation in sensitive people. Place the Christmas cactus out of the reach of children and seek medical attention immediately if your child has eaten any part of the plant.
For cats, however, the Christmas cactus poses a much greater danger, which is why you should always place the plant out of reach of the animals in a cat household. It is well known that curious furry friends like to nibble on house plants and often no longer have a natural sense of what is poisonous and what is not. If your hungry cat has tried the Christmas cactus and is showing typical symptoms of poisoning such as diarrhea and vomiting, you should consult a veterinarian immediately.read more
Which location is suitable?
As a typical rainforest inhabitant, the Christmas cactus does not like direct sun, but should still be bright. If possible, do not place the plant directly on a south-facing window, but rather in a shaded area. Windows facing east or west are ideal, although Schlumbergera should not be placed directly above a heater or in constant drafts. If there is strong sunlight during midday, it makes sense to shade the plant, especially in the summer months.
In the summer, however, the Christmas cactus also feels comfortable in a partially shaded place outdoors, such as on the balcony or terrace. Between August and September, however, you should keep it as dark as possible, water and fertilize as little as possible: As a short-day plant, Schlumbergera only forms buds when the days become shorter, it is dark for at least 12 hours at night and the average daily temperature drops to below 23 degrees.
Also make sure not to change the location, or only very rarely, and not to rotate the plant after the buds appear. The Christmas cactus often reacts very sensitively to changes in location and tends to drop buds and flowers as a result of such measures.read more
Substrate
Schlumbergera feels most comfortable in loose cactus soil, which you can mix with expanded clay or perlite due to its better permeability. However, make sure that the potting soil is free of peat. The material is often added to many commercially available potting soils, but is not tolerated by cacti such as the Christmas cactus. Good pot drainage is also important so that excess irrigation water can drain away and waterlogging does not form in the first place.
It is best to place the Christmas cactus in a new planter with fresh soil immediately after purchase, as experience has shown that the pots from the nurseries are much too small.
Watering Christmas cactus
As a rainforest resident, the Christmas cactus needs a fairly high level of humidity, which is why it should not be cared for over a heater if possible. Spray the plant regularly with low-lime water to create more comfortable conditions. In this country, many apartments are basically too dry for tropical residents in winter. Another special feature of Schlumbergera is its sensitivity to hard water, which can cause the plant to die. When watering the plants, use rainwater, boiled (and cooled!) or very well stale tap water if possible.
The irrigation water should also be at room temperature and not fresh and cold from the tap. You can determine the right time to water using a finger test: The upper substrate layer should always dry completely between each watering. After watering, the root ball should be completely moistened, but excess water that has run into the planter must always be removed.
Wilted leaves usually indicate that the substrate is too moist, but can also be an indication of a lack of water. This often occurs when potting soil containing peat is used, as peat dries out quickly and in this state can no longer absorb water and of course no longer pass it on to the roots.read more
Fertilize your Christmas cactus properly
Fertilize the Christmas cactus only during the bud formation period and during the flowering period, i.e. between the months of October and January/February. Give the plant cactus fertilizer (€6.00 on Amazon) about every two to three weeks, which contains the required nutrients in the optimal concentration.read more
Cut Christmas cactus correctly
The Christmas cactus should not be cut if possible, as this can negatively affect growth and flower formation. In any case, this measure is not necessary unless you want to obtain cuttings for propagation or reduce the size of a plant that has become too large. In this case, simply twist off the leaf links carefully.
Pluck off any faded flowers carefully, as this can often persuade Schlumbergera to continue flowering cycles. Between several flowering cycles, the plant usually takes a break of up to six weeks, during which it is watered and fertilized less frequently and kept darker and cooler (but not less than 16 °C!).read more
Propagate Christmas cactus
Propagating a Schlumbergera is very easy: simply twist off a few he althy, strong and non-flowering leaf segments, let them dry a little and then stick them in peat-free cactus soil, perlite or sand. Spray the cuttings only slightly, as high humidity is counterproductive to rooting cacti. The Christmas cactus is no exception.
For the same reason, you should never try to root the leaf limbs in water. What works without any problems for many plants, in this case only leads to mold and rot.
The best time for propagation is directly after flowering, around February / March. During this time, the Christmas cactus begins its growth phase and is naturally geared towards producing growth substances. However, it can take a few weeks for the small cuttings to form roots: be patient and place the growing pot in a bright and warm place until then.
Sowing
In principle, it is also possible to propagate using seeds - either collected yourself or purchased commercially - although this procedure takes a lot of time and is not without its pitfalls. First of all, you need seeds that, with a bit of luck, you can get yourself. To do this, you need at least two flowering Schlumbergera that are not related to each other - so they cannot be the mother plant and offshoots or cuttings of the same mother plant. Pollinate the flowers no later than three days after they have opened using a fine brush. With this you transfer the pollen from the flowers of one to those of the other. Fertilization has been successful if the ovary does not dry out but swells. Now you have to be patient, because it takes up to six months for the fruits to be ready for the seed harvest. You can tell when the ripeness is perfect when the round berries, which are now about a centimeter in size, turn pink.
Cut the fruit open, take out the shiny black seeds and carefully remove any stuck-on pulp. Sow the seeds on sand or nutrient-poor potting soil. Since it is a light germinator, the grains must not be covered with the substrate. It is best to grow the small cacti in an indoor greenhouse, because tense air - i.e. high humidity - is essential for successful germination. Temperatures between 22 and 28 °C are ideal.read more
Repotting
Repot the Christmas cactus whenever the roots completely fill the previous plant pot. Even if this is not necessary, the plant should be provided with fresh substrate approximately every two to three years.read more
Wintering
The Christmas cactus is not hardy in our latitudes and is therefore only allowed in a sheltered spot outdoors in warm summers, if at all. Nevertheless, the plant needs a period of rest during which the buds are formed for the new flowering period. To do this, cultivate Schlumbergera in September in a shady spot at a temperature of 12 to 17 °C, water it very moderately and do not fertilize it. It should be dark for at least 12 hours at night, which is why the plant should, if possible, be kept in a room that is not artificially lit in the evening. Temperatures below ten degrees Celsius are not tolerated. From October onwards, the plant can finally be returned to its original location and is watered and fertilized as usual.read more
Diseases
Diseases caused by fungi or other pathogens are very rare in Schlumbergera. Instead, these cacti tend to drop flower buds when they feel unwell. There are many reasons for this: drafts, rapid temperature changes, a dried root ball or waterlogging are possible causes. Turning the Christmas cactus often leads to the buds being dropped, as they then turn towards the light again, are weakened and therefore fall off. So make sure not to change your position in relation to the light source, especially during the bud formation period.read more
Pests
Pests also rarely occur on Schlumbergera. The only thing that is often observed is an infestation with mealybugs and mealybugs, whose small, white “cotton balls” can be easily seen on the green leaves of the plant. They can be wiped off quite easily, for example using simple baby wipes.
Tip
If Schlumbergera does not bloom, it is often due to the lack of a dormant period or because nutrients are missing.
Varieties
There are six different types of Christmas cacti, although only hybrids in different colors are available for indoor cultivation. Schlumbergera mostly blooms in red, but there are also pink and orange as well as yellow and white forms.
