2) What size pot do these plants like? Do they like a lot of space or do they like to be crowded in a smaller pot?

3) After blooming, I move my Christmas Cactus to a dark spot in my house; around October or November, I move it near a window so that it begins to bud.
Is that the right thing to do?

4) I am also having trouble with leaves folding up and dying, and also whole branches falling off. I am trying to follow some of the advice given on the forum.
Thanks! Evergreen_2009

1 These plants like small pots, They like to be crowed. If your thinking of repotting, Only repot to the next size up pot, so if it's a 4 inch pot, transplant to a 5 inch pot.

2 Plastic seems to work best for this plant, But clay works too.

3 I have heard of that pratice, but I have seen that it is not needed, I do have most of my plants in a dark room which I sleep in. but one of plants is in a room where the light is always on and it is budding right up anyways. Othe 2 major things for blooms are Darkness and temp. if temps are too warm I will say over 70.F at night, they normally hold off from flowering.

4 leaves drying up and fall is not normal, your problem seems to be one that you may be overwatering. Hold off on water for a few days until the pot is dry. A trick I like to use for watering is stick your finger in the soil and if it comes out dry then it's time to water, but if it's wet hold off. I Also lift the pot and feel if it still feels heavy, if it's heavy I don't water.

The next stemp is finging out what it is, Is what you have a True Christmas Cactus? There are 2 types that are blooming around this time of year. 1 is Christmas Cactus and the other is called Thanksgiving Cactus ( any type sold now days in big stores would be the Thanksgiving cactus type) One way to tell is, Check out the leaves. If they have sharp points it's a Thanksgiving Cactus, and if the leaves are rouned with no red stripes on the leaves, and no points then what you have is True Christmas Cactus.

I hope this advice helps!

I receive this article in 12/22/06 so I hope it is still available. This article is 8 pages of information. Good luck I hope it works, this man wrote several articles in the l980s. It is very accurate. Norma

By nature, these require alot of good light for vitality and good growth, to build their energy reserves, to prepare for their showy display!
Then need very little light when it is time to coach them into wonderful blossoms... Sometimes just cold along with good light can do the same. Mine is still ouside in lots of light and sun, but in very cold conditions, ready to bust in blooms..;-)

We'll see hostalover grows them all year in the dark...:-)

after a humid summer in the summer with light shade, then some cool nights, and they've blown up with flowers. I think I understand now how they can be 'tired' after blooming!

for watering, I usually go by the top of the soil being dry, the pot being light, and the end segments feeling thin and soft.

Bear

I had one a couple years ago that was growing at a phenominal rate, putting out new branches and blooming like crazy. When I felt that it had outgrown it's pot I decided to give it a bigger home. In the process of repotting I found a large red wiggler in the soil. There must ahve been a worm egg in the compost tea that hatched out and grew inside the pot. Not sure what it was surviving on for two years, but the plant seemed to benefit from it. Cheryl

Funny you should say this! My neighbor has hers in the same spot for years in her bedroom, and that thing flowers like crazy every year on time for christmass..It amazes me why some have a problem and why some don't.
I envy her ability to just sit back, while I have to give mine all the conditions described here to get mine to the same.
Sometimes I think the lentgh of days alone triggers bloom for some..

Do you think that some people, including I, might have easter cactus, and get confused by trying to bloom the earlier than should with these techneques for this time of year?
If left alone, do you think that easter cactus would just bloom without all these measures?

My neighbors cactus is a "true" christmass cactus. Absolutely bright red and huge! That room is actually kept warmer than described by many, because they are older. Weird..

When it blooms, I will ask them to take a pic and for a few cuttings too...

Mike..:-)

Pic of bloom taken today....I guess since my plant has the sharp points, it's CC?

Just gorgeous, the photo & especially the color of the blooms! But this is outdoors (looks like) & you're in Portland right? So at some point it has to go indoors?

No, the sharp point on the stems would make it a Thanksgiving cactus, it's the more rounded stems (w/out points) that's the CC.

Looks like great growing from here!

I have copious notes on my gardens, year by year accounts of 100+ roses, photos and drawings. Just never have done it for the houseplants. NEW project!

That is a beautiful picture!! Thankyou for sharing and explaining how you get yours to bloom...I have window that might be just as you described for mine..I would like to just leave them in one spot instead of doing different things to encourage them to flower...It would be nice if they would on their own left alone..

I was wondering if white flowered ones are hard to find?
I myself never see them sold here locally..I have a white one givin to me buy a friend across the country and when that is in bloom, everyone that visits me, begs me to start a cutting for them saying they only see all the colored ones but white.
I did start one this fall, that is about to flower already, while I anxiously wait for the mother plant to do so..lol

Evergreen,

I use clay for mine feeling it is what the plant would likely prefer.. They do very well for me. Some of mine are almost root bound, and some have lots of room for root growth, and they all do just as good as the other..

Ps. You know how I said my neighbors does well year after year? Well, I just talked to her yesterday, and she said it died suddenly! She never even thought to take cuttings and keep it going...It was sooo beautiful. She accidently over watered it...:-(

Mike..:-)