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My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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Posted by hostalover360 4 (My Page) on Sun, Nov 1, 09 at 21:34
| I'm posting on behalf of my Aunt, She would like to know what she can do for her Christmas Cactus. I've seen plenty of post on how to care for them, but I would like advice for the particular plant, This is a True Christmas Cactus, She is unsure of how old this plant is, but it is a clipping of a plant which was 50 years old.
She is wondering that if she clips the plant back some would it rejuvanate it's self? what other suggestions would you recomend for this plant? It is currently forming buds you can see some in the photo. Thanks! Photos below
This is her Christmas Cactus
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14877967@N03/4067043158/
This is my Christmas Cactus which is clippings from her plant above.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14877967@N03/4061675396/in/photostream/ |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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| After it blooms, you should refrain from watering it for 2-3 weeks, so that it rests. Then, I believe you can trim it a bit, which should help it bloom more vigorously next year. Also, once new leaf growth starts, you can mix some house plant fertilizer with water (according to the directions) and spray it on the leaves, as it will absorb the nutrients through the leaves. When was it last repotted? |
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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| Don't move it. Wait until after Mother's day, then fertilize it and repot it if you think it needs it. This plant does not like to be moved once it set flowers, Don't give it a larger pot, just trim back the roots a bit, Give it fresh soil, and put it back in the same pot, do not cut off any leaves now, they flower on the tips, and you don't want to mess with the flowering time now. Norma |
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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| Cutting the outermost segments may give you a bushier plant. When I root a cutting I always cut off the first new segment, then 2-3 new segments will grow out from the cutting. I doubt that trimming the plant will "rejuvenate" it, I have not seen that kind of improvements when trimming Schlumbergera. If new growth has been weak it has been equally weak after trimming. Do you have a picture of the flowers? The plant does not have the typical Christmas cactus look, it looks more like an old type of Thanksgiving cactus. |
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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| In the spring, once the night time temps are in the fifties, find a lightly shaded spot outside and put the plant there. Also, you should consider watering from the bottom. Set the whole thing in a tub of water for about 5 minutes and let the water seep upwards. I almost always get some stem rot when I water in the typical way. |
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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| I prune my Christmas Cactus on Mother's Day, as well....for the past two seasons. My Christmas Cactus is in a large terra cotta pot, and I water from the top without consequence. In fact, I splash the hell out of it when I water. These are jungle cacti that receive rain almost daily...probably multiple times per day during some of the year. The key is drainage - these plants are up in tree-crooks, where water seldom pools significantly. Josh |
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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| This last comment by Josh is exactly right. These plants grow in tropical forest, they get frequent rain. I too water from the top; since I have a lot of pumice in my mix & good drainage, it drains immediately w/ no problem. Your Aunt should wait 'til next Spring after she starts to see lots of new growth before cutting it back some, not before. |
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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Yes, all gardening is local...
we must all find what works for us! Blutarski,
you've mentioned that you let your Portulacaria afras dry out between waterings.
And you've said that you don't water your Christmas Cactus from the top. Not to be a contrarian ;) but that's the complete opposite of my cultural practices. Josh |
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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| Thanks for all the responses. So you would not suggest repotting at all only triming the roots? and I will let her know about the triming and that the best times are spring. She never has a problem getting this plant to bloom every year! she even turns it as the buds open and the still bloom, when I was thinking Dang, I heard your not supposed to move them! I'm pretty sure it's a Christmas Cactus. althought it could be an early Thanksgiving type. I'll take a picutre when the buds open, It has pink flowers! It looks different then my Thanksgiving cactus, I have 7. |
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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| I don't understand why the roots should be trimmed. That is something I have never done, and I don't think I have heard about this practice before, not even in reliable written sources about this genus. It would be interesting to know how it is supposed to benefit the plant. |
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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| I think folks will find the roots aren't large enough to merit trimming. I don't believe these plants make large root systems. |
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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| yeah, I also don't see the reason for triming roots thats why I was asking, I know this plant has been in the same pot for many years, I think it should be repotted, in a slightly larger pot, would you agree with this? So what she should do is... Repot in a slightly large pot and trim some of the leaves down, do both these things in spring, Is this pretty much what I'm looking at to get done? I do have much expereince with these cactus, but I know have had it with young plants, not real old ones like this. Thanks |
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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They also don't like to be near doors that open, or drafts, it likes cooler night temperatures 50F and fertilizer in Ausgust. Give adequate water to maintain bud set. Do not place them near unvented heaters, or rouch handling. Night temps, above 70F may stop bud setting.
These plants need total darkness at night. The plants flower with temps of 55-60F. and cool long nights, for a 6 week period. There are many causes of bud drop. Keep it away from heating ducts, or near the fireplace of drafty areas. It also need 50-60% humidity. Let it rest after flowring for a month in a cool room , providing limited water at this time do not prune at this
time, new growth begins in Feb.-march or early April then you prune or shape by pinching and it may flower more than once during the year. This information was provided by the Cactus and Succulent Organization of America.
This was not the complete article and was not written word for word. The reason I prune back the roots is so I can put fresh organic decomposed matter at the bottm for the plant to grow on for the next year and return it to the same size pot.
I am only telling you how I take care of my plants, your plants you may do what ever you want. Each of us will do what we think is best for our growing conditions. I live in a hot arid zone. I also put pots of water under my benches to raise the humidity. I use plastic pots so they don't dry out, my humidity has been 5% I do not grow mine in the house and they are setting buds at this time. Norma |
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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| Judging from experience, I don't think it needs a larger pot. I would not cut off any segments either, because your plant looks very healthy and branches well anyway. Just remove segments that are misshapen or have grown smallen than they should. When a soil replacement is needed, much of the roots will come off anyway (they are thin and weak) so they do not need to be deliberately cut. You should rather try to keep them as intact as possible. |
RE: My aunts Christmas Cactus, Would like suggestions.
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| I heard some peopl say they wanted picutres of the flowers, Well I was aunt my aunts today and the flowers have opened in her Cactus. Here are the picutres. Aunts Christmas Cactus flower
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14877967@N03/4088759924/ My Thanksgiving cactus are not yet flowering but are very close! |
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