Holiday Cacti Need Pointed Care
The other day I found myself studying a collection of holiday cacti that was sitting on the dining room table. You know the fellows - the ones that bloom orchid-type flowers around Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. As I sat there gazing at the plants, it struck me just how homely these plants really are. Would anyone purchase them if they weren’t in bloom? I wonder.
The plant itself is nothing more than a gangly mass of flat stem segments. Granted, the segments of the Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera transctus) do have some character. Their jagged stem segments sort of resemble those of a crab’s claw. The segments of the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) and the Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) are rather blah. To add to the homeliness, a few of the stem segments on my Easter cactus have huge chunks missing - probably the work of a feasting grasshopper.
So what makes these plants so popular? Why do we keep them, let alone nurture them? We do it for their exquisite flowers. In fact, some of the most-asked questions this time of year are regarding the setting and keeping of flower buds on holiday cacti.
Holiday cacti set flower buds when the day length and temperature are just right. As the days get shorter, the nights longer and the temperature cooler, buds begin to form. A method that has always worked for me is to put cacti outside for the summer and not bring them back in until the fall temperatures begin to drop into the low 40s. By then, buds have started to develop. Even the buds on the Easter cactus have started to develop. It just takes them longer to mature.
If your cacti didn’t make it outside this summer or if they came back into the house before the temperatures dropped, try coaxing them into budding with this method. Place them in a cool room - 55 degrees or lower - where they will receive 12 hours of total darkness and 12 hours of light. Don’t put them near a window that receives light from a street lamp or a porch light. A cool room speeds bud development, but if you don’t have a cool room, at least maintain the dark and light requirements. These requirements can also be met by putting the cacti in an unused closet or a black trash bag for 12 hours and in the light for 12 hours. The Thanksgiving cactus doesn’t seem to be as sensitive to the light requirements as the other two. Perhaps this is why it blooms first.
Once these plants have set their flower buds, they should continue blooming for at least a month. To insure this, keep them away from cold drafts, don’t let them dry out, give them plenty of light and above all, humidity. Hum … does this sound like a cactus to you?
In their natural environment, orchid cacti, as these holiday cacti are often called, are found clinging to tree tops in the jungle. They enjoy filtered sunlight, not full sun. However, we can place them in any window of our home during the winter months. Our winter sun will not harm them. During the summer months they must have filtered light. Direct sunlight may scorch and bleach the stem segments.
To duplicate the natural jungle atmosphere where they’re found, orchid cacti should be grown in porous soil. Premixed cactus soil is great. Keep the soil moist, especially while the plants are in bloom.
Holiday cacti enjoy a diet high in potassium (the third number on the fertilizer container), and low in nitrogen, (the first number). Feed them about every third week during the spring and summer months. It’s not necessary to feed them while they are blooming and don’t feed them while they are resting - the short period after they’ve finished blooming.
Orchid cacti thrive in humid conditions. Cluster them with other plants or set them in a saucer filled with pebbles and water. Never allow the plant to sit in the water.
I have grouped my small collection of Thanksgiving cacti into one large container. Right now they are a glorious display of peach, bright pink and white and pink flowers. Yes, I think I’ll keep these homely plants around for many years.
The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Phyllis Stephens The Spokesman-Review