Who has seen a Christmas cactus tumbling over itself, the branch tips weighted down by delicate red blooms, who hasn’t been filled with admiration?
But how many people realize it is one of the most satisfactory plants to grow in the home?
Somehow, with the arrival of so many outside-the-home activities, the old-fashioned Christmas cactus has been forgotten, supplanted by short-lived plants that can be discarded when blooming is finished.
But now, thanks to the increasing interest in home gardening and the use of plant materials in decorating home interiors, this orchid cactus from the Brazilian tropics is again coming into its own.
The Christmas cactus may be purchased from one of the Western growers specializing in orchid cactus or from some house-plant growers.
The plants can be shipped anytime, but growers cannot guarantee safe arrival if the shipment is made during freezing weather.
Christmas Cactus
The Christmas cactus (Zygocactus truncatus) is a permanent plant that can be kept for years with a minimum of care and enjoyment.
Its graceful, flat arching branches stretch forth in links, each about 1” to 2” inches long.
Thus the branch grows rather like an inchworm—creeping up and up until the weight of the branch causes it to topple over in a graceful arch.
From October to January, beautiful delicate flowers, not unlike fuchsias, form at the tips of the drooping branches.
The flowers are crimson, but among the many available hybrids are flower colors ranging from white through different shades of red to a vibrant cerise.
The plant is decorative and attractive, even when not blooming. Its cascading habit lends to display in hanging pots or baskets.
Warm Weather
When the weather warms up in the spring, set the potted plant out in the garden, where it is lightly shaded. Water during long dry periods.
In the fall, before there is a risk of frost, bring in the Christmas cactus and place it in an east or west window.
If a south window must be used, filter out some bright sunshine with a thin curtain.
The soil in which the plant is growing must drain well.
A good potting mixture consists of the following:
- 2 parts loam
- 1 part sharp sand
- 1 part leaf mold
- 1/2 part dried cow manure
To a bushel of this mixture, add one 5-inch potful of bonemeal
Keep on the slightly dry side until flower buds form. Then, while the plant is flowering, water moderately.
After flowering, keep on the dry side until new shoots appear, then water moderately. Fertilize monthly during August, September, October, and November.
Cuttings
After the plant is a good size, cuttings may be taken to provide additional plants.
In doing this, many people are guilty of making a cut that is too small.
As a general rule, a cutting will grow only about 6′ inches a year, so you will have to wait sometime before the undersized cutting develops into a sizable plant that looks like something; for a long while, the cutting would simply struggle, with perhaps a bloom or two.
To furnish cuttings, the mother plant should be large enough to spare two, three, or four 6-inch branches (the more you take, the bushier the plant will be).
With a sharp knife, do these steps:
- Cut branches off diagonally at a joint.
- Insert cuttings as deep as the second joint in a 3-inch pot filled with 3 parts garden loam, 1 part sand, and 1/2 part rotted cow manure.
- No fertilizer needs to be added.
- The cuttings should be spaced at least 2” inches apart.
- Keep the potting soil moist.
- After six months, transplant the cuttings to a 5-inch pot and, at the end of a year, to a 6-inch pot.
- Allow the cuttings to develop to a good size before applying fertilizer to encourage bloom.
Just a word about problems with your Christmas cactus: buds dropping off may be caused by supplying too little or too much water or cold drafts.
Fall temperatures between 55° and 65° degrees Fahrenheit are desirable.
Since the Christmas cactus is susceptible to scale, examine the branches (especially the undersides) regularly. If the plant should be infested, treat it with a mild oil spray.
Enjoy Growing Christmas Cactus
It’s most likely that you won’t have any of these problems in growing a Christmas cactus, but if you should, they can be easily solved.
Your enjoyment in growing a Christmas cactus will increase each year, for the plant will keep getting larger, and each season will come forth with an ever-increasing cascade of blooms.
44659 by Molly Adams