To make your Christmas cactus burst into a profusion of blooms just in time for the festive season, here are some tried-and-true steps: Light Control: Christmas cacti need shorter daylight hours to set buds. Starting in early October, ensure they receive 12-14 hours of darkness daily. You can achieve this by placing the plant in a dark room or
Christmas cactus, on the other hand, can be grown in a greenhouse all year and given good care, so it can easily last 20 to 30 years and can even reach 100 years old! Because they are humid, they prefer to live in dry environments, so if your house is dry in the winter, place it on a tray of pebbles, or place it near other plants.
How Long Do Christmas Cactus Flowers Last. The Christmas cactus flowers typically last about 10 days. However, if the temperature is too cold, the flowers may only last for a few days. How To Force A Thanksgiving Cactus To Bloom. As your first option, keep the plant in a cool place. Place the plant outside overnight for six to eight weeks Christmas cactus is a long-lived houseplant that can be handed down to many generations. Under proper care, it will keep rewarding with beautiful flowers year after year. Knowing that a Christmas cactus can live up to 50 years or more is very satisfying. Indoor care requirements for a Christmas cactus arenāt demanding. You need to⦠Water the Christmas cactus when the top of the soil is dry and fertilize during the spring and summer months. To encourage blooms, provide the cactus with 14 hours of darkness every night for 6 weeks before the desired bloom time. If taken care of properly, your Christmas cactus will last for many years. For the size of the plant, peanut cactus (Echinopsis chamaecereus) produces large flowers. Stems 2/3 inch long, covered with weak white spines, crawl along the ground and produce abundant bright orange flowers over 1 inch wide in spring. Peanut cactus grows outdoors in USDA zones 8 through 11. Lightly squeeze the root ball to loosen it up a bit so the roots arenāt totally constricted. Replant the Christmas cactus in the new planter. Lightly fill the pot around the roots with potting mix or the sand and potting mix combo. Lightly pat the soil surface to help it settle. Water adequately. Knowing when to put your Christmas cactus in the dark is important for ensuring itās able to bloom and stay healthy. To get the best results, you should put your Christmas cactus in the dark around mid-October. Doing so will encourage it to bloom in time for the holidays. Christmas cacti bloom in a short, cool day cycle. Itās usually mature plants ā at least 3 years old ā that flower. Beyond that, your best bet to get an indoor zig zag cactus to flower is to get it as much bright (indirect) sunlight as possible! It is also said that these plants are more likely to flower when root bound, so if flowering is your goal, leave it in itās pot and donāt repot! Sdfapq.