If you are pruning a Christmas cactus to reduce its size, you can remove up to one-third of the plant per year. If you are trimming Christmas cactus plants to make them grow in more fully, you only need to trim the end one to two segments from the stems.
In respect to this, how do you trim overgrown Christmas cactus?
Pruning. Trim your Christmas cactus to create a fuller, bushier plant about a month after blooming, but never prune a Christmas cactus after late spring. To prune the plant, just pinch off one or more of the sections. Replant them in a separate pots if you want to create new plants.
Likewise, how do you prune a Christmas plant?
Always prune your Christmas Cactus at the gap between the leaf segments. This should be easy because these are the weakest part of the plant. Some people prefer to twist at the segment to remove foliage instead of using a knife, but this approach seems to work best on newer growth.
How do you trim a cactus without killing it?
Do Christmas cactus like to be root bound?
Christmas Cactuses actually like to have their roots sort of crowded. This is a struggle for plant parents because it’s tough to prevent them from becoming root bound when they actually grow best in a crowded pot.
Why are the branches of my Christmas cactus falling off?
The most common cause of a Christmas Cactus dropping leaves is overwatering, or conditions that result in soggy soil conditions. This causes root rot, and damage to the rest of the plant. Poorly draining soil, temperature stress, overfertilizing, lighting problems, or pests can also cause leaf drop.
Why is my Christmas cactus blooming in March?
Blooms requires two things: cooler temperatures and long nights. These cacti are short-day plants, which means that blooms are triggered by long dark cool nights. … A few buds dropping off is normal, but drafts will cause the plant to drop all its buds at once – then you’ll be out of luck for another year.
How big can Christmas cactus get?
Growth rate and size: Can reach a spread of 2 feet within just a few years. Thanksgiving and Christmas cactuses can last for years, even decades. Foliage: Green ‘leaf pads’ are actually stem sections. Flowers: Bloom in a variety of colors, including fuchsia (most common) and pink, red, white, or yellow.
Do you water a Christmas cactus from the top or bottom?
In general, water a Christmas cactus when the top inch or 2 of soil is dry. To help increase the humidity around your plant, fill the pot saucer with pebbles and add water to just below the tops of the pebbles (the pot shouldn’t be sitting directly in water). The air will become more humid as the water evaporates.
Are coffee grounds good for Christmas cactus?
The answer is simple, yes! Coffee grounds can work on almost any type of cactus or succulent. … Most water has an alkaline pH of around 8, whereas cactus like between 5.8 – 7 pH. This means that each time you water your Christmas cactus or succulent, you are actually feeding it a higher pH than what it likes.
Is Epsom salt good for Christmas cactus?
Christmas cacti have a higher requirement for magnesium than many plants. Fertilize monthly during the growing season with Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) mixed at 1 teaspoon per gallon of water, but do not apply the same week as regular fertilizer.
