Somehow your plant care isn't going so well and you've once again managed to let the next plant die. You just don't have a green thumb. That's why you immediately pricked up your ears when you heard about the easy-care Christmas cactus, which also produces beautiful flowers without much effort. It promptly stood in your room and so far the care has really worked, but now a new frustration follows: the Christmas cactus is no longer blooming! Before you say goodbye to it, read our simple tricks on how you can get it to bloom again. It just needs certain conditions before the flowering phase.
Do you really have the variety you expected?
In addition to the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera), which blooms in winter, there is also the Easter cactus, which produces its flowers in spring. Visually they hardly differ (among other things, the leaves of the former are more jagged, the latter has rounded leaves). So it is also the flowering time when you can tell which specimen yours is (if you are not sure). So before you despair because your Christmas cactus isn't blooming, check it out. Maybe it's just not the right time because it's the Easter variety.
Christmas cactus does not bloom - what is necessary for abundant bloom?
Of course you should plant it all year roundmaintain properly. This means that you have to offer it the right location and the right amounts of water and fertilizer depending on the phase. While the cactus should only receive enough water during the resting phase after flowering so that the root ball does not dry out, it needs regular fertilizer and water during the growth phase, which is followed by the flowering period.
The dormant period is crucial for the Christmas cactus to bloom
We have actually already mentioned an important point that promotes the formation of flowers - namely the rest phase. After the long and strenuous growth and flowering phase, the cactus must be able to recover. This is the only way (in combination with sufficient fertilizer, of course) that it will have enough strength to form new flower buds. What needs to be taken into account in this phase?
- After flowering, stop fertilizing completely
- water as rarely and sparingly as possible so that the roots do not dry out
Initiate the growth phase and pamper the plant outdoors
After a few months of rest, you canThen “wake up” the plant againby starting around April:
- water more frequently; But definitely avoid waterlogging
- also resume fertilizing; once a month with liquid fertilizer rich in potassium and nitrogen is sufficient to promote new growth
- If you have a partially shaded space left outside, be sure to take advantage of itpamper the Christmas cactus(like every other plant of course) incredibly
- Important:Frost and temperatures below 10 degrees damage the cactus plant!
From Septemberreduce watering again to prepare the plant for the upcoming flowering phase.
Christmas cactus does not bloom - The importance of the dark period and the drop in temperature
There are many plant species that have to “sense” that the season is changing in order to be able to produce flowers. So they know, so to speak, that their time has come. The Christmas cactus is no exception. So if your Christmas cactus isn't blooming, one reason may be that it lacked these changes.
If you moved your Christmas cactus outside in the spring, don't be in too much of a hurry to bring it back indoors. As already mentioned, temperatures from 10 degrees and frost-free periods are absolutely no problem for the exotic, so you should consciously use the natural change of the seasons. Because in-house you would have to take on this task yourself and therefore invest more time and effort. What is crucial for stimulating flowering in this cactus plant?
It has to get colder, otherwise the Christmas cactus won't bloom:
- Since the plant is yoursFlowering time in winterOf course, she also has to know that winter is approaching. Since it comes from warm Mexico, that doesn't mean temperatures below zero, but temperatures between 10 and 20 degrees, 15 degrees is optimal.
- Less than 10 degrees can cause cold damage to the plant.
- Above 20 degrees is too warm and the plant does not form buds.
The hours of light must be reduced:
- The Christmas cactus also uses the length of the day to determine when flowering is imminent. From September there should be no more than 9 hours of daylight.
- This happens automatically outdoors.
- Inside, you either have to temporarily look for a room in which the lights are not constantly on in the evening hours. Or you can darken the plant yourself, for example by covering it with a large cardboard box. Even the slightest interruption of the dark phase can disrupt flower formation.
Once the Christmas cactus has formed its first buds, you can move it to its normal location in the house to enjoy its beauty. Temperatures around 20 degrees, regardless of the length of the bright day, are now ideal. This change in location also helps the buds open and develop into flowers more quickly.
Have you followed all of these tips carefully, but the Christmas cactus still doesn't bloom or the buds fall off before they even open? We explain to youin this article, which may be why the Christmas cactus loses its buds.
