The Christmas cactus is a perennial plant. Its lifespan can be up to 20 years. And once the plant reaches the flowering stage, it begins to bloom every year. The flower delights us with bright colors around Christmas. But Christmas cactus flowers fall off when something is wrong. What are the possible causes and what to do to get the plant to bloom? Read on!
For proper Christmas cactus care and maintenance, there are a few conditions that must be observed. The falling of flowers from the Christmas cactus can be influenced by several things:
- moving the pot to a new location – this is the most common cause
- insufficient soil moisture or too much moisture in the soil
- draft
- Temperature fluctuations
- direct sunlight
- Diseases or pests on the plant
- insufficient care of the plant – no normal temperature regime during the dormant period, no routine pruning of the plant, no annual transplanting
How to prevent loss of flowers
In order to prevent theChristmas cactus flowersfall off, you need to care for the plant properly. Here we show the necessary care measures to keep your plant happy.
Do not move the pot once the plant has formed buds
Follow proper Christmas cactus care and location. Once the Christmas cactus has formed buds, the pot should not be moved, shaken or disturbed. Until the buds open, you must leave the plant alone in the place where it is located. During the budding phase, the pot should only be rotated slightly so that the buds appear evenly. Otherwise, the buds may only appear on one side of the plant.
Also interesting:Christmas cactus loses buds: care errors are not always to blame! We list possible causes!
Pay attention to the right temperature and light conditions
To get your Christmas cactus to bloom, you need to ensure the right temperatures for the plant. These houseplants are contraindicated to drafts, sun and temperature changes. This should be taken into account not only during the flowering period, but also throughout the plant's entire lifespan. The Christmas cactus is a tropical plant and in the tropics there is no such problem as low temperatures, so the flower reacts negatively to it.
Christmas cacti thrive best in a partially shaded location, e.g. B. on an east or west facing window, with a temperature between 21 and 26 degrees Celsius. To ensure your plant thrives, keep the temperature above 21 degrees Celsius during the day and between 12 and 18 degrees Celsius at night.
AChristmas cactus usually bloomsin cooler temperatures and longer periods of darkness. To trigger flowering, you can place the cactus in a location where it will have about 12-14 hours of darkness each night.
Christmas cactus flowers fall off due to moisture problems
To encourage Christmas cactus bloom, you need to ensure the right humidity for the flower. The moisture content of the soil in the pot must be carefully monitored. During the dormant period, watering may only be done once every 2 weeks. However, during the flowering period, care must be taken to ensure that the soil does not dry out. It is worth watering just as the soil begins to dry out. At the same time, no waterlogging should form in the pot.
Overwatering is particularly dangerous at low temperatures in the room. In this case, the roots of the plant can be severely damaged. The soil should always be slightly moist.
The buds and flowers dry out when there is a lack of moisture. The Christmas cactus absorbs moisture through its leaves and flowers just as effectively as through its root system. To ensure adequate moisture, the Christmas cactus can and should also be sprayed during bud formation and flowering.
When to feed the popular flower and which fertilizer is suitable
For healthy flowering, it is important to feed the plant at the end of the flowering period so that it can recover and gain new strength. The best time for feeding is spring and summer (from March to July). In spring, feed the plants once a month.
Which fertilizer for Christmas cactus? Coffee grounds can cheer up the plant during the flowering period. The coffee grounds provide a boost of nitrogen and potassium and lower the acidity of the soil, which plants like. Be careful not to overdo it!
Tea bags are a good source of nitrogen, magnesium and potassium. Therefore, they are absolutely good for any houseplant, and Christmas cacti will definitely benefit from them. This is how you can properly care for your Schlumbergera and get lush flowers.
Also read:Getting your Christmas cactus to bloom: follow these tips and enjoy lush blooms for the holidays
