A couple of my holiday cacti

[Kisal]

Please forgive my lack of skill at photography.

I had 3 large ones, two of which were red, so I gave one of the red ones to my neighbor. She's been so helpful to me for the past several months, while I recuperated from my shoulder surgery. The cactus was in full bloom, and just gorgeous. I thought her family would enjoy it, with the holidays coming up.

I have 5 small ones, as well ... one is white, one is a very pale peach (the lady who gave me the leaf called it "beige"), one is fuschia, and the other 2 are too young to bloom yet. I love holiday cacti! [img]https://www.smileyskit.com/images/wub1.gif[/img]

[img]https://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh27/Kisal_photos/100_0558-1.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh27/Kisal_photos/100_0563.jpg[/img]

[thanrose]

Very pretty, Kisal. One of my neighbors grows orchids and a huge Schlumbergera hanging under a spreading red cedar. I'll have to keep an eye on it for the first flush of blooms.

[applestar]

Very nice!

I put my little one outside for the summer... And promptly forgot about it : It was apparently in the wrong location because instead of growing healthier, it was somewhat limp and pale by the time I found it among the outdoor container plants and brought it inside. (I attributed it to too much Fall rains) It's still pale in color, not the dark green it really should be, but has one little flower bud on it now.... I'm thinking of giving it some worm tea... I'm also wondering about soil pH.

[Kisal]

Thanks!

I use standard potting soil, with a handful or two of cactus mix tossed in for good measure. All summer, while they aren't blooming, they stay in my south bedroom, where they get very bright light, but only a little direct sun through the window. About Sept. 1st, I move them outdoors to a little table right beside my back door on the east side, where they sit right up against the house and back under the eaves. They are protected from sun, wind and rain that way, but get the low temps and shorter daylength they need to set buds.

This year, I left them in the south bedroom, but I opened both the windows, so they would get the cool night temps, and I kept the door closed, so they got the short daylength. I put a sign on the door, so I wouldn't forget and go in the room after dark and let in light from the hallway. I have read even a little artificial light at night could be enough to disrupt the setting of buds.

I think the outdoor method works best, but I can't really judge that until next year. Last year, my plants bloomed steadily from Thanksgiving through January, then I moved them back into the bedroom, and they set more buds and bloomed through from March through April. It was great!

I let them get pretty dry between waterings. No way do I keep them "constantly moist", as some directions I've read have recommended.

[baileysup]

super cool Kisal. me likey

[Green Mantis]

Tried finding a nice christmas cactus to buy, but the ones in the stores this year were terrible looking plants. Wonder why? Most years they have really nice ones to choose from. Not this winter. Also usually had nice colour choices, pinks, reds. but only reds, and not good ones. Wonder what happened?

[Kisal]

The "true red" Christmas cacti are a different species. I don't have time to google it right now, but will later if no one else has provided the answer.

[Green Mantis]

Kisal, I didn't know that. I thought christmas cactuses were all the same? So much for what I know.

[Kisal]

Well, it was my error. The genus is now known as Schlumbergera. It was Zygocactus when I began to collect them, and I missed the name change. There is some debate, often heated, about whether these are, in fact, the same genus. Some think that the various species have been so hybridized over time that the original type has been lost.

You can read a little about it here:

https://www.rhipsalis.com/zygo_discuss.htm

The subject of cacti and succulents, and the nomenclature, seems to be in a constant state of change.

[I like plants]

Nice Christmas cactus!

I have two. One I started from a cutting that someone gave me and the other we bought about 2 months ago. When we first bought it, it had lots of flower buds, but they just fell. But, after Christmas, it started making a lot of new buds and now it is flowering a lot. It looks really nice. The one I started from a cutting only got one flower thought.

At the greenhouse where I work, we do have some clients that tell us that there cactus flower all the time wich is rather surprising since they only flower at Christmas time.

[Blue Fox]

These are known as Holiday cactus, as there are several different ones that all look similar - you can get plants that will bloom starting around Thanksgiving, all the way to different ones blooming at Easter, and all the time in between.

[Green Mantis]

We sure didn't have much of a choice this year, for christmas cactuses. Or other kinds of larger flowering christmas cactus, or easter or any of them. Really poor offerings here this year. I don't know why? Usually the stores get some nice ones in, not this year. I'd love to get a purple easter cactus. But doubt I will find any of those anytime soon either......Kisal, thanks for the tip on the watering glass bulbs. I think maybe a moisture meter that you stick in the soil is how I might go. I usually just water the old fashioned way too, but some plants have fooled me badly, so I think I'll try something else and see if I have better luck.

[Kisal]

I think maybe a moisture meter that you stick in the soil is how I might go. I usually just water the old fashioned way too, but some plants have fooled me badly, so I think I'll try something else and see if I have better luck.

I've never used one of those gadgets. I always try to use a very light planting medium, which has been designed specifically for container plant culture. I'm especially fond of the soilless mixes, because they don't easily harbor pests. I also make sure to select containers that have several drainage holes. I mostly use the green plastic nursery containers, and place them inside decorative cache pots. But I always remove the growing pots from the cache pots and take the plants to the sink to be watered. That way, no water ever accumulates in the bottom of the cache pot. I also never hesitate to slip a plant out of it's pot, if I'm really in doubt about its need for water, or if I see any evidence that there might be a problem with the roots. It doesn't do any harm, as long as you do it gently.

[Green Mantis]

Kisal, I never thought of taking the plant right out of the pot, to see if there are any problems. That's a good idea!!!!..............One more Question, can you put worm compost ( well composted) on top of the soil of houseplants, ( like desert roses especially) or is it better to try compost tea? Or is both of those methods to hot for them???

[Kisal]

First, let me state that I have never grown a desert rose plant. I also have never worked with worm compost. I have significant reservations about adding either material to a desert plant, though. If I felt that I absolutely had to use one of those materials, I would be inclined to go with a very dilute solution of compost tea. Adding actual compost could compromise the ability of the potting medium to drain as rapidly as it must to maintain a healthy root system for a desert plant.

Desert plants did not evolve to live in rich soil. They like lean soil, with very small amounts of organic material. Even when actively growing and blooming, they need very little in the way of nitrogen.

Adding compost, or even the compost tea, might also affect the pH of the potting mix, lowering it into the acidic range. Desert plants prefer a more alkaline soil, with a higher pH.

That's just my 2¢ worth, of course.

[Green Mantis]

OK, Kisal that's great. I won't add anything like that to them then. I wondered too, but thought maybe??? Guess not. Probably would work for a miniature in-door rose, but not a cactus type plant. Good to know. Thanks again.

[Kisal]

I think worm compost, finely sifted regular compost, and compost tea are all fine for the majority of indoor plants. Most "houseplants" are of tropical origin, many native to the tropical rainforests, so they love and need very rich soil.

There's still the drainage issue to consider, though, which is a matter of constant concern in container plant culture. Compost should probably have some sand and/or perlite added if it's to be used for plants in containers. JMO.

[Green Mantis]

I had a good look under the biggest desert rose plants pot, and it is really root bound. So I am going to transplant it. Should I use a clay pot or a plastic one??? I always thought clay pots were good, but this one doesn't have a shiny glaze to it, so maybe it's not so good to use? Sorry I got us of the original thread. Will try not to do that again. Thanks so much for your help.

[Kisal]

Unglazed terra cotta containers are, in my experience, the very best thing for desert plants. Unglazed clay/ceramic is porous, which helps the soil to dry faster, providing needed air to the roots.

[Green Mantis]

Kisal, Thanks so much once more! Thankfully I have the right kind of pot. So I'll transplant it tonight after dinner.