HelpfulGardener.com

Hello all

I am new to succulent type plants and thought id try my luck with a Christmas Cactus that looks like a Thanksgiving Cactus but was told it was a Christmas Cactus o_0, while doing some research on the internet I found out how to water (thoroughly then dry) but is it the same when blooms appear? should I give it more water,less?

Also I was wondering when its time to propagate after I have them planted in moist soil should I put a plastic bag over the cuttings?

Sorry for the many questions I adore this plant and want to keep it healthy
Thanks for any help

Hi -- I love your enthusiasm for the Schlumbergera!

If it is a Christmas Cactus and not a Thanksgiving Cactus (S. truncata), the edges of the phyllocades (stem segments) will be rounded and not pointy. That characteristic gives rise to one of the Thanksgiving Cactus' common names, Crab Cactus.

True Christmas Cactus is a hybrid of S. truncata and S. russelliana. It is rarely found for sale today and is usually known as S. x buckleyi. Having said that, you may indeed have a Christmas Cactus. It's not an impossibility. Most plants commonly for sale today are hybrids and can exhibit characteristics of one parent predominantly more than of the other.

Continue with your regular watering regimen. They are fairly easy to root from stem cuttings. No need to tent them. (Others may use different techniques.)

New cuttings being rooted need excellent drainage. 20% perlite or sand added to the soil is good. Schlumbergera like rich, fast-draining soil.

Hope this helps.

Thanks!
I think I may have the Thanksgiving
Cactus (mine has points/teeth on the sides of its joints)
Is the care and blooming regimen the same as
Christmas Cactus? (darkness-cool temps)
Since its a Thanksgiving Cactus can I still
get it to bloom at Christmas?
Thanks again for the help/advice

Older plants sometimes have an erratic bloom time. They often begin blooming around Thanksgiving and may go until well after Christmas. Some Christmas Cacti actually begin blooming after Christmas and continue for a couple of months.

I think you are already aware that the most important trigger for getting any Schlumbergera to bloom is the length of the day/daylight hours (they are photo-periodic plants) as well as a cooler temperature. Once the day length decreases to approximately twelve hours, the plant recognizes that it is time to begin to set buds and bloom. They are sensitive to light and this period of lengthy darkness needs to be provided artificially for most indoor plants (basement, dark room, closet). Even light from lightbulbs can throw the plant off its bloom cycle. A night temperature of 55° to 65° F. should accompany the short day.

Whew,I'm glad their pretty much the same I saw on eBay a white flowering Christmas Cactus...so I bought a few slips lol Hopefully ill be able to root the slips and by next Thanksgiving have two beautiful shows (The 1 I have now I bought with no flowers so it will be interesting to see what color he is)
But it's the anticipation about these guys
That I think I'll enjoy most

I agree. The suspense of waiting for a new bloom is wonderful.

Omgoodness
So beautiful! I'm super jealous over here

Me again LOL
I forgot to ask what size of pot would be good for 6 3-4'' cuttings and also potting mix or soil?

I also added a pic of my 'holiday' Cactus

[img][img]https://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h34 ... f1095a.jpg[/img][/img]

Thanks. Mine is S. 'White Christmas'.

Nice lush and healthy looking plant you have there!

If you are going to put all 6 cuttings in one container, I would say a 6" pot would do but it doesn't have to be deep. Honestly, I often use the clear plastic containers that fresh spinach or something like that comes in from the grocery. I poke holes in the bottom and just reuse them for starting plants.

I have about six Schlum cuttings in this container on the top shelf and maybe 3 or 4 in the plastic tub on the next shelf down.

Great idea I still am in awe of your cactus! After seeing yours
I really REALLY hope my cuttings will be successful, I have a small
Cottage cheese container,do you think that would work if I made
holes in it with some potting mix?
Thank you again for all your help!

The cottage cheese container should be fine. Just poke a lot of holes in the bottom to ensure good drainage.

I sometimes have to neglect my plants for awhile so they don't always look that good. But thank you very much for the compliment.

I'm trying to find some other pictures. I really should organize my pictures.

You are very welcome truly they are lovely.
I hear you on the pics... just deleted a bunch on Photobucket lol
I'm gonna go later to buy a new pot for my peppermia (spelling?) so maybe ill take a peek and see if I can find a shallow small pot for the cuttings but if not least I have the cottage cheese container as back up
Want to make sure I'm ready for them so they can go right into the new "home"

Yes, once they are well-rooted you can transfer them to a new pot or pots and gradually increase the size of the pot. They like a pot about twice the size of the rootball and don't like to be "floating" around in a container that's too large. You can put several in one pot.

I believe this is a hybrid S. 'Beach Dancer'.

Wow! you sure have some beautiful flower colors,I think here ive only seen the red and pink ones (which are still lovely) but it'd be wonderful to have such variety
While I wait for my white cc cuttings I been looking up Easter cactus's and I think I might have to get 1 to lol
So addicting