I love the Christmas cactus mostly because it needs a tropical climate. Just as its name implies, this plant blooms at Christmas enriching the ambiance of the holidays even more. However, there are a few problems when it comes to watering which seems to be the main factor for maintaining it in good conditions. Thus, if you want to keep it healthy and always blooming, you will need to understand all the requirements when it comes to watering. Keep reading and check out the most important tips or watering you should know to properly care for your Christmas cactus.
1. The ‘when’ and ‘how often’ are crucial
Thus, make sure you always water your Christmas cactus when the top inch of the soil is dry. Then, consider the time of the year too. If you keep your plant outdoors in a dry climate you should water it every three days. Moreover, this is important to do especially if the plant has been in the sun. However, if you keep it indoors where it is humid, then you only need to water it once a week. According to seasons, you should water the plant less during the fall and winter. That way, you will help stimulate your plant’s blooming.
2. Avoid over and underwatering
I cannot stress enough how important this is. For instance, if you accidentally overwater your Christmas cactus, this could fastly lead to fungal rot diseases and the leaves will drop. Because it is a tropical one, this plant cannot face underwatering either. Thus, if your Christmas cactus does not receive enough water, it will wilt and the flower buds will drop. Also, this plant won’t tolerate dry soil either so you should make sure you avoid over and underwatering.
3. What about humidity?
Well, the Christmas cactus will definitely thrive in a humid environment. This makes it perfect if you have an indoor climate. However, if this is not the case, you could provide humidity by placing a bowl of water near the plant. Another method that will work is misting your cactus with a spray bottle.
4. Other tips you should know
In terms of lighting, the Christmas cactus prefers bright indirect sunlight. Thus, make sure you steer them away from direct sun exposure. They do thrive in warm temperatures, which is something to keep in mind throughout the winter when you need to raise the temperature. Also, avoid placing this plant in cold places and keep them away from sources of heat. Last but not least, you will need to fertilize this plant in the spring as soon as tender growth appears.
0 Comments