How to Grow a Christmas Cactus? A Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods

Summary Soil: For potting, you can use peat, perlite, and ceramsite mixed in a 2:2:1 ratio. Temperature: It needs plenty of light, and the suitable temperature is 15-32°C. Watering: In summer, water once every 2-3 days; in spring and autumn, water once every 4-5 days; in winter, water once a week. Fertilizing: Apply decomposed liquid fertilizer once every 15 days; in autumn, apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer; stop fertilizing after flowering. Repotting: Repot once every two years, and this can be done in spring.

I. Cultivation Methods for Christmas Cactus

1. Prepare the Soil

You can choose loose, fertile soil with good drainage and aeration to grow Christmas cactus. For potting, you can use furnace slag and garden soil mixed in a ratio of 3:1, or you can use peat, perlite, and ceramsite in a ratio of 2:2:1.

2. Plenty of Light

When growing Christmas cactus, except in summer, it can appropriately receive direct sunlight in the other seasons. In summer, you can move the Christmas cactus to the balcony to sun it early in the morning before the sun has fully come out, then move it back in after 9 a.m., and move it out again at 4 p.m. to sun it.

3. Suitable Temperature

The suitable growing temperature for Christmas cactus is 15-32°C. It is not tolerant of high temperatures and fears muggy heat, so when summer arrives, the Christmas cactus needs to be placed in a cool, ventilated place for growing. When winter arrives, once the outdoor temperature drops below 10°C, the Christmas cactus needs to be covered with a plastic bag to keep it warm.

4. Watering Frequency

Christmas cactus likes to grow in a humid environment, so in summer when the temperature is high and water evaporates quickly, it needs to be watered once every 2-3 days. In spring and autumn, it needs to be watered once every 4-5 days. In winter, the amount of watering should be appropriately reduced, and it can be watered once every 7 days.

5. Reasonable Fertilizing

Throughout the entire growth process of the Christmas cactus, you can apply decomposed liquid fertilizer about once every 15 days. When autumn arrives, 1-2 applications of phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer can be added. After flowering, the Christmas cactus will enter a short period of dormancy, and at this time fertilizing should be stopped. After the plant's stem segments have grown new buds, fertilize again. When winter arrives, fertilizing must be prohibited.

II. Precautions for Growing Christmas Cactus

1. Repot Every Two Years

Christmas cactus needs to be repotted once every 2 years. This is generally done in spring, and you can change to a slightly larger pot according to the plant's growth height. The potting soil in the pot also needs to be replaced; at least half of the old soil should be discarded, and then new soil should be used for planting.

2. Prune in Time

When the Christmas cactus plant grows to a height of more than 50 cm, you can choose to cut it back in spring and prune off branches that are growing too luxuriantly. During this time, dead branches and old branches should also be cut off.