How to Grow a Scabbard Crab Cactus? A Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods
Scabbard crab cactus cultivation requires ensuring sufficient light, but in summer pay attention to shading and cooling; during the growing period keep the temperature at around 20 degrees, and during the flowering period at 10-15 degrees; when spring temperatures return to around 15 degrees, the stems and leaves should be cut back; in addition, the scabbard crab cactus should have its watering controlled, keeping the potting soil slightly moist, and fertilizing should be done in spring and autumn.
What is the scabbard crab cactus?
1. The scabbard crab cactus is actually the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera), also known as the holiday cactus, crab claw cactus and crab claw flower, because the connection between its segments resembles the back of a scorpion, so some people also call it the scabbard crab cactus.
2. Common hybrids of the Christmas cactus include the white varieties Christmas White, Dorsey, Gina and Snowflake; the yellow varieties Gold Charm, Christmas Flame, Gold Fantasy and Cambridge; the orange varieties Ant and Frido; the purple variety Madoga; the pink varieties Camilla, Disto and Eva, etc., most of which are introduced from countries such as the United States, Japan and Denmark. Conventional varieties include the round-toothed Christmas cactus with pale purple stems and red flowers, the beautiful Christmas cactus with white buds that open pink, the red-flowered Christmas cactus with red buds, as well as Russell, Buckley, obtuse-angle and Christmas cactus, etc.
3. The segmented stems of the Christmas cactus often become pendulous because they grow too long, so it is often made into a hanging plant for decoration. The Christmas cactus blooms right at Christmas and New Year's Day, with a trailing plant shape, suitable for decoration on windowsills, at entranceways and in exhibition halls. However, due to cultivation methods, some Christmas cacti are regulated to bloom in October. In countries such as Japan, Germany and the United States, the Christmas cactus has already been produced on a large scale and has become one of the main indoor potted flowers in winter.
The flower language of the Christmas cactus is good fortune and turning one's luck around, so it is suitable to place it at home, in offices and other places, where it can bring people good luck.