How to propagate Christmas cactus by cuttings, it can root quickly even in winter
The Christmas cactus blooms abundantly and beautifully, and the sight of it bursting into a full pot is stunning, making it an excellent houseplant. So many plant lovers like to grow it as a potted plant at home. And its propagation method is also very simple; generally, by cutting off a single stem segment, it can easily root after being planted as a cutting. Therefore, the Christmas cactus is mostly propagated by cuttings to produce young plants, and the survival rate is especially high.
Not only that, the Christmas cactus also has a particularly long flowering period, lasting from October in the autumn of the previous year all the way to February of the following spring, and winter happens to be its peak blooming season. So being able to enjoy its beautiful flowers in the cold winter is very heartwarming and makes people forget the cold. But besides blooming in winter, in the winter of southern China it can even be propagated by cuttings.
The Christmas cactus is generally more suitable for cutting propagation in spring and autumn, but if we carry out the cuttings according to this process, it can also root and survive fairly quickly in winter. This is because winter in the south, compared with the north, is cool but not cold, and warm but not hot. Let's take a look below at how we propagate the Christmas cactus by cuttings in winter.
To propagate the Christmas cactus by cuttings, we first need to use loose, breathable soil with strong water permeability; generally it is recommended to use sandy soil mixed with pine needle soil, or leaf mold mixed with sandy soil, or garden soil mixed with vermiculite. Although the soil mix ratios vary, they are all very suitable for the cutting propagation of the Christmas cactus. And good soil is more conducive to the rooting and survival of the Christmas cactus cuttings.
The stems of the Christmas cactus are made up of many stem segments, and we can either cut off a stem with several stem segments for cuttings, or cut off just a single stem segment as a cutting, both of which are usually feasible. But to avoid wasting material, we generally just cut off one stem segment for leaf cuttings. However, no matter how it is cut, the wound on the stem segment must be dried in advance; generally, after drying for 5-7 days it can be used for cuttings, thereby reducing the chance of wound infection after cutting and increasing the survival rate.
Not only that, in order to also achieve a very high survival rate when cutting the Christmas cactus in winter, it is usually recommended to apply some rooting powder to the base of the end of the stem segment used for cutting to speed up rooting. Then insert the leaf into the moist substrate, but be careful to control the depth of the part buried in the substrate appropriately. Be sure not to insert it too deep or too shallow, otherwise rooting will be affected; generally, inserting about half a leaf is enough.
After the cuttings are done, place them in a cool, ventilated environment for care, and during this period be careful to control temperature and humidity. Generally, the ambient temperature is required to stay above 10°c, preferably around 15°c. If the temperature is below 10 degrees, the plant's activity will decline, thereby affecting the rooting speed; if the ambient temperature is below 5°c, the chance of frost damage often increases. Also, be careful to spray water on the substrate regularly to keep it moist.
But in order to provide warmth and moisture retention, it is recommended to cover it with film or a bag after cutting, so that it is neither easily frost-damaged nor easily dehydrated, thereby speeding up rooting of the leaves. Generally, with about half a month of careful care, it can root and survive. One month after cutting, we can gradually provide it with light and consider fertilizing as appropriate.