Add a little something to your Christmas cactus potting soil, and it will bloom with many layers of flowers year after year
The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) is an epiphytic succulent plant in the cactus family. Because the shape of its stem segments' joints resembles a crab's pincers, and because its flowering period falls around Christmas, it is also called the Christmas cactus. The Christmas cactus is quite fond of fertilizer, but since its root system is rather weak, it is easy to accidentally burn the roots, so care must be taken when looking after it.
1. Pine needles
We can add some pine needles to the pot to solve this problem. We can go under a pine tree and dig up some pine needles, preferably those that are yellowish-brown, fairly dry and easy to crush. This kind of pine needle can provide more nutrients for the Christmas cactus, and it has already fully decomposed, so it will not harm the plant.
Do not use pine needles that have just been dug up at home directly; they need to be sun-dried to achieve a disinfecting effect, which can also kill the woodlice and insect eggs in the pine needles. At this point we can mix the pine needles into the potting soil and use it directly. After mixing in the pine needles, not only is the potting soil looser and more breathable, it also helps the roots absorb nutrients, and because pine needle soil is rich in nutrients, the flowers will grow more vigorously and bloom more.
2. Sand
Adding a little sand to the potting soil can increase the soil's breathability, saving money and being convenient too. Note that when using it you should use coarse sand, a soil with good drainage and breathability, so that root rot can be very well prevented.
3. Chicken manure fertilizer
Using leaf mold, chicken manure fertilizer and coarse sand to make a nutrient soil for growing Christmas cactus works very well. Leaf mold is high in organic matter and drains well, but its soil content is low, so over time it is easily used up. Adding chicken manure fertilizer can effectively improve this situation, and mixing the two is a very good choice.