Can Christmas Cactus Be Put in the Sun? The Latest Answer Is Here
The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) gets its name because the joints connecting its stem segments look like a crab's claws. It is an epiphytic succulent plant of the genus Schlumbergera in the cactus family, widely cultivated in parks and flower gardens across the country, and is often grafted onto Hylocereus undatus or other rootstocks to obtain vigorous, lush plants. Indoor-grown Christmas cactus can have its flowering period regulated by controlling light. Let's take a look below at whether the Christmas cactus can be put in the sun!
Can Christmas Cactus Be Put in the Sun?
The Christmas cactus can be put in the sun. In spring, autumn and winter, the Christmas cactus should be placed in a sunny spot to get some sun, but in summer it should be placed in a cool, shaded place and must not be exposed to the sun. The Christmas cactus is a short-day plant. Under short-day conditions (8 to 10 hours of sunlight per day), it can bloom in 2 to 3 months. If you want it to bloom in October, you can use an opaque shade cover in July to give the plant short-day treatment, exposing it to light for only 8 hours a day, and in this way it will bloom in late September.
Can Christmas Cactus Be Placed in the Bedroom?
The Christmas cactus can be placed in the bedroom. The Christmas cactus is an excellent indoor decorative plant. Whether grown in pots or hanging baskets, it is suitable for decorating windowsills, entrances and exhibition halls, instantly brightening the whole room and looking more beautiful than a brocade curtain. Moreover, the Christmas cactus can release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide at night, which is extremely beneficial to human health. Its flower language is "great fortune arriving" and "turning one's luck around," and placing it by the bedroom window will bring the owner good luck.
Growing and Care Management of Christmas Cactus
1. Choosing a pot: For the Christmas cactus, you can use a clay pot, plastic pot, porcelain pot or ceramic pot, but a clay pot is best. To coordinate with home decor, you can grow it in plastic pots with a range of colors. It is best to choose a pot whose diameter is 2/3 of the plant's crown diameter.
2. Soil mix: The Christmas cactus likes fertile, loose soil. At home, you can use 3 parts garden soil, 4 parts leaf mold and 3 parts sand, or 4 parts peat soil, 2 parts leaf mold, 2 parts sand and 2 parts perlite (or volcanic rock). After mixing the soil, it is best to sterilize it at high temperature before use, or you can sterilize it by drying it in the sun.
3. Reasonable watering: The Christmas cactus is an epiphytic type of cactus. In its natural environment it often grows attached to trees or in moist valleys, so the growing environment should be semi-shaded and humid, but the potting soil must not be too wet. Follow the principle of “water thoroughly only when completely dry.” In hot seasons, water once every 2 to 3 days, and avoid watering at noon. In winter, when temperatures are lower, water once a week, and avoid watering in the evening.
4. Timely fertilizing: The Christmas cactus likes fertilizer, and when fertilizer is sufficient it has more branches and more flowers. Start topdressing after the leaf buds emerge. During the growing season, apply once every 15 to 20 days a topdressing of fermented 10-fold liquid fertilizer mixed with an equal amount of 1000-fold potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution or 1000-fold “Hua Duo Duo” general-purpose fertilizer. In late autumn, reduce the frequency of fertilizing, and stop fertilizing when the temperature is below 10°C. Do not fertilize when summer temperatures are high or winter temperatures are low.
5. Light control: The Christmas cactus fears hot, high temperatures and should not be exposed to the sun or rained on, so in summer it should be placed in a ventilated indoor spot or on a balcony facing away from the sun. After the Start of Autumn, the Christmas cactus gradually regains its vigor and should be placed in a spot that receives 50% light, such as a shade shed or a sunny window, to receive light and promote flower bud differentiation. As the weather turns cooler, gradually increase the light, and from late autumn to winter give it plenty of light.
6. Flowering period regulation: The Christmas cactus is a short-day plant, and the flowering period can be controlled by regulating the light duration. To force blooming, begin short-day treatment 60 to 70 days before the desired flowering time, giving 8 hours of natural light per day and shading it the rest of the time. The shading must be continuous and must not be interrupted. Generally, flower buds can be seen after 20 days.