Can Christmas cactus be kept in the bedroom?

Christmas cactus flowers are borne at the tips of the stems, with the perianth opening and recurving; flower colors include light purple, yellow, red, pure white, pink, orange and bicolor, and the flowers are delicate and graceful, radiant and charming, bright and moving, especially loved and praised by people, with very high ornamental value. Below let us take a look together at whether Christmas cactus can be placed in the bedroom!

Can Christmas cactus be placed in the bedroom?

Christmas cactus can be placed in the bedroom. Christmas cactus is an excellent indoor decorative plant. Whether grown in pots or hanging baskets, it is suitable for decorating windowsills, entranceways and exhibition halls, instantly bringing brilliance to the whole room and surpassing brocade curtains in beauty. Moreover, Christmas cactus can release oxygen at night and absorb carbon dioxide, which is extremely beneficial to human health. Its flower language is good fortune arriving and turning one's luck around, and placing it by the bedroom window will bring the owner good luck.

How is Christmas cactus best grown?

1. Flower pot selection: For Christmas cactus, clay pots, plastic pots, porcelain pots or ceramic pots can be used, but clay pots are best; to coordinate with home decor, plastic pots in varied colors can be used for cultivation, and it is advisable to choose a pot whose diameter is 2/3 of the plant's crown diameter.

2. Soil preparation: Christmas cactus likes fertile, loose soil. At home, you can use 3 parts garden soil, 4 parts leaf mold, 3 parts sand, or 4 parts peat soil, 2 parts leaf mold, 2 parts sand, 2 parts perlite (or volcanic rock). After mixing the soil, it is best to sterilize it at high temperature before use, or expose it to the sun to sterilize it.

3. Reasonable watering: Christmas cactus is an epiphytic cactus and in its natural environment often grows attached to trees or in moist valleys, so the growing environment requires semi-shade and moisture, but the potting soil must not be overly wet, following the principle of “water thoroughly after drying out”. 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: Christmas cactus likes fertilizer, and when fertilizer is sufficient there are more branches and more flowers. Start topdressing after leaf buds emerge; during the growing season, apply once every 15 to 20 days a mix of thoroughly decomposed 10-fold liquid fertilizer with an equal amount of 1000-fold potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution or 1000-fold “Huaduoduo” general 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: Christmas cactus fears hot, high temperatures, and avoid exposure to strong sun and rain, so in summer it should be placed in a ventilated indoor spot or on a shady balcony. After the Start of Autumn, Christmas cactus gradually recovers its growth and should be placed in a spot with 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 light, and from late autumn to winter give sufficient light.

6. Flowering regulation: Christmas cactus is a short-day plant, and the flowering period can be controlled by regulating light duration. To force flowering, begin short-day treatment 60 to 70 days before the desired flowering time, with 8 hours of natural light each day and light-blocking treatment the rest of the time. Keep blocking light continuously without interruption, and generally flower buds can be seen after 20 days.

Plants suitable for the bedroom

1. Dragon tree: With just a little care, dragon tree can grow for a long time and bring high-quality air. In inhibiting harmful substances, it is hard for other plants to compare with dragon tree; its leaves and roots can absorb xylene, toluene, trichloroethylene, benzene and formaldehyde, and break them down into non-toxic substances.

2. Ivy: Ivy can effectively resist the carcinogens in nicotine. Through tiny stomata on the leaves, it can absorb harmful substances and convert them into harmless sugars and amino acids. It is suitable for planting in semi-shade; just keep the potting soil moist and fertilize regularly.

3. Umbrella tree: Umbrella tree brings fresh air to smoking households. Its pretty umbrella-shaped leaves can absorb nicotine and other harmful substances from smoke-filled air, and through photosynthesis convert them into harmless substances of the plant's own. It has low requirements for the growing environment and is very suitable for inexperienced growers.

4. Weeping fig: Plants in the weeping fig group show many excellent characteristics. They can increase room humidity, which is good for our skin and breathing, and can also absorb formaldehyde, xylene and ammonia and purify turbid air. They are suitable for planting in semi-shade.

5. Golden pothos: Golden pothos can “work” in environments where other indoor plants cannot adapt. Through a process similar to photosynthesis, it breaks down toxic substances released from fabrics, walls and smoke into substances of the plant's own. This type of plant is easy to care for and can grow well even in dark environments, making it the best choice for beginners.

6. Silver queen: Silver queen is known for its unique air-purifying ability. The higher the concentration of pollutants in the air, the more it can exert its purifying ability, so it is very suitable for dark rooms with poor ventilation. This plant with grayish-white leaves likes to live in a constant-temperature environment, and watering with warm water can help it survive for a longer time.

7. Peace lily: Peace lily is an “expert” at suppressing waste gases exhaled by the human body, such as ammonia and acetone. It can also filter benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde from the air, and its high evaporation rate can prevent nasal mucous membranes from drying out, greatly reducing the possibility of illness.

8. Pothos: Placing or hanging a vine plant such as pothos in an indoor doorway corner can effectively absorb chemical substances in the air and dissolve residual odors after renovation. But pothos cannot tolerate strong direct sunlight. It needs watering every day to keep the soil moist, but there must be no water accumulation that breeds mosquitoes. Fertilizing once every one to two months can make the leaf color more glossy and beautiful.