How do you choose a Christmas cactus? You must pay attention to these points

It is almost the season for Christmas cacti to bloom again, but if you see Christmas cacti in bloom for sale at the flower market right now, do not rush to buy them, because these are all greenhouse flowers. It is not yet the season for Christmas cacti to bloom; the sellers have made them bloom early. These Christmas cacti will have a shortened flowering period, and they will also be more difficult to care for, so pay attention when choosing.

What else should you pay attention to when choosing a Christmas cactus in autumn? Of course, when buying a potted Christmas cactus, you want it to bloom. Its flowering period is in winter and spring, and by late autumn it is preparing to form flower buds, so be sure not to choose a Christmas cactus whose stem tips are rather small and delicate. If the tips of the stems grow very small, they will not form flower buds.

When choosing a Christmas cactus, you should also look at how sturdy and thick the stems are. The best ones have thick, sturdy leaves in a dark green color, with good growth, and the stem tips are also relatively strong. A Christmas cactus like this has a very good chance of blooming, and it will bloom a lot.

The Christmas cactus is a very popular indoor potted plant, because it can bloom without needing too much light. Grown by a window, it can grow well with 3 to 6 hours of scattered light each day, making it a very popular potted plant.

So how should you care for a Christmas cactus you have bought so that it is more likely to bloom?

When caring for a Christmas cactus, be sure to avoid frequent watering. Its root system is very fragile. Once it is watered too much and the soil is always wet, it is very easy to cause root rot.

Also, pay attention to maintaining a certain level of environmental humidity and avoid the air being too dry. You can spray mist around the pot, or simply turn on a humidifier, but do not spray water directly onto the leaf surface, and even less should you let water droplets remain on the leaves.

Another thing to note is that the Christmas cactus has very poor cold tolerance. The best temperature for winter care is around 12°C, but the temperature should preferably not exceed 18°C. Caring for a Christmas cactus in a warm room with too high a temperature is also not good, because it will shorten its flowering period. If it is in an environment of 12°C, the Christmas cactus can bloom for as long as 1 to 2 months, while in an environment of more than 20°C, its flowering period may be only 1 to 2 weeks. This is the difference made by the care environment.

If you want the Christmas cactus to bloom more, you can give it a light feeding in spring, generally a diluted liquid fertilizer once a month. The concentration must not be too high. Once the Christmas cactus begins to form flower buds, it should no longer be fertilized.

After the Christmas cactus's flowering period ends, you should cut off the spent flowers. This can encourage a second bloom and also conserve nutrients, helping the plant grow better.

If you want a Christmas cactus to bloom, you need to give it appropriate scattered light every day. If there is no light at all, it will be very difficult for it to bloom. Also, note that it needs a completely dark environment at night. If it is placed for a long time at night in an environment with bright lights on, the Christmas cactus will find it very difficult to bloom. Wanting a completely dark environment is also very simple: just cover it directly with a cardboard box.