Grow this flower in August and September, and one pot can produce 200 flower buds, truly beautiful
When it comes to flowering potted plants, if you're growing them at home, you naturally want flowers that are both beautiful and easy to care for. The weather has turned slightly cool now, and the hot summer has passed. This is the peak growing season for all kinds of flowers and plants. And in these months of August and September, there are plenty of beautiful flowers too. This is the best time to grow flowers that can survive the winter. Just think about it - a flower that can bloom even in the cold winter, isn't it worth growing? Next, let's talk about the flower we're featuring. It's a blooming machine - one pot can send out more than 200 flower buds!
Do you recognize this flower? That's right, it's the "Christmas cactus" (Schlumbergera). The Christmas cactus can be said to be a flower with very high ornamental value. Add to that its blooming period from October each year to March or April of the following year - how could such an excellent flower not deserve a pot at home? However, although the Christmas cactus is beautiful, it's not easy to grow. After all, this flower is too fussy. Even though it blooms in winter, it can't tolerate low temperatures. Its growth will even be hindered when temperatures drop below 10°C, and blooming will drop sharply. Next, let's talk about how to care for it properly.
Light requirements for the Christmas cactus:
Anyone who has grown a Christmas cactus probably knows that it's a short-day flower. However, too little sunlight is also bad for blooming, because giving it 6 hours of light per day is most suitable. Keep this up for 2 months, and it will easily develop flower buds and bloom abundantly. Of course, the Christmas cactus isn't suitable for growing on a balcony. After all, the light on a balcony is too strong, and once the weather turns cold, being close to the balcony means lower temperatures too. So you can place the Christmas cactus pot at a distance of one meter from the balcony.
Soil requirements for the Christmas cactus:
To grow a Christmas cactus well, you must get the fertility of the potting soil right. Only when the nutrient soil is sufficiently loose, breathable and fertile will the Christmas cactus roots be able to absorb all kinds of nutrients, thereby promoting continuous blooming and lush foliage. As for nutrient soil, besides using special flower soil from the market, you can also make your own. The specific method is to mix leaf mold, pine needles, sawdust and manure with ordinary garden soil and stir them together. This soil is a universal soil for growing flowers - any flower can grow more vigorously in it.
Watering requirements for the Christmas cactus:
The Christmas cactus shouldn't be in too moist a water environment, otherwise it will lead to root rot. Especially when water accumulates in the pot, the roots of the Christmas cactus can easily become oxygen-deprived, and over time the branches will wither and the leaves will rot. In daily care, you can often spray water on the leaves of the Christmas cactus. Especially during the bud stage, spraying water on the leaf surface helps the Christmas cactus develop more buds.
Besides the points mentioned above, "grafting" the Christmas cactus is also crucial. If grafted well, there will be more flower buds; if grafted poorly, it naturally won't grow well, and its ornamental value will be lower too. For grafting, it's recommended to do it right now, or in the spring of next year. For the rootstock, you can use cactus, and it generally takes about a week to take.
That's all for the knowledge about the Christmas cactus. Now is the most suitable time to grow it, so hurry up and get a pot!
Remember to like and share~