Do one small thing for your Christmas cactus in early autumn and it will sprout new growth like crazy and burst with flower buds

Reader comment:

Answer:

only need to do one small thing, which is to fertilize the Christmas cactus to replenish nutrients

The purpose of fertilizing the Christmas cactus now is to promote leaf growth and lay a good foundation for blooming, not to force it into flower. Therefore, using a single phosphorus-potassium fertilizer is not recommended. You can apply a general-purpose microbial flower fertilizer, which is green and odorless; use it once every 10 days to promote root growth and make the terminal buds grow faster.

Generally, September to October is the critical period for flower bud differentiation in Christmas cactus. At this time, pay attention to slowly increasing light exposure, then give a moderate amount of phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. You can also directly apply a general-purpose microbial flower fertilizer, which can promote bud formation in the Christmas cactus, resulting in a pot full of blooms, vivid colors, and a long flowering period.

If you want the Christmas cactus to bloom earlier, you can carry out light-shading treatment

The Christmas cactus can only form buds and bloom under short-day conditions in autumn and winter. If you need to make the Christmas cactus bloom earlier, you can carry out short-day treatment, providing 8 hours of short-day light-shading treatment each day. This so-called "lock it in a dark room" method of forcing blooms can make it flower one month earlier.

Do not water the Christmas cactus too much in autumn

The Christmas cactus is not tolerant of moisture; water it too much and it easily develops root rot. In autumn, water only after the surface of the potting soil has completely dried out.