A clever little trick for propagating Christmas cactus in autumn: roots in just over ten days, jade-green leaves, and blooms bursting out of the pot
Christmas cactus blooms are vivid and bright, with a distinctive shape and a very long flowering period. It can bloom from October through to February of the following year, and it can also bloom during Spring Festival. It is especially well suited to cuttings and is very easy to propagate. Can Christmas cactus be propagated now?
Propagate Christmas cactus in October, cover it with a plastic bag, and it will root in ten days, with emerald leaves and flowers filling the pot!
The growing temperature for Christmas cactus is 18°C to 23°C. As long as the temperature stays within this range, you can propagate Christmas cactus, and it is very suited to rooting and surviving. Overall, spring and autumn are especially good for propagating Christmas cactus; propagating in spring and autumn gives a higher survival rate and makes rooting and sprouting easier. In spring, wait until after the flowering period, then prune and propagate at the same time; in autumn, select healthy branches for cuttings. October is just right for propagating Christmas cactus.
How to propagate Christmas cactus
You can cut off a complete, undamaged leaf segment with three to five nodes. After the wound has dried, prepare peat or leaf mold and add some large particles, such as coarse sand or vermiculite, to make rooting easier.
Do not insert the cutting too deep. Spray a little water with a spray bottle, cover it with a transparent plastic bag - an ordinary shopping bag will do - the purpose being to increase air humidity and maintain a certain temperature. Then place it in a shaded spot with bright, indirect light and good ventilation, and open it every three or four days to spray water once. Generally, it will root in just over ten days.
There is another little propagation trick: find one whose leaves have aerial roots to use for the cutting. It survives very easily, rooting as soon as it touches soil, and you can very simply propagate one pot or several pots of Christmas cactus.
Telling whether it has successfully rooted is very simple: gently touch the leaves with your hand. If they are fairly firm and plump and do not go soft, it means the Christmas cactus has successfully rooted and is already growing roots.
When the root system has grown fairly abundant and extensive, it can be transplanted into a slightly larger flower pot. The soil for planting Christmas cactus is best fertile, loose and breathable. Use ordinary garden soil, add leaf mold or pine needle soil, and then add one fifth decomposed cake fertilizer or organic fertilizer.
Right after planting, place it in a spot without strong light to let it recover for a while, then gradually give it sunlight. Do not frequently turn or move the flower pot; this way the leaves will grow even more emerald green and full in color.
If you propagate earlier, as long as the potting soil is fertile and loose and there is plenty of sunlight, flower buds will appear by the end of the year. When caring for Christmas cactus normally, pay attention to fertilizing more often, applying light fertilizer frequently, watering with a small amount of fertilizer at a time, and it will grow abundant branches and leaves and bloom especially heavily, with flowers that are large, bright and beautiful!