What causes bud drop in Christmas cactus
The biggest worry when growing flowering plants in pots is a large number of fallen buds and bud drop during the budding stage, which also means that the usual efforts may be wasted and all the work comes to nothing in the end. For gardeners who put in time and energy to grow flowers, this is bound to be a heavy blow emotionally.
Christmas cactus is a very beautiful evergreen succulent plant, good both for enjoying its flowers and for its foliage. But if we do not care for it well during the flowering period, it is also very easy to make it drop buds or drop buds before the flower buds have even opened. This is mainly shown in the following aspects:
1. Moving the pot around carelessly
Because during the bud-forming period of Christmas cactus, the joints of its leaves are very fragile and very sensitive to changes in the environment. So we should not often turn the pot, nor move it around at will, otherwise carelessly moving the pot may cause bud drop and bud shedding.
2. Too much water
During the bud-forming and budding period, Christmas cactus needs a relatively dry growing environment, which is more conducive to forming flower buds and growing buds. If at this time watering is too generous or the potting soil is too wet, it often easily inhibits root respiration, thereby causing bud drop and premature bud shedding.
3. Lack of nutrients
During the bud-forming and budding period, Christmas cactus needs sufficient nutrients to promote growth and development. If there is a lack of nutrients during this period, the plant will not have enough ability to support the growth of the flower buds, thus resulting in bud shedding and bud drop. Therefore, from the time Christmas cactus begins to form buds, it should be supplemented with some phosphorus and potassium elements.
It is recommended to use potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution, with the concentration controlled at 0.1%, sprayed once a week. But we can also bury a little decomposed chicken manure, bone meal, plant ash, etc. in the pot. After the plant obtains phosphorus and potassium elements, it can play a role in promoting bud growth and stabilizing buds.
4. Low temperature and freezing
The flowering period of Christmas cactus is usually in autumn and winter, and the peak flowering period is generally concentrated in winter. But winter temperatures are often relatively low, and the cold tolerance of Christmas cactus is also relatively poor, so if the environmental temperature is too low and the plant is frozen during the bud-forming and budding period, it will likewise cause bud drop and bud shedding. Therefore, it is recommended to control the environmental temperature at around 15°C to ensure the plant is not frozen, which is also more conducive to the plant forming flower buds.