How to grow Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) best? Mastering watering timing is key
For friends who want to improve their luck and enjoy a little casual gambling, the Christmas cactus is the most suitable plant to keep at home, as it carries the beautiful meanings of "turning one's fortune around" and "good luck arriving." Christmas cactus comes in rich colors and has very many buds; it blooms easily and also has a long flowering period. How do you grow it?
First, a newly purchased Christmas cactus generally only has buds. At this time, it is not recommended that flower lovers repot it into too large a pot. It is suggested to choose a short and stout flower pot, not too deep a pot, because it easily accumulates water. Second, Christmas cactus likes sunlight, so it is suggested to place it in a sunny, bright place with scattered light and good ventilation. In summer, avoid direct exposure and scorching sun. In winter, if the temperature is below 5°C, move it indoors to overwinter.
In addition, it is a short-day flowering plant, which means that only when the daily sunshine length shortens in autumn and winter will it be induced to differentiate flower buds. In summer, the sunlight must be less than 8 hours per day for it to better develop flower buds. By the same principle, if it is grown in a place with this kind of lighting every day, it may also fail to bloom. It is suggested that flower lovers can artificially shade it to make it bloom. At night, you can cover it with a cardboard box, but do not cover it too tightly. Then remove the cardboard box during the day, which can also encourage it to bloom.
Next, Christmas cactus belongs to the succulent plants. Choose a good soil with drainage and ventilation, and do not water it too frequently, because too much water makes it less likely to bloom. It is generally suggested to water again only after the soil has dried to about 2 cm. As for fertilizing, because Christmas cactus has a very large number of flowers, its demand for nutrients is very high. Flower lovers should apply a flower-type fertilizer once a week as a top dressing (such as Huaduoduo No. 2, monopotassium phosphate, or flower-type liquid fertilizer). At the same time, when it has flower buds, it should also be fertilized; otherwise, with insufficient nutrients, it easily drops buds. In summer, when it is dormant, there is no need to fertilize it.
Finally, how do you prune Christmas cactus? After its flower buds have completely withered, promptly pinch them off. Only by doing this can nutrients be saved. If two flower buds are like twins, one large and one small, then the small bud can be pinched off.