A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum Christmas cactus

Ditchy, I don't know what to say. Junie and I have tried to do everything by the book with these plants and since Christmas I've done everything opposite and the plants seems to be doing lots better. Mine was started by a piece sent to me by a lady who used to be on here, dodge, you may remember her, so I think it's 5 or 6 years old. It blooms every year but last Christmas it didn't have a lot of blooms. I've repotted it once.

That is true we have...if you do repot, I think perhaps use the same bot or just one a very little bit larger but use new soil???

I am kind of scared to do anything with how ancient it is.
I have not fed it in forever, this spring, or soon, what do you thing of feeding it? is their succulent food?
I mean at best it gets 4 flowers a year.

I've never fed mine. What Junie and I did this year was take advice from an oriental lady who brought my sisters back to life. Mine improved but it just about murdered Junies. My sisters was almost dead. Her advice was to take it out January 6th, no matter how cold, and hose it down, then bring it back in and put it at a sunny window. My sisters has been fully blooming since the end of January. Mine is still blooming and has new buds.

Yes that is true---but thank goodness my cactus has 3 new leaves with the 4th one beginning..so I am very hopeful......

and did I mention that I have 1 very healthy cactus?? Well I do ! BUT however healthy it is, it has no flowers or buds.

and I do feed mine half strength every once in awhile

I took it upon myself to take mine out and hose it down again today. All the recent blooms had fallen off so I thought why not. We shall see.

wow, well do let me know---I think what I should have done was NOT to have left it outdoors even for the under 2 hours that I did....

So far it looks ok.

Wonderful !

I got a text from dodge today that said her cactus is blooming now.

Hi Bestof 4.

Guess who this is? I seen you talk of my Christmas cactus.
Yep they are in bloom right now
I re registered on here an started out as an newbie.. I miss all of you here an love to gab again.
We have stupid snow again today.
Come spring come.
Love you all,
dodge

WE missed you too, Barb, so glad to have you back. come often & chat....

Remember the CoffeeHouses...

Hi dodge. I've been ignoring ALL the Christmas cactus rules and mine is doing better. You sent it to me. You actually sent 2 but one died. It never recovered from the trip from your house to mine :)

How sad it died....Probably was home sick.. LOL I have red in bloom now.

You are both so lucky that your cactus are blooming. I am just happy mine are green.

My sisters voodoo plant lady told her we should take our plant outside, sit it in the morning sun, hose it down, leave it all day. It's a million degrees out there but she lives locally and knows that, so I might try it. I'm actually thinking of leaving mine outside and letting it fend for itself. I'm tired of dealing with it.

well I was not happy with the Voodoo lady's advice before--so you let me know what happens with yours then I will see about trying it with mine. But I will not be doing it on the west side of my house...it is really scorching on that side.

So today I went to the Korean alteration lady with Johnny. She had 3 Christmas cactuses sitting in her front window in full sun where they stay all year long. One is 10 years old and gigantic. She said she sits them outside when it rains and lets them get drenched. Maybe we"re trying too hard.

Thanks. And you are probably right about trying too hard. I moved 2 of mine I to the bottom shelf of my plant shelf where they got very little sun. Doing great. So when I moved the plants to MO I once again protected them from sun. Still doing great. Perhaps less is more ? And it is sounding to me like the cactus might just adapt to whatever their situation is. I do like the idea about rain watering them though. Thanks.

Junie my cactus is blooming. Noticed it yesterday. I've treated it like all other plants this year, left in the sun, watered when it was dry, sat it outside and hosed it off a time or two.

I must just not have a green thumb when it comes to cactus. My Sister in law has 2 beautiful cactus that are blooming as we speak. She said they are kept outdoors all summer. I will try with some of mine next summer. I may have a few shades p!a rd for them now.

Where does your sister in law live? Dodge texted me that hers is blooming too. I think dodge takes extra care with hers, like putting it in the dark and stuff, but I haven't. I was sort of hoping mine would die. Isn't yours like a family heirloom?

My S-I-L lives in Ohio very near the W. Virginia boarder. If the cactus are not outside they are on the floor by her glass sliding doors. Not real sure of which direction, but I think the door was on the north side of the house.

Hi gang

My cactus is at it again.. White is most beautiful.
Wish you had photos here again.
Long time no see.
Love ya all.

Dodge in person.

My cactus is pieces of various cactus from day Dodge and P!ants N Pots. I also have a few cuttings left from some my DD bought me several years ago.

The o n e time one bloomed, I had it in a cold room with very little light for awhile...but like I said I got like 2 blooms. They were pretty though.

Today I bought a deep pink cactus for my sis for thanksgiving.
I go there for tukey day.. Also a large pkt of citrus drinks.

Happy thanksgiving everyone. We been Blessed, with another year.

You are a good sistet, Barb. I am sure she will love the cactus. It will brighten up the Thanksgiving table I am sure.

Oh my Sheri, it is beautiful ! And it is so healthy ! Congratulations! A job very well done !

That's the original pot and the original dirt and other than taking it outside to hose it down a time or two it's sat on the dining room table since last Christmas. I moved it to the kitchen table today.

What kind of light does it get in the dining room ??

hooray to sheri…...Lovely