Plant Care Guides / Indoor / Easy Care
The Christmas cactus is one of those plants that just gets on with it for most of the year and then surprises you with a spectacular flush of flowers in the cooler months. The blooms appear at the tips of its segmented, trailing stems in shades of pink, red, white or salmon, and a well-looked-after plant can flower reliably year after year for decades.
Despite the name, it is not a desert cactus. It is a forest cactus from the mountains of Brazil, where it grows in the crooks of trees in dappled shade. That means it wants more water and less sun than you might expect from anything called a cactus. To encourage flowering, give it a few weeks of cooler nights (around 12 to 15 degrees) and shorter daylight hours in autumn, which the St Francis Bay winter does naturally.
Bright, indirect light. No harsh direct sun, which can burn the stems and fade the flowers. A spot with good morning light or filtered afternoon light is ideal.
Water when the top centimetre or so of soil is dry. It likes to be kept lightly moist while in active growth and flowering, but not soggy. After flowering, ease off and let it dry out a little more between waterings for a resting period. It enjoys a little extra humidity when in bud.
Feed every two to three weeks through spring and summer with a balanced fertiliser. Stop feeding in autumn to help trigger flowering.
Repot only when root-bound, roughly every two to three years. Use a well-draining mix with some perlite or orchid bark mixed in to keep it airy, since the roots rot in heavy soil.
Ask about availability. We keep a changing range of indoor plants. WhatsApp us to see what is in store, or pop in and we will help you choose.
