How to Make Your Christmas Cactus Bloom in 3 Easy Steps
How to Revitalize and Stimulate the Flowering of Your Christmas Cactus
Find out how to give your Christmas cactus the ideal conditions for spectacular flowering, even when all seems lost.
Key Elements for Flowering
The Christmas cactus, also called the holiday cactus, is known for its majestic blooms between November and January. However, the magic depends mainly on two elements: temperature and light levels.
The Perfect Lighting Conditions
In order to simulate the northern hemisphere winter, it is essential to offer your cactus short days, followed by long nights. The ideal is to expose your plant to 16 hours of darkness, by placing it away from any artificial light.
The Ideal Temperature
To encourage flowering, keep the room temperature no higher than 18°C. Away from heat sources, this coolness will signal to the plant that it is time to flower.
Expert Tips for Optimal Flowering
Keira Kay, a botanical specialist at Bloom & Wild, shares her secrets: to encourage a second bloom, reduce the daily light and keep the plant in the dark for 12 to 14 hours, all in a room at around 12°C. Meanwhile, Rachel Martin of Patch Plants insists on keeping the plant away from radiators to fully enjoy its flowers.
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