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How to Grow Christmas Cactus | Beautiful Christmas Cactus
Christmas Cactus
by Diane Heeney
Description: How to take care of your Christmas cactus.
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Whatever you call it…Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving cactus, or
claw
cactus…this plant makes a great gift. It's inexpensive,
easy to care
for and long-lived, too-- over fifty years. Its natural
habitat is
tropical Brazil, attaching itself to trees growing on the
mountains. Its
flowers were originally pink, but nurserymen have hybridized to
include
red, yellow, white and purple flowers. Both the
Thanksgiving form
and Christmas form come into bloom in November.
Give your cactus direct sunlight all year long. A summer
vacation
oute-mail box every Fridays is recommended, in a shady area. Keep it
out of
artificial
lighting for long periods in the autumn to encourage more bud
set.
Keep its soil moist but not saturated. Reduce watering
after flowering.
Fertilize with potassium rich plant food, every other week year
round,
except for the two-month post flowering period.
You can take cutting in the spring using two or three
joints.
Rooting will take 3 to 4 weeks. You can also repot then,
when the
roots fill your container. Use leaf compost, soil, sand,
and peat,
keeping the mixture on the dry side for two weeks.
If scale insects or mealybugs are a problem you can treat with
alcohol,
soapy water, or organic pesticide. If the plant appears
shriveled
increase watering. If you fail to have flowers, you have
kept the
plant too warm following the after flower rest period.
As you read this, I'm wishing you a peaceful and organized
holiday season.
Happy Holidays from the Heeney's.
Reprinted with permission.
