Christmas cactus care guide

A Christmas cactus can live for decades and bloom every winter. It is not a desert cactus. It grows on tree branches in the misty mountain forests of Brazil, so it wants more water and less sun than the cactus on your windowsill.

Odds are good that the plant sold to you as a Christmas cactus is a Thanksgiving cactus. Read how to tell a Christmas cactus from a Thanksgiving cactus. The care is the same.

Light

Give it bright, indirect light. An east window is ideal. Hot afternoon sun turns the segments red or purple and scorches them.

In low light it grows, but it blooms less.

Water

Water when the top 2 to 3 cm (1 in) of soil is dry. Water until it drains, then empty the saucer. In winter, after it blooms, let the soil dry a bit more between waterings.

Too much water rots the roots, and segments start to fall off. Too little makes the segments thin and wrinkled. Read how to tell if a houseplant is overwatered or underwatered.

Soil and potting

Its roots want air. Mix cactus soil with orchid bark or perlite, about half and half.

It blooms best a little root-bound. Repot every two to three years, in spring after it blooms, one pot size up. See how to repot a houseplant step by step.

Humidity and temperature

Average room air is fine. Keep it between 15 and 24°C (60 and 75°F). Keep it away from heat vents and drafty doors, most of all once buds form.

Feeding

Feed monthly in spring and summer with a balanced houseplant fertilizer at half strength. Stop in late summer so the plant can set buds.

Pruning

Prune in late spring, after it blooms. Twist off the end one to three segments of each stem with your fingers. Each break grows two new tips, so the plant gets fuller and makes more flowers. Root the pieces you remove.

Getting it to bloom every year

Buds form when nights get long and cool. You can give it either one, or both.

1. Long nights. Starting in early fall, give it 12 to 14 hours of darkness each night. A room where no one turns on a lamp after dark works.
2. Cool nights. Or keep it where nights stay between 10 and 15°C (50 and 60°F). A cool spare room or an enclosed porch works.
3. Wait about six weeks. Keep it a little on the dry side. Small pink buds appear at the tips.
4. Leave it alone. Once buds form, keep the plant in one spot and water it on schedule. Moving it, drafts, and dry soil make buds drop.

Propagation

Twist off a piece two or three segments long. Let it dry for a day. Push the bottom segment about 1 cm (½ in) into damp cactus mix. Roots form in two to four weeks.

Put three or four pieces in one pot for a full plant sooner.

Problems

What you see	Most likely cause
Buds drop before they open	Moved, a draft, a sudden temperature change, or dry soil
No flowers	Too warm at night, light at night, or too much fertilizer in fall
Limp, wrinkled segments	Too dry, or roots rotted from too much water
Segments fall off	Too much water
Red or purple segments	Too much sun, or cold
Brown, corky patches at the base	Normal for an old plant

Pests

Mealybugs hide where the segments join. Dab them with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab. Fungus gnats show up when the soil stays wet. Read how to get rid of fungus gnats in houseplants.

Pet safety

The ASPCA lists Christmas cactus as non-toxic to cats and dogs. A pet that eats a lot of it can still get an upset stomach. It is one of the few holiday plants that is a safe gift for a home with pets.

Varieties

Three holiday cacti look alike. The edges of the flat stem segments tell them apart.

	Thanksgiving cactus	Christmas cactus	Easter cactus
Botanical name	Schlumbergera truncata	Schlumbergera × buckleyi	Schlumbergera gaertneri
Segment edges	Pointed, claw-like teeth	Rounded scallops	Rounded, with soft bristles
Blooms	October to November	December to January	Spring
Flowers	Stick out to the side	Hang down	Open flat, like a star

Flowers come in red, pink, magenta, white, orange, purple, and yellow. White and yellow flowers can blush pink when nights are cold.

In my house

I have no idea how old my Christmas cactus is. They are easy to propagate, so there is no telling.

My cats and kids dig in the dirt of my houseplant pots. It is just something that happens.