This time of year, Christmas Cactus It is a natural choice for houseplant lovers. It is known for lighting up the winter with its distinctive vibrant pink flowers from November to January, hence the name.
With proper care, you can be sure that these lovely flowers will return year after year. Even if your Christmas cactus looks perfectly content, there is one important care step that is often overlooked if you want to maintain the health of your plant and you should not neglect it.
Learn how and when to properly fertilize a Christmas cactus with tips straight from a gardening professional.
meet the expert
jennifer casals The Blissful Place is the president of luxury outdoor feature stores.
Do you need to fertilize Christmas cactus?
When we think about basic house plant care, Water And Sorting These are often the most mindless tasks. Over time, house plants die out nutrients in their soilWhich can make them look dull or unhealthy. Even a single repotting session may not be enough to make up for the lack of essential nutrients such as magnesium, phosphorus or nitrogen found in the soil. Fortunately, this is an issue that can be easily corrected by regular fertilization.
Although Christmas cactus can grow without regular fertilization, providing nutrients during their active growth stages is important for healthy growth and maintaining those vibrant annual flowers we love.
“For Christmas cactus to bloom and grow rapidly, it is essential to fertilize the plants regularly,” says Jennifer Cassels, president of The Blissful Place luxury outdoor feature store. “Although they do not require constant nutrition, fertilization meets their nutrient needs, especially during active growth and bloom phases.”
Want more gardening tips? Sign up our free gardening newspaper For our best-growing tips, troubleshooting hacks and more!
How and When to Fertilize a Christmas Cactus
Nadezhda_Nesterova/Getty Images
Cassels suggests using a balanced, 20-20-20 water soluble fertilizer Especially for house plants, but it is being diluted to 50% to avoid burning the plant.
To use water-soluble fertilizer, fill a can with water according to label directions, but add only half the recommended amount of fertilizer. Pour the diluted solution onto the soil around the base of your cactus, making sure the soil is evenly moistened, just as you would for regular watering.
As far as timing, Cassels recommends fertilizing monthly from spring to late summer when the cactus is actively growing. Although it may seem counterintuitive, stop feeding after summer to encourage the development of flower buds when fall arrives; Active fertilization outside the growing phase can actually be harmful to the plant.
Other Tips to Keep Your Christmas Cactus Prospering
Although it is a desert plant, bright, indirect sunlight and a warm environment (70-80°F) most of the year are best for Christmas cacti. Cassels emphasizes that darkness is actually just as important as adequate light when it comes to bud formation for your Christmas cactus.
To help set buds, she recommends moving the plant to a cooler room (about 50-55°F) and placing it where it will get 12-14 hours of uninterrupted darkness a night for 6-8 weeks. After buds have formed, you can return it to normal light and temperature. Once buds have formed, you should increase the humidity by placing it on a pebble tray or setting a humidifier nearby.
