My Christmas Cactus

My previous thread about this seems to have been deleted for some reason so I thought I may as well start another to show how well it's getting on! To recap, this plant was a lot bigger but through neglect went dry and purple. I trimmed it down to the healthy green leaves and started again with it. Quite surprisingly, it's flowered:









I was quite concerned about the weight of the flowers bending and snapping the fairly young leaves off, so I propped them up with used matchsticks for a bit of support.

It started off like this:




So I'm quite pleased with how it's getting on.


Just wondering what my next course of action should be after the plant has finished flowering? I believe I've read that it will need a rest period, so does this include no or very little water for a while? How much light will it need?

 

The book I have says to keep cool and water inferquently, it should rest from mid-late jan to late march.

Did you know that they need to be kept outside june -sep, I didn't, well you learn something new everyday. My mum has had one for years and it's never been outside, and it's the only plant she's not killed so far(touch wood):lollol:

 

Plant with a splint, thats different but seems to be working. Just goes to show what a bit of TLC can do,
My Christmas cactus is budding at the moment and looks like it is going to give its usual amazing display. Im suprised really because I forgot to put it outside for the summer rest....I shall post some pictures when it flowers.
robert

 

We had one that lived in our bedroom for a few years and it never really did all that well until I put it outside in the summer last year. Boy, what a difference it made - it seemed to get a completely new lease of life and since then has flourished. We've a nice crop of flowers on just now and they'll be in full flush just in time for Christmas.

 

This was mine a year or two back
robert

 

Wish I had one of my sisters last year,I have never seen so many flowers on one before and she hates gardening. Might have had somthing to do with keeping it in the conservatory!! 02

 

Wow capney, that's beautiful.

I did try leaving mine outside in the summer but it got eaten by something and infested with a load of bugs. I did kind of forget it was out there though! It has already gone purple and started wilting by that point anyway, it was a last ditch attempt to try to perk it up. My bf's mum keeps hers in her conservatory all year round and they flourish.

I feel a bit reluctant to put it outside for any length of time next summer. It's so little and fragile!

 

Conservatory is where mine lives. Seems to be the ideal location for it.
I usually over summer mine outside laying on its side, and yes has been infected with bugs but a bit of chemical warfare on them seems to do the trick.
I olso understand they dont like being moved once they are flowering.
Like from the consevatory to the living room.
I have never proven this to be true or not.
Mine gets a bit of granular feed, watered when I remember to do it and it seems very happy.
robert

 

Ms Flower this is how it should look in five years time.

 

Thats a beauty Roders. I reckon that plant is a good few years old and is looking very well.
robert

 

Love the pictures of your Cactus, and the container is so pretty.
My Christmas Cactus is also doing great in the garden room, started blooming a little before Thanksgiving and continues even today. I'd send a picture, but it might get deleted if my camera date is not right or something.

 

Thanks Caps and Red............My wife says it must be over twenty years old and thrives on neglect.......I love plants like that.

Redstar,do put up your picture up.........You are confused.......The date rule only applies to the photo competitions,so that competition photo's ARE taken in the month of the comp.

 

It was a little passive aggressive on my part Roders, my pics were taken out of the Nov. competition because of the date rule. I explained to Marley, that I took them in November, and don't have a clue about the date thing on a camera, and would not know what have the technical stuff means, but she did not take my word on it. I am almost over my hurt feelings, should not have them, since it is not a real competition. So that what that was all about, sorry I had some left over to bubble out.

 

Wow many tip cuttings there Mine has passed flowerign a few weeks ago.

But not as deep red as yours .

Have you seen cactus in Thomson & Morgans catalugue Sunset Dancer

 

Never mind Red, I for one thought it was a fantastic apple pie!!!!:yho::thmb: 02