CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How to grow Christmas cactus?

1. How to grow Christmas cactus?

1. Environment

Christmas cactus likes warm and humid semi-shady environment, prefers short daylight and is not cold-resistant. The suitable temperature for growth is 20-25 degrees, it dormants at 30 degrees, and the temperature during flowering is 10-15 degrees. Move it indoors in the north in winter and keep the indoor temperature no lower than 10 degrees.

2. Soil

Christmas cactus likes a loose, organic-rich, well-drained and breathable substrate. Christmas cactus is a short-day plant. Under the condition of 8-10 hours of sunshine per day, it can bloom in 2-3 months. The flowering period can be adjusted by controlling the light.

3. Cultivation

The simplest way to propagate Christmas cactus is by cuttings. Select a healthy Christmas cactus with 3-7 nodes, usually 1.5 nodes, and insert it into the potting soil. A well-growing plant will bloom in the second year, and the amount of flowers will increase year by year.

Light: You should know that Christmas cactus is a short-day plant. Although it cannot tolerate long-term exposure to the sun, it needs to be exposed to appropriate scattered light on a daily basis. In a low-temperature environment, it must be placed on a sunny windowsill or a closed balcony to enhance photosynthesis and promote the differentiation and development of flower buds of the plant.

When flowering, it is necessary to extend the lighting time appropriately to ensure that the flowers are abundant and bright, and to prolong the flowering time.

2. It is not difficult to grow Christmas cactus well. Just take good care of it at each stage?

1. Don’t be careless about the potting soil

Many flower lovers who grow Christmas cactus buy them and directly grow them in garden soil. If you are an expert in growing Christmas cactus and have an open-air sheltered environment, you can grow it in garden soil. However, if the indoor ventilation is not good, it is easy to have problems when growing Christmas cactus in garden soil. The most common problem is root rot, especially in winter and summer when there is no ventilation. The soil dries slowly after watering, which can easily lead to root rot. Therefore, we cannot be careless about the potting soil and must use soil with better air permeability. What kind of soil has good air permeability?

We can use river sand and half nutrient soil, or river sand and half garden soil. As long as the soil is breathable and water-permeable, and we use a smaller flower pot, never a large pot, and never a deep pot, we can guarantee that there will be no problems with growing Christmas cactus. We can't just find some garden soil to save trouble, because it will be difficult to grow well.

2. Sunbathe

Christmas cactus is divided into three stages: growth stage, flowering stage, and dormancy stage. The growth stage is when it grows after the flowers bloom in spring. It also grows leaves after summer and before the end of autumn. Flowering lasts from the end of autumn to spring, so we must distinguish it clearly. What we must do during the growth and flowering stages is to make sure it does not lack light. Sufficient light can prevent its leaves from growing too long and make them grow wide and thick.

You must remember that light can make it differentiate flower buds quickly, otherwise your Christmas cactus may have thin and long leaves and no flower buds at all. However, when the temperature is higher than 30 degrees in summer, it will gradually enter a dormant state. At this time, we need to block the light, generally put it in a bright light or scattered light place indoors, so as to ensure that there will be no problems.

3. Water less

The so-called less watering does not mean no watering. Christmas cactus belongs to the cactus family. Most cactus plants have thicker leaves, so we don’t need to water it too much when we grow it. Generally, water is indispensable during the growing and flowering seasons. Generally, water the potting soil in time when it is dry. It will not hurt the roots. On the contrary, it will make the leaves grow more and the flowers bloom more. In summer, wait until the top of the leaves becomes slightly soft before watering. Watering should be done in the summer evening when the ventilation is good. After watering, throw it outside for one night and put it back to its original position in the morning. This will replenish water and allow it to spend the summer safely. Moreover, the leaves will not wilt severely and cannot recover in summer.

4. Use fertilizer at the right time

In the process of raising Christmas cactus, fertilizer must be used correctly and at the right time. There is a stage when no fertilizer is applied, which is in the summer, because it does not grow in summer dormancy. Fertilization will only damage the root system and burn the roots and leaves. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be used when it blooms, but you must choose fertilizers with high phosphorus content and other elements. For example, Huaduoduo No. 2 will ensure that it will bloom once and then again in the second growing season. You can directly use a multi-element fertilizer with a balanced nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The frequency of fertilization does not need to be too high. Generally, once or twice a month, lower the concentration a little and pour it into the potting soil so that it can be quickly absorbed by it, growing enough leaves in the growing season and blooming many times in the flowering season.

These things must be done meticulously when raising Christmas cactus. This is the best way to raise Christmas cactus. If you want to raise it well and don't want to replace it every year, just do as Xiao Qi said. In fact, if you understand it and stick to it, you will find it very simple to raise and the leaves will be thick easily.

3. How to keep Christmas cactus strong and prevent root rot?

1. Good pot and good soil

Christmas cactus belongs to the cactus family, but it has a relatively weak root system among the cactus plants. It is very afraid of siltation, which will inevitably cause root rot. Moreover, it will be dormant in summer, so we have to choose good soil and good pots. What kind of soil is good soil? As long as we adhere to two principles, air permeability and water permeability, as long as the soil has good air permeability and water permeability, Christmas cactus will not easily rot.

2. Less water and more fertilizer

Christmas cactus is a plant of the cactus family. Its leaves are very thick and full, so we cannot water it frequently, but it cannot lack water. How should we water it? It is very simple. When the pot soil is dry, water it thoroughly in time. Master this principle. Use more fertilizer for it. How to use it for it? We ensure that it is used when watering, and the concentration is lowered a little. Generally, it is two to three times a month. In the middle, you can also dilute the fertilizer and spray it on the leaves with a spray bottle.

3. Reasonable lighting

Christmas cactus is a light-loving plant. It can only bloom under the premise of appropriate light. It also needs light during its growth process. If there is a lack of light, the leaves will become thinner and thinner, and it will be very ugly at that time. Therefore, in spring, autumn and winter, we just need to put it directly in the sun. It will not sunburn the leaves. In summer, it stops growing. If we find that it is not growing, we should put it in a bright place in time to ensure good ventilation, and it will spend the summer safely.

4. How to grow Crassula and what are the precautions?

Christmas cactus is an epiphytic succulent plant with bright green or slightly purple leaves, many branches, and unique serrated edges. When growing Christmas cactus, pay attention to light exposure and ensure proper water and fertilizer management.

1. Breeding methods

1. Soil

The culture medium made of a mixture of garden soil, leaf mold, peat soil, perlite and fine sand is very suitable for the growth of Christmas cactus. It is best to adjust the soil to acidic, which will promote the development of the root system. Just make sure the soil is loose and breathable.

2. Lighting

During the cultivation of Christmas cactus, direct sunlight should be avoided as much as possible. It is better to choose scattered light. Stimulating weak light is also enough for the plant to photosynthesize. If Christmas cactus stays in a dark environment for a long time, the leaves will become thinner and brittle and easily wither.

3. Temperature

A growing environment of 10℃~25℃ will allow Christmas cactus to grow rapidly. Generally speaking, the highest temperature should not exceed 30℃ and the lowest temperature should not be lower than 2℃. Otherwise, the plant will easily wilt, turn yellow or freeze due to abnormal temperature.

4. Watering

Christmas cactus likes moist soil, but is afraid of waterlogging. Therefore, when watering Christmas cactus, pay attention to the soil being dry and wet. In summer, when the temperature is high, more water should be supplied, while in winter, when the temperature drops, the amount of watering should be reduced to keep the soil in the pot dry.

5. Fertilization

The more branches and brighter flowers of Christmas cactus are when they receive sufficient fertilizer. You can start topdressing when the seedlings are leafing out and budding. Dilute the decomposed liquid fertilizer once every 15 to 20 days. When applying fertilizer, you should adhere to the concept of applying thin fertilizer frequently. Do not splash the fertilizer liquid on the leaves of the plant to avoid burning and wilting the leaves.

2. Precautions

Whether watering or fertilizing, quality should be emphasized over quantity, and fertilizers need to be diluted before application, never apply raw fertilizers or concentrated fertilizers. Before planting new seedlings, it is best to sterilize the soil with high temperature to prevent insect eggs from remaining and negatively affecting the growth of the plant's roots and stems.