CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How long is the dormancy period of Christmas cactus?

1. How long is the dormancy period of Christmas cactus?

Christmas cactus has a dormant period of two to three months a year, namely post-flowering dormancy and summer dormancy.

Dormancy in summer; the suitable temperature for Christmas cactus is about 25℃, and it will enter a semi-dormant state when it exceeds 30℃. The room temperature should be kept at about 15℃ in winter. If it is lower than 10℃, sudden temperature changes and large temperature differences will cause flowers and buds to fall off; the temperature during the flowering period is preferably 10-15℃, and it should be moved to a place with scattered light for maintenance to extend the viewing period.

The cultivation of Christmas cactus requires high temperature, especially in the hot summer when the air is dry and the ventilation is poor, which affects the growth of the plant. During this period, choose a ventilated and light-permeable shaded place to place it, and do not move it easily. Keep the pot soil moist during the growing season to avoid excessive dryness or wetness. Spraying water on the leaves when the air is dry, especially during the bud formation period, is conducive to more bud formation.

Additional information:

Disease and pest control during the dormant period of Christmas cactus:

1. When red spider mites occur, spray 1000-1500 times omethoate solution for prevention and control.

2. Anthracnose, rot and leaf blight often harm the leaf stems of Christmas cactus, especially in high temperature and high humidity conditions, the disease is serious.

3. Plants with serious disease should be pulled out and burned. In the early stage of the disease, use 500 times diluted 50% carbendazim wettable powder, spray once every 10-15 days, and spray 3 times in total. When scale insects are seriously damaged, the surface of the leaf-like stems is covered with white scales, which makes the plant grow weak and the damaged part is yellow-white. If the damaged plants are light, they can be scraped off with bamboo strips. In serious cases, use 800 times diluted 25% phosmet emulsifiable concentrate to spray and kill.

Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia - Christmas Cactaceae

Christmas cactus generally experiences two dormancy periods in a year - post-flowering dormancy and summer dormancy.

Summer dormancy: Christmas cactus prefers a climate that is neither too hot nor too cold, and grows best at a temperature of 20-25℃. The temperature should not be lower than 10℃ in winter, otherwise it is susceptible to frost damage. The temperature is very high in summer, and Christmas cactus will be forced to enter a dormant period for self-protection and to reduce losses;

Dormancy after flowering: Christmas cactus consumes too much nutrients in the winter and spring when it blooms like brocade, so that some of the stem nodes become wrinkled and wilt after flowering. It needs an appropriate dormancy period to allow it to rest for a short time in order to recover its vitality.

It is natural for Christmas cactus to go dormant. There is no need to panic. All we need to do is:

1. Pruning: The dead flowers of Christmas cactus often hang on the stem nodes and wither without falling, which will consume a lot of nutrients. They should be removed immediately. At the same time, the stem nodes should be pruned as necessary. Cut short 2-3 stem nodes below the dead flowers, and remove the soft and wrinkled stems. The old and dense stem nodes should also be appropriately shortened. This can not only concentrate nutrients on the remaining strong stems, but also increase ventilation and light transmission of the Christmas cactus crown.

2. Change the soil: Remove the pruned Christmas cactus from the pot, prune the roots, remove 1/3-1/2 of the old soil at the bottom, cut off some rotten roots, replace with loose and fertile new soil, and replant in the pot. Replacing the potting soil during the dormant period can reduce harmful substances in the old soil and also allow the Christmas cactus roots to get more nutrients.

3. After pruning and changing the soil, the Christmas cactus can be placed in front of a sunny window sill for maintenance. Control watering and do not fertilize. At least wait until the surface of the pot soil is slightly dry before watering. Use a spray bottle to spray the stems frequently. As time goes by, the Christmas cactus that has passed the flowering period of dormancy will sprout new stems from the base of the stem and the short cut. In the future, you can increase water and fertilizer and switch to normal management.

4. The high temperature in summer forces Christmas cactus to slow down its life activities and enter a semi-dormant state. At this time, pay attention to shading, and only receive weak light in the morning and evening. It is strictly forbidden to expose it to the sun, otherwise it will easily cause the stems to lose water and wilt. The root activity weakens during the dormant period, and watering should be controlled. Do not water unless the surface of the pot soil is dry. If you water, water it thoroughly. It is strictly forbidden to water it several times a day. Sporadic watering several times a day is strictly prohibited. Spray water frequently to maintain a moist micro-environment. Move the potted flowers indoors during the rainy season to avoid heavy rain that causes waterlogging and root rot. Stop fertilizing in summer. At this time, the root absorption capacity is very poor, and it cannot digest too much fertilizer, which will cause root burn.

5. With the arrival of autumn, Christmas cactus also enters the peak season of the year. At this time, move the potted flowers to the south to receive sufficient light, but avoid direct cold wind. Move them into the room in the evening to prevent the temperature difference between day and night from damaging the flower buds. At the same time, strengthen water and fertilizer. You can bury the compound granular fertilizer at the edge of the pot soil, and slowly integrate it into the soil with watering and fertilization; dilute the fermented manure, chicken and pigeon manure, sesame sauce residue, fruit peel water, etc. into fertilizer liquid for irrigation once a week, which will have faster and better results. Note that it is better to use dilute fertilizer rather than concentrated fertilizer, and apply thin fertilizer frequently. Christmas cactus that has been topdressed generally has green and thick stems and leaves, which is ready for winter flowering.

6. Some stem nodes will produce more than one flower bud. It is necessary to thin out the weak ones and keep the strong ones in time. Exporting excess flower buds can concentrate nutrients and ensure that the strong flower buds bloom big and full. It can also avoid the phenomenon that some flower buds wilt before opening due to the dispersion of nutrients caused by too many flower buds.

7. After the buds appear, phosphorus fertilizer should be applied to increase the quality. The method is to irrigate or spray with a 1000-fold aqueous solution of potassium dihydrogen phosphate, or irrigate the roots with an 800-fold aqueous solution of superphosphate, once a week. Phosphorus fertilizer has the effect of promoting the formation of flower buds, expanding flower buds, and prolonging the flowering period.

Through the above treatment, the Christmas cactus will be full of flowers in winter, looking beautiful and spectacular.

2. My Christmas cactus is infested with insects, what should I do? Anyone knows please tell me

When red spiders are found, spray 1000-1500 times omethoate solution to kill them immediately.

When scale insects cause serious damage, the surface of the leaf-like stems is covered with white scales, which weakens the plant growth and makes the damaged part yellow-white. If the damaged plants are light, they can be scraped off with bamboo strips. If the damage is serious, spray with 800 times diluted 25% phosmet emulsifiable concentrate.

3. What kind of flower is this? How to grow it

Schlumbergera

Christmas cactus prefers semi-shady and humid environment. The soil for potting requires fertile field soil with good drainage, looseness and air permeability. In summer, it is necessary to shade and avoid rain. It is best to place it in a well-ventilated window, balcony or eaves, or under the bottom. Dry, hot air and poor ventilation are the most unfavorable for the growth of Christmas cactus, which often lead to the spread of red spider mites, poor growth of affected plants, and atrophy and fall off from the base of the deformed stems. To prevent the damage of red spider mites, the ventilation conditions should be improved. After the disease occurs, 0.8be of lime sulfur mixture can be used to kill it. Thin liquid fertilizer can be applied during the growth period, and fertilizer and water should be applied continuously from autumn to before flowering. After the cool autumn, it can be moved to a sunny place indoors. At the same time, the plants should be pruned. For those with dense stems, thinning should be done and too many weak flower buds should be removed. The room temperature should not be too high or too low in winter, and it is better to maintain 15°C.

Christmas cactus is a short-day plant. Under short-day conditions (8 to 10 hours of sunshine per day), it can bloom in 2 to 3 months. If you want it to bloom in October, you can use a light-proof shade in July to treat the plant with short-day light, so that it only sees light for 8 hours a day, so that it can bloom in late September. After the buds appear on the Christmas cactus, the pot soil should not be too dry, otherwise the buds will fall off easily. When the buds are first formed, watering should be reduced as appropriate. Too much watering will also make the buds fall off easily. When it blooms, it is advisable to place it in a relatively cool room (12c~15c), so that the flowering time can be extended. Christmas cactus has a short period of dormancy after flowering. At this time, the pot soil should be kept a little dry. After the dormancy period, when new buds grow on the top of the modified stem, normal watering and fertilization can be carried out.

In cultivation, it is often seen that some Christmas cacti grow well, but do not bloom or bloom very little. In this case, you should check whether the placement location is appropriate, because it is a short-day plant, and the plant can only form flower buds if the light is less than 10 to 12 hours a day. If there is sufficient light during the day, and the place where it is placed happens to have strong lighting after dark, under such long-light conditions, the plant is often difficult to form flower buds. In addition, excessive shade or excessive fertilizer and water will also affect flowering.

For plants that have been cultivated for more than 3 to 5 years, the crown width can often reach more than 50 cm. In order to control the plant shape, the internodes can be shortened in spring, and some of the weaker or too dense internodes can be thinned out. After thinning and shortening, the new stems that grow will be green and strong.