Holiday Cactus Plant Care - Tips & Tricks

The Holiday cactus is a low-maintenance house plant with vibrant blooms and unique foliage. It is a holiday classic and seasonal staple for most. These holiday plants are unique members of the cactus family because they are native to rainforests and grow on large trees and cliffs in Southern Brazil. They also greatly differ from their desert-dwelling relatives because they enjoy high humidity. You will enjoy this plant throughout the holiday season and for years to come by following a few care instructions discussed in this blog.
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Holiday cacti are triggered by day length and night temperatures to achieve blooms, similar to other seasonal blooming plants such as mums and poinsettias. There are several varieties of holiday cacti, each with a different bloom time, and they are named for the holiday to which they bloom closest. Thanksgiving cacti are best known for blooming during November and December. Christmas cacti bloom around January and February, and the Easter cacti will bloom between March and May.​
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​Aside from the blooming times, holiday cacti differ slightly in leaf and flower shape. Christmas cacti have rounded, scalloped leaves, while Thanksgiving cacti have teeth-like points on the leaf's edges. Easter cacti are the most unique, with tiny bristles on the foliage edges. Holiday cacti blooms come in shades of pink, red, white, orange, and purple, making them an excellent plant for any home style. The flowers have a unique shape, featuring long tubular petals.

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caring  for your plant

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​Planting and Soil
Regarding potting, holiday cacti are easy. They prefer to be pot-bound, meaning that the roots are slightly tight in the container, allowing them to put all their energy into leaf and bloom growth. When the plant becomes excessively root-bound, it's time to consider repotting. Going up 1 to 2 inches in pot size is perfect. When repotting, we recommend using a well-draining potting mix. Our Family Tree Nursery Premium Potting Mix, which consists of a blend of sphagnum peat moss, composted pine bark, perlite, and dolomite, is the perfect solution. We use it for our tropical plants.​

Lighting
Like a regular cactus, holiday cacti prefer to be in bright indirect light; placing them near a west or south-facing window is perfect. If you choose to move your plants outside in the summer, keep them in a semi-shady location. Too much direct sun can burn the leaves.
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Watering
​When your holiday cactus is in bloom, you will want to thoroughly water the plant when the soil has dried halfway down. If the plant's leaves start to pucker or shrivel, this is an indicator that the soil is too dry and your holiday cactus is ready for a drink. How often you water can depend on the plant's placement. You may need to water it more frequently if placed near a sunny window. During its vegetative state, you can reduce watering, allowing the soil to dry 3/4 of the way down before watering. After watering, always enable excess water to run through the container's drainage hole. Soil that stays wet for too long or is soggy can harm the plant.

Fertilizing
To encourage blooming, fertilize your cactus once a month during the sunny growing season of spring and summer with a diluted, water-soluble, balanced fertilizer—our Family Tree Nursery All Purpose Water Soluble Plant Food is a perfect option. The fertilizer will give the plant the energy it needs to produce all those beautiful and vibrant flowers during the expected bloom time. 

Pruning & Propagation
To prune your holiday cactus and keep it in a preferred shape, pinch any leaves off the stem to your liking. Be mindful not to remove more than a third of the plant's foliage, which may harm it. If you want to use the plant trimmings to form new plants, also known as propagation, use the healthy branches and root them in a fresh potting mix. Water sparingly until rooting occurs and new growth begins. If not too severely damaged, wilted segments will recover and become firm as new roots develop.

Blooming
A full bloom cycle for holiday cactus can be expected to last about 4 to 6 weeks. Deadheading spent blooms is the best way to ensure blooming throughout the holiday season.

Reblooming the Following Season
You will need to follow a few simple steps to get your plant to bloom during the holidays the following season.

01 Starting in September or October, reduce the frequency of watering your holiday cactus. Between waterings, allow the soil to dry 3/4 of the way down the container. When you do water, you need to water thoroughly.
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02 Keep your holiday cactus cool by placing it in an area where the temperatures remain 50 to 60 degrees, limiting the daily hours of light it receives for six weeks. If you cannot provide ideal temperatures indoors, you can simply give your plant a few extra hours of total darkness, ideally 13 to 14 hours a day, to force it to bud. This can be accomplished by moving the plant to a dark room or covering it with a dark cloth.

If you keep your holiday cactus outdoors, place it in a spot that receives morning daylight and afternoon shade. The cooler temperatures and shorter days of September and October provide an ideal environment as long as the temperature remains above 50 degrees. When bringing your plant from outdoors to inside, you will want to treat it for potential insects with a horticultural oil, such as neem oil.

03 Once flower buds form, your plant can be placed indoors in normal conditions, and flowers should start opening in a couple of weeks. Keep your holiday cactus away from drafty areas, as the new blooms are sensitive to significant temperature changes.
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​​Many holiday cacti become family heirlooms that can live to be over 100 years old. This beautiful plant can put on a show year after year if properly cared for using these simple tips. You can choose from various colors and sizes to keep your home festive and colorful for the season. If you have any questions about how to care for your holiday cacti, please ask our knowledgeable staff.