If you want your Christmas cactus to bloom next year, you should remove the dead flowers. Cutting off the dead flowers, also called “deadheading,” signals to the plant that it’s time to stop producing flowers and focus on growing.
Yes, you should remove dead flowers from your Christmas cactus to keep it looking its best.
What to do with dead Christmas cactus flowers?
Deadheading and pruning are essential for keeping your Christmas cactus healthy and looking its best. Deadheading involves removing spent blooms, while pruning involves trimming back the stems. Both of these activities help encourage new growth and promote a fuller, more attractive plant.
Trimming your Christmas cactus after it blooms will encourage it to grow fuller and bushier. Just pinch off one or more sections of the plant, and replant them in separate pots if you want to create new plants. Never prune a Christmas cactus after late spring.
How do you keep Christmas cactus blooming
If you want your Christmas cactus to bloom again in spring, place it in an east-facing window that gets plenty of sunlight during the day and 12 hours of darkness each night. This will mimic the short days of winter and encourage the plant to flower again.
To root a cactus cutting, first allow the cutting to dry for several days until the cut end has callused over. Then dip the stem in rooting hormone and stick it into a sandy cactus soil mix. Don’t water the soil until you see new growth on the cutting. Depending on the variety you have, it can take several weeks for cactus cuttings to root.
Should I cut off dead cactus flowers?
If you want to encourage additional blooms and growth in your cactus, deadhead the flowers once they start to wilt. This will also tidy up the appearance of the cactus.
To get your forest cactus to bloom for the holidays, start the process six to eight weeks before you want it to bloom. Put the cactus in a dark closet for 14 hours a night. Bring it back out into a bright location during daylight hours. Once buds begin to form, the closet treatment is no longer needed, and the plant should bloom beautifully for the holidays.
Should you water your Christmas cactus when it’s about to bloom?
Make sure to keep your cactus plant well-watered, especially during its blooming period. Frequent misting will help to keep the soil evenly moist. For best results, place your cactus in an east-facing window where it will receive moderate light and some direct sun.
A Christmas cactus can bloom up to two times per year if they’re given the proper care and dormancy conditions. It’s normal for them to bloom in December, and sometimes they will flower again in the spring. By giving them a period of dormancy (resting) in the fall and winter, you can encourage them to bloom again in the spring.
How often should a Christmas cactus plant be watered
Water your Christmas cactus when the soil feels dry to the touch. The Christmas Cactus thrives in dry environments, so be sure to water around once every 2-3 weeks.
To ensure your Christmas cactus blooms beautifully, be sure to plant it in Miracle-Gro® Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix and water it when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil are dry. Increase humidity around the plant by misting it regularly or setting it on a pebble tray. Feed from after blooming until fall with Miracle-Gro® Succulent Plant Food to give it the nutrients it needs to thrive.
Where is the best place to put a Christmas cactus?
Holiday cacti, such as the Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving cactus, and Easter cactus, are native to the tropics and do best in bright, indirect light. They prefer a temperature between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
A cactus does not require as much water as a traditional plant and should be misted with a spray bottle every day. The only time you should water the base of the cactus is when the soil is completely dry to the touch.
What does an overwatered Christmas cactus look like
If you notice that your Christmas cactus has yellow leaves and is beginning to go limp, it is a sign that it has been overwatered. If the soil stays continually moist, it means that the roots are not taking up any water. To fix this, allow the soil to dry out completely before watering again.
Dropping buds may be due to overwatering, temperature extremes, or lack of light. Your plant was given special treatment to make it bloom at Christmas, but it may have encountered less than ideal conditions during transit or in your home.
How do you take care of an indoor Christmas cactus?
If you want your Christmas cactus to thrive, it’s important to maintain the correct light/dark schedule. Christmas cactus need 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of light each day. They also need indirect sunlight and should be kept out of direct sunlight. In addition, keep the plant away from direct heat sources, like a fireplace or heating vent.
Pruning an older plant will cause new growth to emerge. The plant will put out new segments wherever you trim. This is a great way to deal with a leggy plant, as it will fill in, making for a bushier, fuller Christmas cactus.
Final Words
It is generally recommended that you remove dead flowers from Christmas cactus in order to encourage new growth.
There isn’t a right or wrong answer to this question, it is simply a matter of preference. Some people believe that removing dead flowers helps the Christmas cactus bloom better the next season, while others believe that leaving them on the plant adds to its aesthetic appeal. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to remove dead flowers from a Christmas cactus is up to the individual gardener.
