Grow a Healthy Christmas Cactus

Keep your Christmas cactus next to a shaded window for best results

Christmas Cactus Q: I would like to display Christmas cactus in my house this holiday season. I know the buds can sometimes drop off before they open.

How can I guarantee healthy plants?

Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) is available in different colour forms in nurseries prior to the holiday season.

Bud drop is a common disorder usually caused by environmental conditions like drafts, sudden changes in temperature, or dried out or waterlogged roots.

To keep your plant looking good, place your plant next to a partly shaded window in a room set at normal temperature. Watering during flowering time is important to keep soil evenly moist, but do not allow the plant to sit in standing water.

Fertilizing is not important when flowering, but helpful afterward.

Originally published in BC Home & Garden magazine. For regular updates, subscribe to our free Home and Garden e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the magazine.