Over the years, I’ve kept several Christmas cactus in the home, and I’ve encountered many of the common Christmas cactus problems. Generally speaking, I love the Christmas cactus because they require less work than other plants to keep healthy, and they can live for decades—my mom had one over 50 years old! While they can … Read more
Did you know that the Christmas cactus is a hybrid of the Thanksgiving and Easter cactus? The Thanksgiving cactus was the first species discovered in the forest of Brazil in 1817. Later in 1837, Charles Lemaire found the Easter cactus. He crossbred the two species that resulted in the first Christmas cactus in 1852. Today, … Read more
Christmas cactus is a popular indoor plant because of its vibrant colors. However, seeing the purple discoloration on its leaves and stem brings concern about your plant’s well-being. Why is my Christmas cactus turning purple? A Christmas cactus turns purple as a response to environmental stress, such as too much light, to protect itself from … Read more
Christmas cacti are a popular choice for indoor plants because they are relatively small and easy to care for. However, they can grow larger in ideal environmental conditions. A Christmas cactus can reach a maximum of 12 inches in height and 24 inches in width. Several factors determine the size of a Christmas cactus. If … Read more
If you’d like to see your Christmas cactus blossom, you might buy some fertilizer to help it with blooming. I like Christmas cactus fertilizer as well to promote faster growth of the plant and to promote a greener, happier and healthier plant. However, while you can boost growth with fertilizer, you do need to keep … Read more
So, you initially bought a cactus with white spines, but later on, it turned yellow. You might think something is wrong with it, or perhaps you think it might indicate an unhealthy growth. Do not panic yet! Not all cactus that exhibit color change through their spines mean something is wrong with your little plant. … Read more
Christmas cacti have been around since the 1800s. It emerged as the hybrid of the “Thanksgiving cactus” and the “Easter cactus”. The first hybrids bore cherry-red flowers that bloom from around November to January. Today, the Christmas cactus became a popular houseplant and a great gift for the holiday. One common misconception about the Christmas … Read more
Maybe you’ve thought to take your Christmas cactus outside, but you worry that the weather might kill it. Especially if you grew it from seed, you may feel attached and don’t want to risk harm to your Christmas cactus. Can Christmas cactus survive outside? Christmas cacti can survive outside, but you must think about climate … Read more
You go to check your Christmas cactus only to learn that it might be experiencing root rot. Whenever a Christmas cactus starts to have this form in its root, you must act fast, or you will lose your plant. Once root rot progresses past a certain point where all the roots have it, you can’t … Read more
The cactus root system differs from the root systems of other plants, and if you want a lush and thriving group of cacti, it’s important to understand how they differ. Without this knowledge, you could accidentally kill your cactus plant because what works with other plants will lead to root rot with a cactus. Let’s … Read more
