Christmas Cactus

[AndyMan]

For the first year ever our Christmas Cactus seems to be prepared to be blooming at Christmas. Most years it ends up being either a Thanksgiving cactus or a Valentine's cactus. Wonder what we did right this year?

 

[Driller]

You must have made Santa Claus' nice list. Were you naughty before? <g> How about taking a picture and uploading it for us to see the big blooming?

 

[Belstar]

Maybe your cactus had 'seasonal confusion disorder'? If it has had less water and sunlight than usual in the run up to xmas that would also be a reasonable explanation of course. I would love to see pictures too.

 

[Driller]

Oh, I love that -- seasonal confusion disorder. So many things have that anymore. I remember when there were four distinct seasons. It's hard to tell now.

 

[bret]

My folks, well my mom in particular, puts hers in the dark in October so it blooms for Christmas each year. It works for her, hers bloom every Christmas, no fail.

 

[AndyMan]

I am traveling for work this week, but will post a picture when I return. I like the idea of "seasonal confusion disorder". I think some of my relatives suffer from the same...:laughing:

 

[AndyMan]

OK, I'm back and have taken a picture of my beautiful Christmas Cactus, date-stamped to prove that, for once, it is actually blooming around Christmas.

 

[Hershey]

How pretty! It's just lovely. I have a rather brown thumb. I had one plant that lived about 20 years after college but everything else dies fairly rapidly.

 

[Driller]

That's a great picture, AndyMan. I'm very glad you shared it with us. I love its look. What are the general care and maintenance of Christmas Cactus? What kind of environment does it do best in?

 

[Twinkle]

That is a fine Christmas cactus. Well done to you for growing it, even if you aren't sure quite how it got to be in bloom!:laughing: I remember having one as a child that never quite woke up in time, I didn't realise they need to be kept in the dark for a while beforehand.