My Christmas cactus doesn't bloom well. Why?
My Christmas cactus doesn't bloom well. Why?
The Christmas cactus requires proper environmental conditions to flower. Critical factors in flower initiation are day-length and temperature. The Christmas cactus is a short-day plant. Short-day plants grow vegetatively during the long days of summer and produce flowers when days become shorter in fall. The Christmas cactus will not bloom properly if exposed to artificial light at night in fall.
Flowers may also fail to develop if the plant is exposed to temperatures above 70°F. Night temperatures of 60 to 65°F with slightly warmer daytime temperatures are ideal for flower formation.
In late summer, place the Christmas cactus in a cool location that receives bright light during the day, but no artificial light at night. An unused bedroom or basement may have the proper environmental conditions. To avoid flower bud drop, do not move the plant during flower bud development. The Christmas cactus can be moved and displayed in another room when the first flowers begin to open.
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