Christmas Cactus FAQs

Rosie Lerner, Purdue Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist

Christmas cacti are not only popular holiday gift plants, but they are also the subject of frequent debate among gardeners. There appears to be much confusion about these unique tropical cacti regarding care, maintenance and, especially, on how to get them to re-bloom. The following tips address the most frequently asked questions.

We typically think of cacti as being heat tolerant, but Christmas cacti will keep their blossoms longer in cooler temperatures. Keep the plant in a well-lit location away from drafts from heat vents, fireplaces or other sources of hot air. Drafts and temperature extremes can cause the flower buds to drop from the plant before they have a chance to open.

Christmas cactus is a tropical type plant, not quite as drought tolerant as its desert relatives and, in fact, may drop flower buds if the soil gets too dry. The plants will wilt when under drought stress. Water thoroughly when the top inch or so of soil feels dry to the touch. The length of time between waterings will vary with the air temperature, amount of light, rate of growth and relative humidity.

The plant does not particularly need to be fertilized while in bloom, but most gardeners enjoy the challenge of keeping the plant after the holidays for re-bloom the next year. While plants are actively growing, use a blooming houseplant-type fertilizer and follow the label directions for how much and how often to feed.

While the Christmas cactus can adapt to low light, more abundant blooms are produced on plants that have been exposed to more light intensity. Keep your plants in a sunny location indoors. Plants can be moved outdoors in summer, but keep them in a shady or semi-shady location. Leaves may start to turn a bit red if exposed to excessive light. Too much direct sunlight can actually burn the leaves or may cause them to become limp. When it's time to bring the plants back inside in the fall, slowly adjust the plants to life indoors by gradually increasing the number of hours they spend indoors each day.

If your plant tends to dry out and/or wilt frequently, it may be time to repot the plant into a slightly larger container. Well-drained soil is a must for Christmas cactus. Use a commercially packaged potting mix for succulent plants or mix your own by combining two parts plain potting soil with one part clean sand or vermiculite.

Pruning your Christmas cactus after blooming will encourage the plant to branch out. Remove a few sections of each stem by pinching them off with your fingers or cutting with a sharp knife. These sections can be rooted in moist vermiculite to propagate new plants.

Christmas cactus will bloom if given long uninterrupted dark periods, about 12 hours each night. Begin the dark treatments in about mid-October to have plants in full bloom by the holidays. You can place the plants in a dark closet from about 8 P.M. - 8 A.M. each night for 6-8 weeks or until you see buds forming. Christmas cacti will also bloom if they are subjected to cool temperatures of about 50 to 55 degrees F, eliminating the need for the dark treatments. Plants should be blooming for the holidays if cool treatments are started by early November.

Other species of holiday cactus bloom at different times of the year and have slightly different growth habits. Christmas cacti have scalloped stem segments and bloom at the stem tips. Thanksgiving cacti have 2-4 pointy teeth along the edges of the sections and will bloom earlier than Christmas cactus if left to natural day-length. Easter cacti have rounded teeth along the segments and bloom primarily in the spring but may also periodically re-bloom at other times of year.

In the Grow - Q & A

Q. We have had the pictured vine above our sink since 1977. It has never bloomed in all that time - until this spring. It bloomed for the very first time. We don't know the name of the vine and would like to know. Our daughter told us it is a common vine. What can you tell us?

A. Wax plant, known botanically as Hoya carnosa, is a popular, easy-to-grow houseplant. This vigorous, twining vine may take years before it is mature enough to bloom, but once it does, it often continues blooming for months. Wax plant performs best in bright light with a well-drained soil mix that is allowed to dry a bit between waterings. This species seems to prefer being a bit pot-bound, so don't be in too much of a hurry to repot, even if it seems overgrown for its container.

Q. I have a question about cedar and bark and any wood chips for mulch. Will these chips attract termites?

A. Mulch of any kind can create a stable, moist habitat favorable to termites, so if termites are already in the area, or happen to wander into the area, you might see them in or under the mulch while they forage.  <Read More>

Upcoming Events - Purdue Master Gardener Course to be Offered this Fall

If you enjoy gardening and enjoy “Helping Others Grow”, make plans to take part in this fall’s Purdue Master Gardener Course in Spencer County.   

The Purdue Master Gardener Program is a volunteer training program which offers an extensive course in horticulture in exchange for a donation of volunteer hours to help teach others what you have learned. 

The course will be held on twelve consecutive Monday evenings from 6:00-9:00 PM, beginning September 10, at the Spencer County Youth and Community Center in Chrisney, IN. 

Participants will be exposed to a wide range of subjects including soil and plant science, diagnosis of plant problems, pesticide safety, composting, and culture of vegetable, flower, landscape, and fruit plants.   

A $125 per person supply fee will be charged to cover such items as reference materials, mailings, name badges, and refreshments. Couples or two family members who wish to take the course together and share reference materials can register for $200 per couple. Registration deadline is August 31.    

If you'd like an application to join our new team of volunteers or have questions about the program, please contact Nicholas Held at the Spencer County-Purdue Extension Office at (812) 649-6022 or nheld@purdue.edu.  Applications are also available online.

June Home, Yard, and Garden Calendar

HOME (Indoor plants and activities)

Indoor plants will require more frequent watering and fertilization as they increase their summer growth.

Houseplants can be moved outdoors to a shady location, but pay close attention to their watering needs.

YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits)

Prune spring-flowering shrubs after blooms fade.

Apply fungicide to prevent and control black spot on roses.


GARDEN (Vegetables, small fruits and flowers)

Discontinue harvest of asparagus and rhubarb around mid-June to allow foliage to develop and store food reserves for next year’s harvest. Fertilize and water when dry to promote healthy growth.

Mulch to control weeds and conserve soil moisture after soil has warmed. Many materials such as straw, chopped corncobs, bark chips, shredded paper and grass clippings can be used.  <Read More>

May Home, Yard, and Garden Calendar

HOME (Indoor plants and activities)

Many indoor plants can be moved to shady locations outdoors but only after danger of frost is past. Plants will dry out more often outdoors, so keep a close eye on soil moisture. Sinking the pots in soil will help slow down moisture loss.

YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits)

Prune early spring-flowering trees and shrubs after flowers fade.

Plant balled-and-burlapped or container nursery stock, and water thoroughly.

GARDEN (Vegetables, small fruits and flowers)

Plant frost-tender plants after danger of frost is past for your area. This includes warm-season vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and vine crops, as well as most annual flowers and tender perennials, such as cannas, gladiolus, dahlias, tuberous begonias and caladiums.

Pinch chrysanthemums and annual flower plants to keep them compact and well branched. <Read More>

In the Grow - Q & A

Rosie Lerner, Purdue Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist

Q. It may be just a coincidence, but this year we have not had any mice. We live in the country and are always infested with house mice and a few deer mice every year. This year I have not caught a one. I wonder if it is because we had a bumper crop of chipmunks last summer. Are chipmunks predators of mice, or do they out compete mice for food?

A. Chipmunks are not predators, but an established chipmunk territory could provide enough competition to discourage mice. According to the Indiana Wildlife Conflicts website, http://www.wildlifehotline.info, chipmunk diet is primarily nuts, berries and seeds, but they also eat mushrooms, insects and dead animals. Another possibility is that the mouse population is down in your area due to predator activity (owls, hawks, snakes, cats, skunks and raccoons, etc.). And perhaps the relatively mild winter hasn't driven mice to seek shelter inside your home as much as in previous years. Whatever the reason, enjoy their absence while you can!


Q. Is there such a thing as a male cactus that does not bloom ever? Three years ago I bought Christmas cactuses for my sister and myself. Mine has bloomed several times, but my sister's hasn't bloomed at all. Someone told us that she must have received a male plant; we would like to know if this is possible.

Holiday cactus

A. Lack of flowering is not a gender issue. Christmas (and other holiday) cactus plants have both male and female parts within the same flower. But even in plants that have separate male and female parts, both types would flower. It is the fruit that is born only by the female flowers. The male plants still flower but do not bear fruit.

So if your sister's plant never blooms, it is not because of gender; it's likely not getting the right environmental signals. See articles at http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/cactusFAQs.html and http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/christmas_cactus.html for further information.

March Home, Yard, and Garden Calendar

Rosie Lerner, Purdue Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist

HOME (Indoor plants and activities)
Begin fertilizing houseplants as new growth appears. Keep spent leaves and flowers removed to improve appearance and encourage more blooms.

Start garden seeds indoors for transplanting outdoors later in spring.

Check stored bulbs and produce for decay; discard damaged items.

Prune, repot and clean houseplants as needed.

YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits)
Prune trees and shrubs, except those that bloom early in spring, while plants are still dormant.

Plant new trees and shrubs as soon as soil dries enough to be worked. Plant bare-root plants before they leaf out.

Fertilize woody plants before new growth begins, but after soil temperatures have reached 40 F - it might be several weeks early this year, given the mild winter.

Remove winter coverings from roses as soon as new growth begins. Prune and fertilize as needed.

Apply superior oil spray to control scale insects and mites when tips of leaves start to protrude from buds.

GARDEN (Flowers, vegetables and small fruits)
Plant cool-season vegetables and flowers as soon as the ground has dried enough to work. Do NOT work the soil while it is wet; wait until it crumbles in your hand. If the soil forms a solid ball when squeezed, it's still too wet.

Gradually harden off transplants by setting them outdoors during the daytime for about a week before planting.

Follow last fall's soil test recommendations for fertilizer and pH adjustment. It's not too late to test soil if you missed last year.

Start seeds of warm-season vegetables and flowers indoors; in northern and central Indiana, wait until the end of March or early April. Transplant to the garden after danger of frost is past.

Watch for blooms of early spring bulbs, such as daffodils, squill, crocus, dwarf iris and snowdrops.

Remove old asparagus and rhubarb tops, and sidedress the plants with nitrogen or manure. Plant or transplant asparagus, rhubarb and small fruit plants.

Remove winter mulch from strawberry beds as soon as new growth begins, but keep the mulch nearby to protect against frost and freezes.

Remove weak, diseased or damaged canes from raspberry plants before new growth begins. Remove old fruiting canes if not removed last year, and shorten remaining canes if necessary.

Prune grapevines.

January Home, Yard, and Garden Calender

Rosie Lerner, Purdue Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist

HOME (Indoor plants and activities)

• Keep holiday poinsettias and other plants near a bright window. Water as top of soil becomes dry.
• Increase humidity around houseplants by grouping plants together, placing them on a pebble-water tray or running a humidifier.
• Check stored produce and tender flower bulbs and roots for rot, shriveling or excess moisture. Remove and discard damaged material.
• Repot houseplants as they outgrow current pots.

YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits)

• Check young trees for rodent injury on lower trunks. Prevent injury with hardware cloth or protective collars.
• Keep road and sidewalk salt away from plants. Construct a screen of burlap, if necessary, to keep salt spray off plants.
• "Leaf" through nursery catalogs and make plans for landscape and home orchard additions. Order plants early for best selection.
• Early spring-flowering trees and shrubs, such as forsythia, crabapple, flowering quince, flowering dogwood and honeysuckle, can be forced for early indoor blooms by placing cut branches in water in a warm location.

GARDEN (Flowers, vegetables and small fruits)

• Send for seed catalogs for the garden.
• Sketch your garden plans on paper, including what to grow, spacing, arrangement and number of plants needed.
• Order seeds and plants as early as possible for best selection.
• Wood ashes from the fireplace can be spread in the garden, but don't overdo it. Wood ashes increase soil pH, and excess application can make some nutrients unavailable for plant uptake. Have soil tested to be certain of the pH before adding wood ash.

How to Care for Your Amaryllis

Amaryllis is a popular holiday gift plant but may have the lucky recipient wondering about its proper care.

Amaryllis is a tender bulb that won’t survive outdoors even in the mildest of Indiana winters. But it can be grown indoors to provide a dramatic show of color during dreary winter months.

The showy flowers range from crimson, scarlet, rose, lavender, white or bi-colored combinations. Although each plant may produce only one cluster of 2-4 blooms, individual blossoms can reach up to 8 inches in diameter at their peak. The flowers are borne on a tall, stout stem about 2 feet tall. <Read More>