Follow these steps starting in the fall and continuing in winter, and watch as your Christmas cactus gives you a beautiful display of vibrant flowers. However, there are subtle differences between these two common varieties. 0 0? The care is the same and I will show you what the difference is too. Keeping your plants happy will help encourage them to bloom. They last longer if not cut off the plant; and the smaller flowers tend to last longer than the larger ones. People get Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti confused all the time because they look very similar. I keep it outside in a mostly shaded patio during the spring and summer months and then bring it in when the temps start to fall. Many cactus plants have a sculptural quality to them. blooms from now (11-14-15) until the blooms fall off. Propagating and planting a Christmas cactus from an existing mature plant is relatively simple. It will need 12 to 14 hours of total darkness, along with cool nighttime temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees (F), for about three to … Then it’s time to bring them indoors. Whether called Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter and labelled as Schlumbergera or Rhipsalidopsis, each variety gets the same care and can be encouraged to bloom on schedule with the special tips provided here.. Most cactus bloom in the spring, opening during the day. Reduce Watering 0 0. Forcing Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus blooming. Those species that also flower are especially striking. Bloom colors range from dazzling white to everything but true blue and black. The norm is once a year unless they receive special care, then you can get multiple blooms a year. Many people don’t know that there are two types of cactus houseplants that will start to bloom during fall and winter: Thanksgiving cactus and Christmas cactus. Cactus flowers tend to be oversized with petals featuring a shimmery quality. I would love that! Most places mistakenly sell Christmas Cactus as Thanksgiving Cactus! In addition to proper year-round care, there are a few tips and tricks to getting a stubborn Christmas cactus to bloom. 1. This article was full of information on all levels. Christmas cactus is a popular tropical houseplant offering bold, colorful blooms. Many folks have all sorts of tips and tricks to get the Holiday Cactus’ to bloom (I lump all 3 varieties in this group, including the Easter Cactus), I have tried none of them. In order to force Christmas cactus to bloom each year, it’s … If you have your Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus outdoors, they will do fine until the temperatures dip into the 40s. Usually 2 weeks or so. The colorful hybrids have individual blooms that may last from a few days to a week.The flowers last longer in cool weather. How to Promote Blooming in a Christmas Cactus. Don't know why, but I sure do enjoy them. For the plant to form flower buds for holiday blooms, it needs extended darkness for at least four weeks prior. However, like the poinsettia, a mature Christmas cactus needs a strict regimen in the fall in order to bloom in time for the holidays. You'll often see several colors in the same flower. How to get a Holiday Cactus to bloom. I have two --- and they bloom around Thanksgiving and again at Christmas!! Some species produce white fragrant flowers that only bloom for one night. "Last year I had a Christmas cactus in full bloom and watered it fully. My Christmas cactus (or is it a Thanksgiving cactus ?) My Christmas Cactus will bloom three times a year. The care tips apply for both Christmas Cactus and Thanksgiving Cactus. I wish it would bloom all year long. If you follow my tips in this post, you will have a beautiful, long-lived houseplant that will bloom for you every year. Schlumbergera and Rhipsalidopsis or Hatiora (Holiday Cactus, Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus, or Easter Cactus) have different watering and temperature needs from desert cacti and succulents. All the blooms dropped, and I knew then that there was a right and wrong way in which to water it at this time. If you already have a Thanksgiving cactus from last year, to get it to bloom on time you'll need to begin temperature and light treatments in mid-September.