Christmas/Thanksgiving Cactus Flower Question

Hey,

So, I put my Christmas cacti (which are probably Thanksgiving cacti...) in a window that I left barely cracked so they got a cool draft. They (three of them) produced buds after about two weeks, so I moved them away from the window to a place with more constant temperature. Now it seems all the buds have stopped growing. They've been the same size for maybe three weeks. They don't seem dry, though. I poked at them carefully to make sure they were still attached (I know sometimes they'll dry up and fall off if the plant gets unhappy), and they seem firm. The largest one even still has a noticeable healthy sheen, but it doesn't seem to grow. Is that normal? Should I do something to encourage it?

I've attached a picture of the largest flower bud. It's supposed to be "Dark Marie". The others are different (I think "Beach Dancer" and "Thor Vita", I think), but they also seemed to have stagnated.

I have since then put the plants back in the window... I don't know.

Thanksgiving cactus and Christmas cactus are both in the genus Schlumbergera. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference but I think all three names you mentioned are considered Thanksgiving cactus.

Two things: Schlumbergera don't do well in warm rooms. And they hate to be moved while the buds and blooms are growing.

Leave it in a cool location with good light. When the flowers open, then you can bring it in to admire but the flowers will drop more quickly once in a warm room.

Anyone know of a good resource to get some Thanksgiving cactus plants/cuttings? Thanks

This is where I got mine:

https://whittongreenhouses.com/

They were rooted plants (with ~3 stalks, and a total of maybe 15-20 segments between them for a 2"). I ordered from this place one year:

http://www.mattslandscape.com/

for my mom, and those were cuttings, but last year I tried to order and never got a reply, and the online ordering wasn't working. I haven't tried this year.

I will say, on of the plants I got from Whitton had a smushy spot, and it didn't recover. I cut it and rooted the pieces, and now they're happy. The other three were all fine, but I just wanted to give you that warning.

Logee's is always good.

http://www.logees.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=schlumbergera

Might be pricey but I have never had a problem with their plants.

Thank you both so much. I'm trying to find one like my grandmother had when I was a child.

If you are talking about the one MY grandmother had, the one that's slightly orangey/pink, its a plant of the past. The trouble with plants is that the names don't change but the plants do.

The minute a new plant is discovered, someone finds a way to make it better.

So the plant our grandmothers called Thanksgiving Cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) or Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) is the same plant that's for sale in Walmart but 4000 generations later. .

Unless you find someone saving/preserving heirloom plants, you are out of luck.

I do believe you are right! I want the "old-fashioned" kind before all the hybrids came along! I just dmailed someone about some cuttings for trade.

I have a friend with a 100 year old Christmas cactus. It looks very different from the ones I have. In fact, I've never seen another like it. I would ask her for a cutting for you, but we just barely rescued the poor thing from the brink of death a few months ago. I'm taking care of it for now. It's coming back with vigor, but still really small.

I've attached a (somewhat goofy) picture of it. The leaves are really rounded. It's really neat. My friend says she's never seen it flower, but maybe it will one day, since it's been repotted and revived.

Now, that reminds me of my Grandmother's because of the rounded leaves! I'd love to have a cutting if it starts putting on new growth! Thanks for the picture! ☺
May I share the picture on the plant trading forum? I'm going to post there that I'd like cuttings.

Mine are just starting to get buds. It's a miracle.

Yeah, go ahead and share it! I've also attached some better pictures of its leaves for you to show.

When the plant is a bit more established, I might try to get a couple of cuttings, and I'll share if I can. It was just in such a sad state before that I'm not ready to cut anything yet, and I think the plant's owner wants to be conservative with it for now. (I mean, it was dry and limp and we thought it was dead...)

Thank you! I think you've done a great job reviving it! ☺

2 nights ago I found some very nice ones at Lowe's, much to my surprise. They even had a yellow one that I don't think I've seen in a store before, big it big box or local nursery. I bought the $4 size but the larger one was $8 or $9. It's just that I need another plant like I need another hole in my head. Anyway, if you're near a Lowe's you might check them out. Not going to be like anyone's grandmother's plant. If you find one of grandma's let me know.

There are a lot of people on Facebook who are currently showing off displaying theirs and many are willing to send cuttings. Just saying.

Thanks! No one around here showing off theirs! In my area, a lot of us lost all our plants to Hurricane Katrina. I've built up a collection since then, but some can never be replaced.
I do have a few that I've bought from Lowe's and Walmart over the years, but they aren't like my grandmother's (hers was not a hybrid). I do have a couple of leads from members for cuttings. They are sending me pictures first. Thanks again!

In my experience with these plants, they don't like to be moved and messed with a lot. Ours are somewhat situated in a southeast location, in a slightly cool room. We don't water them a lot, and we don't transplant them very often. The one we started out with was my grandmother's and it was what I would call pot bound, with outside dirt for the soil, and it frequently looked bone dry. Sometimes I wondered if she just flat out forgot about watering it. I'm not saying this is ideal, but it worked for her because her cactus always bloomed. The cactus itself it not very large, but we have since re-potted it which temporarily stopped bloom. However it adjusted to our home, and or we adjusted to it, and now it grows and blooms for us.

We lose the occasional leaf, bud, and even stems on our christmas cacti, but they grow new leaves, and bloom every year. I think they take patience. Hope this helps!

I have several different Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus and as long as the buds seem to be firmly on the plant and the stems look healthy its probably fine. My biggest plant started budding in early October and they are finally starting to look like they will bloom. The buds are huge!