Christmas Cactus, Holiday Cactus, Zygocactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi)

Christmas Cactus, Holiday Cactus, Zygocactus
Schlumbergera x buckleyi

That's a nice one. I love that cherry red color.

Thanks for your comment. I was amazed when I found it as I snooped around the nursery. I went into a hot house that needed repaired and had been neglected for some time. When I went inside I thought that there were no plants being sheltered there. When I turned and saw this plant, it almost took my breath away! It belonged to the current owner's grandfather who for many years used to take cuttings from it and start new plants to sell. The blooms are such an unusual color.

Wow! That plant sure does know how to bloom!

Even though it is producing an abundance of blooms which are beautiful, the plant itself appears to be weak and too light of a green in color. The nursery owner said it needed more light and the hothouse was going to be repaired so it would let more light in. I wonder what it would look like with adequate light? Thanks for your comment.

htop,

I have mine in filtered sun/part shade outside on the covered patio. I would think it would be fine in any room in your house that has good light.

Thanks for the information. Your plant is doing super where you have it placed. Its blooms are gorgeous and the purplish color of the plant itself is is unusual. Is the plant this color all year?

Hazel: That is so pretty! I have one that used to bloom that color, about 3 times the size of that one, but it hasn't bloomed in a couple of years. Dunno what's wrong with it, as its otherwise very healthy looking.

Clare_CA: I've never seen a holiday cactus with pads that color. Are they purple or is that how they photographed? I'd love a cutting is you'd ever be willing to do that in exchange for an SASE????? Thank you -- Gretchen

Hi htop and Kaufmann! Thanks for the compliment. I'm not sure why the foliage turned purple. It might be because it was receiving some direct sun in the summer, or that might be the color of the new growth.

Kaufmann, CC will only bloom if the amount of light it receives changes; i.e., there has to be a change in the amount of daylight. I'll look that up and find out the exact numbers for you.

Thanks Clare_CA, I'm aware of the requirements. It is one of 12 different holiday cacti in my collection and the only one I can't get to bloom anymore. It used to...

Kaufmann, that's kind of funny, isn't it? I wonder why that is. In answer to your earlier question, I would be happy to send you a cutting if you would like one. Email me after the holidays to remind me, and by that time it will have finished flowering.

Gretchen, I do not know much about Christmas cactus so I can not help you out with a solution to why yours is not blooming. It must be a sight to behold when it does!

CC: Thank you! I would love a cutting. I'll make a note to myself to write you after the First of the new year. Here is a picture of it taken last month. Happy Holidays!!!
Gretchen

Gretchen, your plant appears to be very robust judging by its size and color.

Gretchen,
What a beautiful plant you have. I hope it flowers for you soon. I wonder if bloombooster fertilizer would do any good? I looked at an old picture of my Christmas cactus, and the foliage used to be green so I don't know why it turned purple other than maybe that is the color of the newest growth.

Well, I think I'll do some more research and see what I can come up with. The plant weighs about 25 pounds, so its not easy to move around... Maybe I need to put it outside in the Spring. Hope you both have a glorius day!

Thanks, Gretchen, and Merry Christmas! You know, I just noticed the container that your plant is in. I have a planter like that, and I noticed that it doesn't drain well at all, and water can build up in the bottom. I have mine in a coco-fiber planter which drains very well. It could be heavy, at least in part, because there is a build up of water at the bottom, and that might be what is hindering flowering. Just a thought:-)

Clare: Thanks, but that's not it. The pot is heavy glazed terracotta and has some rather large drain holes in the bottom. It may be just the opposite. I re-potted it last year after it didn't bloom, and maybe its already too big for the pot again. I decided that I am going to take enough cuttings to start 4 nice size plants, and maybe the "trim" will do it good :) Thanks again for your help and thoughts!!! Gretchen

I took another picture of my Christmas cactus today so that you can see that only the newest growth is purple. It is also the most exposed area of the plant. This plant stays outdoors, and it dropped most of its flowers when nighttime temperatures dipped down into the 40's.

Gretchen, had you moved your CC to a different location in the past few years that it has not bloomed?

Clare_CA, thanks for the photo showing the new growth. Did it occur after the temperatures started to lower? A lot of my plants' foliage turns this color in the fall.

Hazel: yes, this particular cactus used to stay outside in the mild weather until last year when the grasshoppers started feasting upon it. It also became so heavy that I got lazy. It stays in my kitchen in a SW exposure. Others around it have bloomed... I took cuttings from it yesterday to start four nice sized plants. We'll see how they do :)

Lot's of my outside plants also turn purple this time of year -- bet that's what its from too, Clare. You two have a great day!!! Gretchen

At one time I had a Holiday Cactus, approx. 6 yrs. old and it would not bloom for me. Someone told me to bring it in to an unheated room, set it in front of a south facing window and not to have any artifical light in the room. I did this and it set blooms all over! When they begin to open I brought it out and set it on the Newel post to the stairs.
I continued to do this every year and always had it blooming at Christmas. Now my house is not big enough to have an unused room, so I bring it in and put it under grow lights on a timer for 12 hr. cycle. Also the lights are in laundry room so I sit it so a lrg. quanity of pads are touching window. It didn't bloom as well this yr. and I think that is because we are having a very warm fall and winter this yr. It was 62 degree's yesterday!
You could try this if you have the room.
Annetta-West TN

This message was edited Monday, Dec 29th 11:57 AM

Annetta1, thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with your Christmas cactus. We learn a lot from one another. Have a wonderful 2004.

You all have really pretty cacti! I am going to be taking a picture of mine as soon as I can get my digi cam to work and make sure and post it here. I have one that is about 4 generations old. It's a nice size, but I have kept it cut back (people have wanted cuttings of it) and I have given them some. I hope to see more pictures soon!

T will be looking forward to seeing it.

As promised here are the pictures of the cactus that I have...and an extra picture of my small Jade Tree.

Cont. 2 I know it's not in bloom right now, but it's still a cactus..

Cont. 3 This is the cactus in my office. Looks happy I guess?

Last but not least, my small Jade

This is a picture that I think you'll enjoy as well...

Very nice pics CB! Thanks for sharing them:-)

The Christmas cactus blooms are such beautiful colors and they both look very happy to me. The one that is 4 generations old is doing very well it looks like and I could not tell you had taken pieces from it at all. It has a very nice shape. Your jade plant looks large in the photo. Thanks for posting the photos as promised.

Trust me, htop, that is my small jade plant. my other one is about 2 times as big...pics will follow soon...

I'll be watching for the photos.

Zone 8, Heat Zone 9 Lake Sam Rayburn, Broaddus, TX
I recently purchased Zygocactus (Schlumbergera X bucklevi) at Wal-Mart in December 2009.
I have it hanging inside my home office south window in its original hanging basket about 4 inches diameter.
It is full of blooms! I'm trying to research good culture for this beauty. It appears to drop its blooms when they dry (no need to deadhead here).
I'm especially interested in after-bloom care, how often to water, best time to take cuttings, correct way to root cuttings i. e. water or soil or both.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO UPLOAD MY PIC OF THIS LOVELY CHRISTMAS CACTUS : (

I am sorry that I did not respond to your request about information on its care. I will send you the information within the next few days. Hasn't it been an awfully cold winter! My plants wonder what happened to those intermittent nice, sunny, warm winter days that we usually have! I hope that all is well with you.