I bought this Christmas cactus last year and it never has bloomed. Then I left it outside hanging on the fence and totally forgot about it. Then my neighbor told me that she had been watering it for me. So I went to find it and I was really shocked. It looks sort of scraggley but look at the buds on it. So I brought it into the greenhouse and took some photos of it. Here is a photo of it with some of its buds.
Jesse
An up close view of the buds.
Jesse
One more photo of the buds.
Jesse
Jesse,
That is really beautiful!
Looks like you have a white one there!
Be sure to post when she decides to bloom for you OK (should only be a few days now.....)
CONGRATULATIONS!
Kim
Congrats! I have a white one blooming now and an orange about to bloom. Photos soon...
Tom
Congrats Jesse! Isn't it just exciting to see these in bud? The anticipation is a killer though. A friend of mine put it this way, "Sometimes CC just like to mess with ya!" LOL She said that to say, don't give up when it seems they might not bud up for you. They just like to take their sweet time, sometimes.:)
Here's a picture of one of the Thor sisters. Her name is Alice.('Thor Alice'). She will be orangey red when she opens. Last year she only managed 2-3 buds. So allow me to say, "Atta girl, Alice"!!!!:))))
This message was edited Oct 24, 2006 8:45 PM
And here is 'Gold Charm'. This will be the first time she's bloomed for me. I bought it about a year and a half ago or so. I was most surprised(and thrilled) to see her budding up this year. Her blooms will be yellow:
Simply BEAUTIFUL GH.....Congratulations on your blooms 2 my friend!
Kim
Wow, yours are really beautiful Growhappy. I hope you have lots of pretty flowers. Mine looks so bad right now but I'm hoping that one day it will look as pretty as yours.
Jesse
Hey Jesse,
Yours does NOT look bad! It's great, actually. It's budding because it's happy! If you don't already have more, then once you see yours bloom, you will go get more!!! :) Next year you'll have a plethora of blooming Schlums to make your heart happy!
GH
Hey Jesse,
Just an idea....AFTER yours is done blooming, give it a nice haircut and root the sections. I see ALOT of nice cuts on yours and after they have rooted you can fill your pot in more. I find MOST plants LOVE a good haircut and actually thrive better and multiply faster by snipping.
Like I said, just an idea. That's what I do.
Here's a photo of my Great Grandma's (which I just unpotted yesterday.....I know, I should have waited but I HAD to unpot it to drill holes in the pot and also to see what was going on under there. I also took some cuttings of the white one that was in the pot and removed the white so it has a pot of it's own. OK, I was bored yesterday *lol*
Kim
Pretty plant Kim. I need to pay more attention to mine. I have a plant that was my mother-in-laws and it looked a lot better when she was alive and had it in her possession. You may have inspired me here. Thanks. Have a great day.
Laura
Inspiration is a good thing :)
Good luck to you Laura.
Have a Great Day!
Kim
I think that all of yours are beautiful. I can hardly wait until mine blooms. If mine looks are pretty as they two of yours, then I'll be happy.
Jesse
This is what my white one looks like today. Started with a cutting 2 years ago. Think maybe I should cut back on the super thrive? Mine all live outdoors year round cause I am afraid if I brought them in they would not be as happy and the kitties would probably play with the flowers too much.
Cindermom, don't dare cut back on the ST! Look at all those buds and the red leaf tips! Your plant is super gorgeous!!!!!
GH
Wow - they are stunning - I need to check the box stores to see if I can find some - my Grandmother always had Christmas cactus that bloomed and it would bring some happy childhood memories!
OOps, wrong picture. That was last week, here's today!
Oh my!
Wow, those are some beautiful cactus!!!!!!
I hate to put ugly in the mix, but mine needs help and yal must know how to grow em!! LOL This one is a Sunrise Cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri). It looks dead at the bottom and makes the whole plant look bad. Any ideas on what to do with it. It did bloom pretty good back in the spring despite the way it looks.
Debbie
Closer to the ugly!! LOL
Bec_No_Va, I have many different colors now and most of the newer ones came from WMart. They usually have all sorts of babies forced into bloom for Christmas and I just can't seem to resist a new color. I have reds and yellows and apricot and pink of many shades but this is my pride and joy and the old fashioned pink that started the whole thing. And to think that it was given to me because it was "too hard to take care of" and was headed for the trash! Just starting to bud, it is a later bloomer and I have no flower pictures yet, but will post some when it does.
oh Debbie,,,,with all of these fantastic plants...C. Cactus is the one plant i always kill!!!!! They get shrively on me...then i toss it..i think there is a pic of me on a poster at our local nurseries..."Don't sell A Christmas Cactus to this woman..she is a dangerous abuser of C. Cactus"..wish i could tell you what to do...don't have a clue..maybe someone who knows what they are doing will chime in! sorry...sue
Baja,
I'm not an expert in any way so if anyone has any advice, please feel free to correct me.
My Grandmother has a Rhipsalidopsis like yours and I have a nice rooted plant that she has taken cuttings off and given me. Her plant is VERY old and has that "woody" look too. Mine is still too young to have developed "wood" yet. This is natural for a plant that is happy and "more mature" to do.
Believe it or not, even Christmas Cactus do this too but usually the foliage covers it.
The Rhipsalidopsis is more of a "drooping" plant so the wood shows more than on an erect, older Christmas Cactus.
Your plant is just showing it's age and happiness...so Congratulations are well in order. I bet you will have some BEAUTIFUL blooms on that this spring! I LOVE Rhipsalidopsis!
Here is the "wood" that is on the Christmas Cactus above....see how it's hidden by the foliage?
Kim
Here's my white one as of today:
And my orange one just about to open:
Kim, no kidding!!??? Wow, thanks. I feel better now!!! Maybe I'll get some superthrive like cendermom is using on hers. And go get a couple Christmas Cactus!! What do yal root em in?
Wow tommy, that white is beautiful!!!
Debbie
Debbie, congratulations your cactus is a teenager! I use coir/perlite/african violet mix (equal parts) for cuttings and coir/african violet mix with just a bit of perlite added for my adults. And I water regularly and fertilize (and super thrive) on a monthly basis. Even in the winter I make sure they don't dry out and I mist every day all summer when it gets hot in the grow house. Remember they are from the jungle, not the desert and you will do fine. Another one of my beauties just past teenager itself. If the look of the woody base bothers you just hang the baby a little higher so you don't notice the base so much.
Etta
Cinder - that last one is awesome! I love the colors and look truly HAPPY!
ive had a christmas cactus for 2yrs now, and it blooms, but whenever it wants too,,,, but a friend of mine told me that if i put it in a totally dark closet or room and it will start to bud out within a few days.. I did it, and it worked! I just couldnt beleive it! so some of you might try it... ;0)
lmk if you works for you guys
LeeAnn
Thanks Etta for the info. I just repotted mine with cactus soil about a month ago. Should I change it?
What is coir?
Debbie
Debbie, coir is made from coconut hulls. It holds moisture beautifully but is not acidic like peat and if it dries out it quickly reabsorbs water, not like peat which can harden like a brick and be really hard to get wet again,but it drains beautifully. If your plant is budding or blooming don't change it now, but I would repot in spring if it is still just sitting there. These are succulents, yes, but I find that the mix I use keeps them happier. Like I said they are from the jungle not the desert. When I think jungle I think rich composting leaves falling and building up and lots of humidity so that is what I try to copy.
And yes, LeeAnn dark will make them bud. If you keep them in a room where you have lights on this time of year they don"t do well. Some are more fussy than others. Living here on the west end of the country in a not tropical rainforest I find that outside with some cover to protect from our rare frosts is perfect. Some of them need cooler nights as well as dark to bloom well. Sorry to go on and on but they have become my passion.
Cindermom,
what colour/name is your schlum in that pic?.....looks like Gold Charm but the buds look darker.....great colour and blooms....
Sandy
Sandy,
I have no idea what it's name is, I just know that when I saw the color I was in love. The buds may look a bit darker because as I said earlier they all live outside and I find that cooler night temps darken the colors, even move some to dark pink that are normally light. I guess maybe I need to be on the hunt for the names but I get lost in the colors. This one was marked yellow but seems to start darker and finally end up almost orange/yellow.
Etta
Thanks Etta, where do we find coir? That sounds sooooo much better than peat. I bought a big bail of ProMix and I gotta tell ya, I don't like it. When it gets dry on the top water just sits there.
That last one you have is pretty too. Peachy!! I went to Lowe's today, thought they may have some Christmas Cactus out, but not yet.
Debbie
Thanks Etta, its a lovely colour...your right about the tinging of pink when they are left in the cooler temps.....
Sandy
My C. Cacti are in serious trouble. I brought them w/us when we moved 1-1/2 yrs. ago. There I had them in our atrium located in the middle of the house, open at the top to the outside. I kept them well watered and in the middle of November I put Super Bloom on them and they bloomed beautifully right on schedule for Christmas. Not having any shade here I hid one in the flower bed where it was protected from the sun and the other I hid in our outdoor entryway out of the sun. I have red and white. No names. They are now a very pale green and show no signs of even starting to begin to commence to bloom. Should I toss them and try w/some new ones and where should I put them. Inside the house or in the garage are not options. No outdoor shade. Maybe I should just just give up trying to grow these things until I manage to get some shade. HELP, Please!!!
Ann
I was told that once you place them, don't move again and they will bloom. I have found this to be true. Mine will bloom several time in the year if I don'y disturb them and keep them watered.
Debbie
I get my coir from my local organic nursery. If you can't find it in your area a Google search brings up lots of sources. One I think I might try is www.growstuffplus.com they have the fine grade for mixing into your soil and the chips for orchid growing. I am sure once you get your hands on some you will not use peat again.
Ann
If you can find a spot on the north side of the house that gets only a little morning sun you might try that. It sounds like you now have too much shade. And with your summer temps a daily misting will help to keep them happy. I don't think getting new ones will help until you find the right spot. Susan is correct, once you find a happy place don't move them or they will pout. But don't give up. If you have to wait for shade to grow for them you might consider one of the nice shade gazebos that are available. Would make both them and you more comfortable.
Etta, I just got a bale on Ebay, should have it by the end of the week. So I'll also get the AV potting mix.
So, how to you use this coir to make potting soil for house plants?
I'm excited. I hope this cures the watering problem I have when the water just sits on the top.
Debbie
