How To Get Your Christmas Cactus To Bloom Again (3 Steps!)
19.10.2023 - 17:25
/ getbusygardening.com
/ Amy Andrychowicz
Reblooming Christmas cactus is much easier than you may think, and in this post I’m going to explain how to encourage yours to flower again year after year.
Getting your Schlumbergera buckleyi to bloom again in time for Christmas depends on 3 main factors: darkness, low temperature, and timing.
Below I will give you step-by-step instructions and show you exactly how to trigger your Christmas cactus to develop buds and flower just in time for the holidays.
Table of Contents
Yes, your Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera buckleyi) can rebloom annually, but you need to create the right environment for it to set buds.
In its natural habitat, this would usually happen sometime in December. The key to helping it flower again at home is to replicate those conditions indoors.
This means you will need to provide the right temperature and level of darkness to trigger dormancy.
Schlumbergera buckleyi needs to go into a state of partial dormancy, or a short ‘rest period’ for 3-6 weeks, which is what triggers the plant to bloom.
In its natural environment, this happens in the fall when the temperatures drop and the nights are longer.
To recreate these conditions at home, you’ll need to control the temperature and ensure your plant receives enough hours of darkness each night.
Also, it’s best to keep your Christmas cactus slightly pot-bound, as this encourages it to bloom more readily.
If you get the timing and environment right, your Christmas cactus will bloom again sometime in late December.
It’s common for them to bloom a second time in the spring, but it’s usually fewer buds.
To force your December cactus to rebloom, you’ll need to recreate the conditions it would experience in its natural habitat during the fall season.
Simply follow these 3 basic