How to Grow and Care for a Christmas Cactus

Some people have a natural talent for growing plants, but others seem to kill every plant they attempt to grow. When it comes to houseplants that are easy to grow and can be maintained with very little effort, Christmas cacti are at the top of the list.

Raising a Christmas cactus is very simple, takes little effort and very little time. I know all of this from firsthand experience with my family having a Christmas cactus having a cactus, that is over one hundred years old and that was brought to the United States five generations ago. Additionally, for graduation my great grandparents have given all the grandchildren and great grandchildren repotted portions of the huge original cactus. Christmas cacti traditionally bloom during December. They are caused to bloom because of the lessening amounts of sunlight, so they can bloom at other times if they are consistently in artificial light. They grow very quickly and can be started by just having a three to six inch piece of another one potted in a relatively small pot. Since, they do grow very rapidly it is important to repot them when needed or they will run out of nutrients. They are also very durable, and can tolerate a lot of stress, for instance my cousin and myself take our to college and back home several times a year and they are flourishing.

The keys to carrying for a Christmas cactus are very simple. First, they need to be kept warm and are generally kept indoors but in warmer climates could be planted outside. They need partial sunlight, and will not grow as well in direct sunlight. As stated earlier they need to be replanted when they out grow the pots they are planted in so that they have enough nutrients to continue to grow and bloom. They should be watered by pouring cold coffee on them two or three times a week. This coffee can just be the left over coffee from a person's morning pot and should be room temperature. The soil just needs to be damp. Additionally, the small leaves and other pieces that fall off the plant should be placed back on the surface of the soil. When the Christmas cactus blooms the flowers will fall off and some of the flowers should also be returned to the pot, to restore some of the nutrients to the soil. In general, a Christmas cactus will be one of the easiest plants someone ever tries to raise.