As winter’s chill creeps in, it’s easy to feel down, but a Christmas cactus can brighten even the darkest night with its radiant blooms!
And as the name says, the blooms will adorn our homes during the most beautiful time of the year.
Even though Christmas cactus isn’t fussy over growing conditions, there’s one thing you shouldn’t skip for the healthiest and biggest flowers. Fertilizing your Christmas cactus will give the plant an incredible health boost and the reward will be amazing.
Lucky for you, fertilizing a Christmas cactus is a breeze, but you’ll want to keep a few key details in mind.
First things first:
The Timing Plays A Crucial Role!
When exactly do you need to feed this stunning plant to get it to thrive? As with every other plant, the answer is to feed during the growing season.
For a Christmas cactus, this would be anywhere from April to September. Your goal is to start fertilizing in early spring and apply fertilizer every 4-6 weeks.
The last round of fertilizer should be reserved for early fall.
Remember, your Christmas cactus will soon start blooming and that isn’t a good time to feed because it disrupts the plant’s growth cycle.
By following this feeding schedule, you’ll encourage your Christmas cactus to bloom and flourish during the holiday season!
Here Are The Steps For Fertilizing A Christmas Cactus
If you aren’t experienced in fertilizing plants, don’t worry, it’s pretty easy to get the gist. Let me share with you 6 easy steps for feeding your Christmas cactus.
1. Select the ideal fertilizer: From my experience, an all-purpose, well-balanced fertilizer works perfectly well for Christmas cactuses. I use one with an NPK ratio of 20-20-20.
If you’re unsure, you can always purchase fertilizer designed specifically for these types of tropical plants. The only difference is in lower nitrogen content.
2. Dilute it: Since the last thing we want is to burn the roots, we must dilute the fertilizer to half-strength before feeding our Christmas cactus. Remember, it’s always better to leave the plant a bit underfed than to overfertilize it!
3. Irrigate your Christmas cactus: Watering your Christmas cactus correctly is the only way to get a healthy plant. You’ll also need to do it before fertilization so that the soil has easier access to nutrients.
4. Add fertilizer: Now, apply the prepared fertilizer by pouring it all around the plant’s base. Make sure you don’t pour on stems or foliage because it could end tragically.
5. Allow the excess water to drain: Soil drainage is a crucial factor in plant development. When selecting soil for a Christmas cactus, make sure it’s porous and drains well to avoid waterlogging and root rot.
6. Flush the soil from time to time: Salts will most likely build up in the growing substrate of your Christmas cactus over time so it’s important to flush it every 3-4 months.
We’re signing off, but your adventure is just getting started! Stick to our fertilizing routine, and your Christmas cactus will dazzle you with festive blooms!