My fellow gardeners, it’s almost time for your Christmas cactus to open its gorgeous blossoms. For me, there isn’t anything prettier and I can’t imagine my holidays without these plants.
But what happens when your Christmas cactus simply fails to bloom? Oh, it’s definitely an unpleasant holiday surprise. Of course, I panicked when it happened to my Christmas cactus for the first time.
I pulled out all the stops to save the plant and bring back those blooms. But don’t rush; before you do anything, you must know what went wrong.
Figuring out the cause is half the battle, trust me. So, what’s keeping your Christmas cactus from blooming? It’s not just one culprit, there are four, so be sure to leave no stone unturned!
Let’s do this together!
1. You Didn’t Ensure Enough Darkness
Wait, plants need light to bloom, why would we pay attention to darkness? Well, the Christmas cactus is a special plant in many ways.
Yes, it needs light to grow and bloom, but it also needs a specific amount of darkness throughout the night.
We often refer to Schlumbergera (scientific name) plants as long night/short day bloomers. This means they need approximately 15 hours of darkness per night for their blossoms to open.
I’ve always wondered how those plants in supermarkets bloom at the right time, and believe it or not, this ‘darkness hack’ is the reason.
So, should you keep your Christmas cactus in the dark? Yes, until the buds form and start opening!
2. Your Christmas Cactus Is Too Warm Through The Night
Christmas cactus is native to tropical areas, which means it likes warm temperatures, right? Remember when I said this is a special plant? It does prefer warm conditions during the day, but for the night, the story is a bit different.
You see, in their native habitat, i.e., Brazilian rainforests, Christmas cactuses are faced with cooler temperatures during the night. We should mimic these exact conditions in our homes.
Temperatures ranging from 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit are necessary for your Christmas cactus to rebloom!
3. Light Is Too Scarce During The Day
We’ve seen how Christmas cactuses are used to longer periods of darkness during the night, but what about light throughout the day?
Yes, they need enough light or they won’t bloom. The telltale sign of lack of light in Christmas cactuses is stretchy growth that results in a leggy plant.
But be careful with the type of light you ensure for your Schlumbergera plants. These species aren’t true cactuses (they only share the name) so they aren’t used to direct sun.
Bright indirect light is the key to a happy and healthy Christmas cactus!
4. Your Watering Routine Is Wrong!
I’m sure most of you expected to see that watering is one of the main culprits for a non-blooming Christmas cactus.
Some gardeners believe that this is a real cactus plant so they don’t water it a lot. As I said, this isn’t a cactus but rather a tropical plant used to hot and humid conditions.
It prefers the soil to be moist but never waterlogged. You should never allow the soil to dry entirely before you water your Christmas cactus. If you do, you could end up with a poorly developed plant with zero blooms.
On the other hand, some growers believe that the Christmas cactus needs a lot of water because it’s native to the tropics. This is not a good approach either because overwatering leads to various problems, and trust me, lack of blooms is the least serious.
To check if a poor watering routine is the culprit for your non-blooming Christmas cactus, simply take a look at the soil. If it’s dry and crumbles to the touch, you’re dealing with a dehydrated plant.
If the soil is soggy and smells bad, then overwatering is most likely to blame.
How To Get Your Christmas Cactus Back On Track
Now that you know the potential culprits, it’s time to learn how to encourage your Christmas cactus to bloom again. Here are the 4 easy steps you should follow:
1. Put it near a window: The best location for your Christmas cactus is somewhere near an east- or west-facing window where it can receive filtered light throughout the day.
2. Ensure darkness and cooler temps: Make sure to keep your Christmas cactus in a spot where it can receive about 15 hours of darkness per night. Additionally, the temperature should range from 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Allow the soil to dry a bit between waterings: Regularly inspect the soil moisture and water your Christmas cactus whenever the top 2 inches of the soil dry out.
4. Repot: If you meet all the requirements but your Christmas cactus fails to bloom, consider repotting it. Plants grow and need more space and nutrients during the process. Simply transplant it into a larger pot and use new potting soil.
I also recommend pruning your Christmas cactus to encourage new growth and more blossoms.
Unfortunately, a non-blooming Christmas cactus is a more common hiccup than we’d like, but if we nip it in the bud and follow the steps above, those blooms will be back before you know it!