Christmas cactus not blooming? This is the most common cause

The Christmas cactus is an epiphyte. This means that it grows in the branches of trees, mainly in Central and South America. This means that we should create conditions at home that are close to natural.

The most common reason for a Christmas cactus not to bloom is inadequate watering. Although it belongs to the cactus family, it does not have desert requirements. During flowering, it should be watered when the top layer of soil dries out. This means watering about once a week, but the plant should not be overwatered. This can lead to root rot. However, complete drying causes great stress on the Christmas cactus, which results in the lack of flowering.

The deciduous plant will not bloom when it is too hot. It should not be exposed to direct sunlight, because in nature it grows in the shade of trees. The optimal temperature for a Christmas cactus is 21-18 degrees Celsius. In such conditions it will bloom profusely. However, this will be hindered by the lack of darkness at night, when he should not be exposed to even artificial light. It may also happen that a flowering plant will shed its flowers. This happens when we move it to another place or expose it to drafts.

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If your Christmas cactus hasn’t bloomed, all is not lost. It is enough to darken the plant for a few weeks. Although we should start doing this in October, it is not too late for it in December. How to do it? The fungus should be covered with an opaque container or dark material for 12 hours a day so as to cut it off from the light. The operation should be repeated every day for several weeks, and finished only when flower buds appear on the shoots. Of course you need to provide the plant with regular watering and the right temperature. This way we will encourage the zygocactus to flower.