What you will get:
You will receive Thanksgiving cactus (mostly referred as Christmas cactus) plants growing in an 8-inch hanging basket producing pink flowers. Their blooming status may vary depending on the time of your purchase and the growing state of the plant.
---------------------
Description
Many of us may not know that most “Christmas cactus” (with a botanic name of Schlumbergera bridesii) on the market are actually Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncate). Other than the difference in blooming time as told by their names, Christmas cactus has flattened leaves with rounded teeth on their edges while the leaves of Thanksgiving cactus have pointed teeth. On the other hand, both holiday cactus (actually succulent) species are in the genus Schlumbergera. They have the same color scheme and need the same care. Therefore, for the sake of ease, here we refer both as holiday cactus (There is a third cactus – Easter cactus (Hatiora gaertneri) which belongs to a different genus). Holiday cactus is easy to care, yet really rewarding.
Fun points:
1. Beautiful blooming. Holiday cactus produces gorgeous flowers while most other plants are in deep sleep (dormancy). More importantly, their blossom brightens up the major holidays of the year. A single flower may last a week to ten days while a pot may flower for 2-3 months. Although the plants mostly bloom once a year, you may have them bloom more than once if cared properly. There are a variety of colors on the market. Since the plants are compact in size, you may enjoy a spectrum of colors of your selection without taking too much indoor space.
2. Ornamental and decorative. Holiday cacti are beautiful house plants and very ornamental and decorative even without blossom. Their special shaped leaves look like crab claws, making the plants very special and interesting.
3. Easy to propagate. Holiday cactus is very easy to propagate. One leaf segment can be rooted to generate a new plant. This means you can easily expand your planting scale from a relatively small pot to one or more very spectacularly large pots. You may easily back up your plant and recover it from accidental damage as long as you have even a single leave segment.
Care tips:
1. Soil. Holiday cacti may grow in a variety of potting soils with good drainage. A high- quality cactus mix is a great choice or you may make your own by mixing one part of perlite (lighter) or coarse sand (heavier) with two parts of regular potting soil.
2. Light. Plants should be kept in bright but indirect light. To ensure blooming in fall, the plants need to be placed outdoors in a shady area during the growing season.
3. Temperature. Holiday cactus prefers a daytime temperature of 70°F and should be moved indoors when the temperature drops below 45°F.
4. Watering. Water your plants thoroughly when the top inch of soil becomes dry. Holiday cactus prefers a humid environment but especially sensitive to over-watering which may cause roots and leaves to rot.
5. Feeding: Feed the plants once a month during the growing season and once or twice from late fall and to the end of winter with a balanced houseplant fertilizer.
Special cares:
- Prune plants after blooming to encourage branching and more flowers.
- Repot the plants every 2 to 3 years in the spring to maintain the growing medium quality.
- To stimulate flowering, the plants need a cool temperature range (45 to 55°F) and short daylight time 8 to 10 hours/day for six weeks.
- Propagation: A new plant can be generated by simply inserting a cutting with two to three segments into coarse sand. Make sure to dry the cuttings in the air for one to two days before rooting. Keep the rooting medium moist until the cuttings rooted. Then the new plants can be transplanted into a growing medium. Usually, it takes three to four weeks to see new roots.
- To reduce or avoid damage from pests such as slugs and snails, place your holiday cactus at a position higher from the ground when they are outdoors.
Shipment:
We will do our best to wrap up and secure the plants and to make sure it reaches you in good condition. In case unexpected damage occurs during shipping, please contact us within two days after delivery. Your detailed description and photo(s) will help us to figure out the cause. We will be glad to replace your plant if fault is on our side. Your questions will be answered and addressed promptly.
Because of the regulation restrictions, we cannot ship these plants to AK and HI.