Comments on: Christmas Cactus

By: Crotalus

Crotalus — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:02:42 +0000

It may not be that hard. I have my two indoors near an east facing window, and buds started forming in late October as the sunlight shortened with the seasons. They got filtered sun, but apparently they can detect how long the sun shines each day, and respond with buds as the daylight gets shorter.

By: Damsel

Damsel — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:36:30 +0000

Thanks Crotalus. I’ll try to do as you ask.

By: Crotalus

Crotalus — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:47:22 +0000

That is a beauty! I have one that I’ve grown for three years, now, with that same bright red. I suspect that a lot of people don’t know that it’s a true cactus, as it has no spines, but it is. The signature structure called an areole is present on the edges of the stem segments.

To get it to flower next year, give it a place where it can sense the lengthening nights of autumn, and don’t disturb it too much while it is setting buds. Good luck!

By: Damsel

Damsel — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:23:06 +0000

Good idea. We have alot of that here. We have always like cacti. Slow growing long life. Pretty flowers.

By: drjim

drjim — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:04:26 +0000

That’s pretty!
We started collecting low maintenance plants this year, and getting them acclimated to our front yard. We’re going to dig all the grass and sprinkler stuff out, and go with low maintenance/drought resistant desert plants in the front.
We just have to keep the grass in the back because the dogs need it!