I cant get me christmas cactus to bloom

[Anisa]

I kinda neglect mine and she gets "dry periods" till gets little wrinkled. When i notice this she gets plenty of water for a while and blooms soon very soon after! She blooms for me 2-3 timer per year. I keep her in large north side window, so the light would be moderate/low, and on a cooler side.
I am not sure what kind of Zygocactus she is but we i have cutting of plant we had for generation in our family. She has rounded elongated leaves.
Nanella... the link is not working for me

[camille1585]

I don't do anything special to mine (have 4) and they bloom like clockwork every year, usually starting 10-15 days before christmas.

Mine sit in a south window (only because they some of the rare plants I have that will tolerate it even in summer) and it gets quite cool by the window in the fall-winter. I often forget to water it until it's been bone dry for over a week, and fertilize when I remember to.

I have a dutch friend who has the most beautiful one I've seen, it's gotten quite large in the many years she's owned it. It hardly even gets fertilizer, and sits by west window.

[WhiteRabbit]

They need decreased light to bloom. Ideally they should be outdoors for this, tho I think they can be placed in a room that won't get artificial light from late summer thru fall.
Most people grow them outside at least late spring - early fall. This gives them the seasonal change of light they need. If you fertilize, go easy with it - too much can prevent blooming. They should bloom fine with no fertilizer, tho I found my plants perked up and looked better with a small amount of fertilizer in spring/summer.

Mine bloom great every year with or without much attention from me. They just need to get the natural seasonal shortening "days".

btw - if you are interested, these are ridiculously easy to propagate from cuttings, and cuttings can bloom within the same year!

mine have just started to open some blooms

[Paul Mc]

I also just read that they like to be pot bound somewhat, so you shouldn't repot them very often.

[Grace Arbuckle]

I five xmass catus,diferent colors. I keep my moderatly dry side,brite inderect light all year long. They bloom all year long. mine rot when kept too wet. All of them are about 5yrs old.

[RJSquirrel]

acck its been getting lots of light and lots of water,not wet but stays moist...I was thinking cactus and Full sun..And all of yours blooms, ahh well I not killed this one like the last 14 I had so keeping it alive was good. Might be too late for blooms now maybe?

The tag says it is zygocactus and the detail says epiphyte that uses similar conditions as orchids..but the twist!!

Key to getting Christmas cactus to flower during the holiday season, is the proper light exposure, correct temperatures and limited watering. So during the fall months, the Christmas cactus should be placed in a spot where it receives indoor indirect bright light during the daylight hours but total darkness at night. (Much the same exposure you would give a poinsettia except a Christmas poinsettia requires warm temperatures whereas the Christmas cactus needs a spot where the temperatures are cool during the fall months.)

I keep the light on in the window all the time!

Ill try to give it what it needs maybe I might have some buds next year

but heres my plant..



not very pretty but hes fat and healthy!!

and nice xmas cacti blooms you all have too

[WhiteRabbit]

Mine are outdoors year round, also zone 9 - I don't fuss much about watering - weekly in warm weather, maybe a bit more often in especially hot dry weather. I ease up a bit on watering as temps get cool and damper. Very little water after blooming - tho since it's outside just needs less in winter.

Might be too late for blooms this year - tho idk - try putting them outside or in a dark room ?
Mine take occasional lows to around freezing, but are under overhangs and near the house. Protect from frost and freeze.

I don't think full sun would prevent blooming, just makes your plant red, but if yours is in a window, and by the color of the plant, it's definitely not too much sun. The one I have on front porch gets direct morning light - a few hours during summer - the "foliage" gets reddish. The one in back gets less direct light and is much greener. Both bloom fine.

[Gin]

Mine go out in the spring in when the Temps. go to 40 they are in the enclosed porch right now in bloom. I don't do anything special other then the Temp . drop ..

[RosieC]

Hmm, I've never thought about how to get them to bloom because my two just do. They have actually both been in bloom about 3 weeks now as they seem to be more November where I am.

Mine are pot bound, they are getting decreased light as they are in the kichen window and don't get much artificial light, they do get a drop in temps as we let out house drop over night and even in the day when we are out.

[Hedge]

the key is shortening day length, as well as cool and dry. I propagated six plants a couple of years ago from one cheap one, and they all flowered as soon as we went past the equinox, and some are reflowering now, due to a second period of drought and cool nights. They sit in an east facing window, in a heated room, but don't need too much water. RJ, if you stop water and food andput them in a cooler darker position for about six weeks then you might see flowers, but not in time for Christmas.