Summer Christmas cactus cultivation methods and precautions

Christmas cactus is a fleshy plant with a relatively flat stem. The flowering period of Christmas cactus starts from October and lasts until February of the following year, so Christmas cactus is suitable for viewing during the Spring Festival every year after planting.

How to grow Christmas cactus in summer

In summer, Christmas cactus enters a period of slow growth. Many flower lovers' Christmas cactus have difficulty surviving the summer. How do we need to take care of Christmas cactus in summer? The steps we need to take are as follows:

1. Enhance air convection so that the temperature inside the body can be dissipated;

2. Place it in semi-shade, or give it 50% shade;

3. Spray it appropriately, 2 to 3 times a day.

Daily management of Christmas cactus cultivation:

1. During the dormant period after flowering, the soil in the pot should be kept moderately dry. Frequent leaf spraying can break dormancy in advance.

2. During the first vigorous period, the soil in the pot should be kept moist and the fertilizer should be sufficient. The fertilizer should be mainly nitrogen, supplemented by phosphorus and potassium. In autumn, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be used as the main fertilizer, supplemented by nitrogen, until flowering;

3. During the summer period, 70% of the sunlight should be blocked, fertilizer should be stopped, water should be controlled, and the leaves should be sprayed with water more often. Direct rain and dry heat should be avoided, and red spider mites should be prevented.

How to maintain buds and promote flowering in Schlumbergera cactus cultivation

In autumn, Christmas cactus enters its second vigorous growth period and has the short-day conditions for flowering. In the early stage of its growth, it will continue to produce new stem nodes, and in the later stage, flower bud differentiation will enter the bud formation period. Since there is no obvious boundary between the two alternating periods, in order to ensure flowering in the same year, stem node growth must be abandoned. Provide weak light, keep dry (no water and no fertilizer), and only sprinkle a small amount of water on the leaves to prevent the flat stems from dehydration and wilt. In late autumn, increase insulation measures (enter the greenhouse in time) until individual stem nodes bud, then water as appropriate.

After more than half of the stem nodes have buds, apply concentrated fertilizer twice half a month apart to ensure that the flowers are colorful. Another technique to promote flowering is also simple and easy. After autumn, control the fertilizer and water of potted flowers that have survived the summer, and carry out short-day treatment after mid-September. The light time is 9-17 o'clock every day, and the rest of the time is not allowed to see the light. Generally, buds will appear in two months. This treatment not only increases the amount of flowers, but also greatly advances the flowering time.