Christmas Cacti Flower

TheChilliMan · « **on:** June 05, 2008, 20:56 »

I have 2 CC (Christmas Cacti) but I'm getting worried about one of them. It gets flower buds but they drop off. I dont know why. Its indoors and get almost no light but it was doing fine before so why isnt it flowering now? If it gets buds, then how come they arnt opening? Can I force it to flower?

richyrich7 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 05, 2008, 21:38 »

Do you feed & water it ? why do you say no light is that a requirement ? ours sat on the kitchen cupboard for years and flowered frequently.

Loads of Q's rather than answers sorry

DD. · « **Reply #2 on:** June 05, 2008, 21:43 »

Another one - does it get moved?

JudyAnn · « **Reply #3 on:** June 07, 2008, 14:30 »

I was always told that they needed to be put into darkness for only a month or so, then brought out into indirect light. I keep mine in indirect light all the time (never remember to put them into the darkness!) and they do fine. I next to never fertilize them.

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #4 on:** June 07, 2008, 14:33 »

I used to grow a few of these. Never put them in the dark and the fflowered well. As DD said, I never moved mine once in flower.

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #5 on:** June 07, 2008, 14:36 »

Here's a fact sheet about growing them:

http://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-a-Christmas-Cactus

Welsh Girls Allotment · « **Reply #6 on:** June 07, 2008, 22:37 »

They are very temperamental and hate being moved when are forming buds - as I found out the first year I owned mine :roll:

TheChilliMan · « **Reply #7 on:** June 08, 2008, 19:44 »

When I say no light, I mean no sunlight, it gets light from light bulbs but thats it. Its in a fairly adverage temp hallway, I dont feed it but I do water, although the watering is rather erratic. It doesnt get water for ages, then I water the soil and fill up the tray.

DD. · « **Reply #8 on:** June 08, 2008, 20:21 »

I think you've answered your own question.

You'd drop your buds if you were fed & watered that erratically!

TheChilliMan · « **Reply #9 on:** June 08, 2008, 20:22 »

DD, if my buds did drop off, I'd kill myself. I dont feed it. I'll let the soil dry out, then give it a feed, then water when the soil goes dry.

DD. · « **Reply #10 on:** June 08, 2008, 20:35 »

Christmas Cacti are epiphyites. The grow in forests in a damp atmosphere, attached to trees & obtain their moisture through 'aerial' roots.

In their unnatural habitat of a plant pot in a hallway, they should not be allowed to dry out in their bud to flower period.

TheChilliMan · « **Reply #11 on:** June 08, 2008, 20:42 »

Not to question you or anything, but on the new one I got, the packaging says let the soil dry out before watering again. :?

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #12 on:** June 08, 2008, 20:57 »

Bud drop can be caused by:

Too high temperatures,
fumes from gas combustion (ethylene),
too low intensity day-light,
too little water,
cold draughts.[/quote]

It's a wonder it's alive at all Chilli man :!:

TheChilliMan · « **Reply #13 on:** June 08, 2008, 20:59 »

You'd be suprised, its thriving, growing really well. Just not flowering.

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #14 on:** June 08, 2008, 21:01 »

Have a look here about how to get it to flower for Christmas

http://www.succulent-plant.com/cultivation.html

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