Have you ever seen so many buds on a Christmas Cactus?
My mom gave me this cactus when I moved into my house a few months ago. She has three or four of them growing in her house. I sat the cactus in the sun room and forgot about it. I really did forget about it. I didn’t water it. I didn’t talk to it. I didn’t touch it.
About a month ago my mom was visiting as she has been known to do on occasion and walked into the sunroom and quickly stomped out of the sun room through the living room and into my studio horrified, cactus in hand exclaiming “IT NEEDS WATER!” I looked at it all withered and spiny and starving and giggled “Mom it’s a cactus and not a succulent.”
She placed it back on the corner stand where it was originally dieing. That night I went over and looked at Herbert (yeah, I’ll call him Herbert) thinking, maybe you do need a little water. I carried him into the kitchen, filled a bowl of water and sat him in it. He drank for a good hour and afterwords I returned him to that corner stand in the sun room.
Two weeks ago, Herbert had little itty bitty buds. I gave him more water and moved him into the living room.
Today he’s full of buds! And he’ll likely bloom right around Birthday time and not Christmas time.
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On of my favourites is, “Life keeps on keeping on and on and on…”
Beautiful, what a nice birthday present when they do bloom! I had one my daughter gave me- can’t remember what I did with it but had it for several years. Enjoy : D
That is gorgeous! You must have accidentally hit upon the secret formula for the care and feeding of a Christmas cactus.
Yeah… I had a aloe vera that died on me and had the same thoughts.. It’s a cactus! Yes living in the desert of Las Vegas, I learnt to appreciate more a green pasture… And yeah..mom is always right… hehe.. almost always maybe?
Rahul – yes, life just keep going!
BevE – Thank you.
Deb – I do wonder though if I had starved it of water for another few weeks if would have bloomed around Christmas time.
Willys – Yes, mom’s seem to know a lot
Sorry about your aloe.
Hi,
yea It is October and my bright Pink Christmas Cactus is loaded with blooms….. last year I bought it at Giant Eagle for like 3-4 dollars 2 buds .today after Miracle Grow Potting soil, and I left it on the Patio all summer,I just pulled it in last week with over 50 blooms… any one know why it’s blooming now ? would love some input.
Thanks
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