Holiday cactus plants--including those that bloom near Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter--are forest-dwellers in nature. Charlie Nardozzi of the National Gardening Association explains how to care for them. Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) can be identified by its sharply serrated leaves (figure A). Frequent weak applications of fertilizer encourage lush bloom, but in order to set buds, these cacti also need cool night temperatures and 12 to 14 hours of darkness per day, beginning in mid-September. To create a dark environment, place a paper grocery bag over the cactus at 6 p.m. and remove it at 8 a.m. Keep the plant in a bright, sunny area. Once you begin to see buds, increase applications of fertilizer. The leaves of Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) are more rounded (figure B), and those of Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) are almost three-dimensional, with a thick ridge on one side (figure C). Hairs grow in the leaf nodes of Easter cactus. It's easy to grow new holiday cactus plants from cuttings (figure D). Here's how: All you need to do is cut a piece of the branch, called pads, and dip the cut piece into a rooting hormone. Rooting hormone is available at nursery supply stores and garden centers. It's used to help plants grow new roots. If you go to a garden center and see one you like, chances are it's a hybrid. - Fill a clay or plastic pot with vermiculite or damp sand.
- Cut a piece of the branch from a parent plant, and dip the cut end into rooting hormone.
- Place the prepared cutting into the potting medium.
- Place several drinking straws or chopsticks cut into 6" lengths in the sand alongside the cutting.
- Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag (figure E). The bag will prevent the soil from drying out and keep the cutting warm. The straws or chopsticks prevent the plastic from touching the foliage.
- Place the pot in a bright area away from direct sunlight. In three or four weeks, you'll begin to see new growth.
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