The Easter cactus and the Christmas cactus
The Easter and Christmas cactus are quite similar, but differ in their flowering time, because the Easter cactus flowers at Easter and the Christmas cactus at Christmas. The general care of these plants is the same, only there are differences in the resting phases, which are needed for flower formation.
How to care for these plants
- The Christmas as well as the Easter cactus belong to the group of leaf cacti and, like their prickly relatives, require little water. You should therefore only water sparingly and wait until the soil in the pot has dried on.
- In the wild, they usually grow epiphytically, i.e. on trees, where most of the water they need is absorbed through their leaves. You should therefore spray the leaves from time to time, but if possible only with lime-free water so that the lime does not leave any stains.
- As potting soil and fertilizer cactus soil or another well-drained potting soil and a cactus fertilizer are suitable.
- Leaf cacti prefer a place where they are bright and a little sunny, but protected from the midday sun. You can safely put them outside in the summer, but then you should first put them in a shady area for a while so they don't burn.
This is how your Easter cactus blooms Your Christmas cactus again
- In order for the cacti to bloom again, you absolutely need a period of rest in winter. With the Christmas cactus, this rest period begins after flowering, i.e. at the beginning of the year, with the Easter cactus, on the other hand, in late autumn.
- Then place your plant in a room where the temperature is around 10 to 15 ° C for six to eight weeks. During this time you only water very sparingly so that the potting soil does not dry out completely.
- In spring you can put the plants in a slightly warmer room or - if the outside temperature has already reached more than 10 ° C - outside.
- The Christmas cactus also needs a phase in autumn when it is a little cooler. Put it back in a cool place for a few weeks and water sparingly. If your plant is outside, the gradually falling outside temperatures may be enough.
- The Easter cactus needs its second resting phase immediately after flowering. Then you should water it very little for about four weeks and not fertilize it.
Caring for Christmas cacti properly - this is how it works
The Christmas cacti are one of those plants that bloom in the middle of winter. For this …
By the way, at the time of flowering, you should never turn your plants or move them to another place, because then they often shed their flowers.
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