Christmas Cactus
Schlumbergera kautskyi · Cactaceae
📷 Sadambio · CC BY-SA 3.0
The gardener's calendar
In autumn, ease off feeding and take the chance to clean up around christmas cactus and prepare for winter.
ID card
- Common name
- Kautsky's Christmas Cactus
- Foliage
- Persistent, flattened and fleshy
- Blooming
- Winter (November to January)
- Flowers
- Magenta pink to bright red
- Adult size
- 12 to 16 inches tall
- Growth
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- Not frost hardy (50-59 °F minimum)
- Origin
- Brazil (tropical humid forests)
Care
Watering
Water regularly during growth and blooming, keeping the substrate moist but not waterlogged. Reduce watering at the end of flowering to encourage dormancy. Use soft water at room temperature and let it dry slightly between waterings.
Light exposure
Place it in bright but indirect light, away from direct sun rays that would burn the stems. An east or west-facing windowsill works perfectly for it. Insufficient light slows down flowering.
Pruning and pinching
Pinch back young shoots in spring to encourage branching and create a bushier shape. Remove dead or damaged stems as needed. Avoid pruning just before flowering so you don't remove flower buds.
Soil and repotting
Use a light and well-draining substrate: mix cacti potting soil with perlite or coarse sand. Repot every 2 to 3 years in spring, into a slightly larger pot. Make sure drainage is excellent.
Fertilizer
Fertilize every 2 weeks during growth (spring-summer) with a balanced or cactus-specific fertilizer diluted. Stop fertilizing 4 to 6 weeks before flowering to encourage flower production.
Diseases and pests
Watch for spider mites and mealybugs, especially in dry air. Root rot occurs with excess water: let the substrate dry out and repot if necessary. Flower drop often indicates a sudden change in temperature or humidity.
Did you know?
Schlumbergera kautskyi was discovered relatively recently in 1957 in Brazil and is named after botanist Curt Kautsky. Unlike its better-known relatives, it flowers in winter in the Northern Hemisphere, but it actually follows the natural cycle of Brazil's humid tropical forests where it grows as an epiphyte on trees. This plant perfectly embodies the ability of cacti to adapt to shaded and humid forest environments, far from the desert image of the typical cactus.
Where to buy it
Plant in spring, once all risk of frost has gone. Pick a plant with healthy foliage and roots that are not exposed. Best time: from April to June.
Add this plant to my garden →Plants from the same family
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- Hedgehog pearOpuntia polyacantha
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- Opuntia basilarisOpuntia basilaris
- Ferocactus wislizeniFerocactus wislizeni
Tips generated and checked by Viridia — adapt them to your local climate.