Prevent Your Indoor Christmas Cactus From Dying With This Critical Plant Care Tip

A Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) is a common houseplant prized for its colorful and vibrant blooms during the holiday season. After all, the pink, white, red, and lavender-colored flowers are a sight for sore eyes if your gardening season has come to an end. While caring for a Christmas cactus is fairly straightforward, it can die if you treat it like a regular cactus and expose it to direct sunlight. Simply put, this tropical plant doesn't appreciate scorching heat conditions but requires bright indirect light to produce flowers.

Native to the Brazilian rainforests, these epiphytes mostly grow on shrubs, trees, or among rocks. As such, they're used to receiving indirect sunlight after it filters through the foliage of large trees. So, if you want this succulent to bloom indoors, you must replicate the warm and sunny environment it requires. You don't have to do much. Simply place the cactus in spots with plenty of indirect sunlight, like an east- or north-facing window. You can also keep it on the sill of south- or west-facing windows, provided you've got a semi-transparent curtain to block direct light.

You don't need a Christmas miracle to ensure the winter-blooming succulent remains alive. Taking care of its light requirements should help the plant produce plenty of flowers since the cactus's leaves will get scorched if subjected to the burning afternoon sunlight. The green leaves will slowly turn purplish or red and begin dropping if similar conditions persist. That being said, your plant will be just fine if it receives a few hours of direct sunlight in the morning, especially when the temperatures drop. But if you'd rather not risk it, giving the plant unimpeded access to indirect bright light is best.

In case you aren't familiar with the indirect light spots in your home, conduct a shadow test to find the best location for this houseplant. This will ensure the intensity of the light will work for your Christmas cactus. It's also important to make sure that spot gets enough hours of sunlight throughout the day, as too little sunlight stunts their growth and prevents the flowers from blooming. A rule of thumb is to provide around 8 hours of indirect light daily for the plant to thrive and bloom. 

Follow this up by placing the succulent in a cool and dark location, like a basement or attic, for 13 to 14 hours each day if the indoor temperature ranges between 55 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature soars past 70 degrees Fahrenheit, your Christmas cactus must spend 15 hours in darkness. Finally, be sure to keep this holiday cactus away from heat sources like fireplaces or heating vents to keep it from drying out.