How And When To Prune Your Christmas Cactus For More Beautiful Blooms

Deck your halls and care for your Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera); here's how to make its blooms dazzle this season. Christmas cacti are prized for their stunning pink blooms and often given as gifts during the holiday season. First discovered in Brazil, clinging high up to tree branches or tucked into shady nooks on cliffs and rocks, now Christmas cacti are most likely to be found inside as houseplants. They're called Christmas cacti because of when they bloom — when the days get shorter and the nights get longer — as they need at least 12 hours of darkness a day to produce their beautiful signature flowers. If you want them to bloom during the holiday season, make sure they don't get exposed to too much artificial light during October to December, as this may disrupt their natural cycle. By allowing them natural light during the daytime and darkness at night, you'll make sure your plant is primed for a season of Christmas blooming. 

Another way to take care of your Christmas cactus and ensure it blooms is by pruning your holiday cactus at the proper time. The best time to prune is January or February, right after it blooms. Pruning helps encourage the cactus to branch off and grow a fuller plant, but you don't want to prune it after mid-summer to avoid disrupting the blooming cycle. Learn more about taking care of your Christmas cactus while avoiding these deadly mistakes. 

When it's time to prune your Christmas cactus, you'll be able to know the process is quite simple. Most of the time, you can simply twist off the stems at the joint. However, if your cactus is older, some of its stems may become thick and woody. In that case, you'll want to use a sharp pair of pruners, such as the Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears, to snip off the cactus stems at the joint. You can take off just a few snips to get your plant to the desired shape, or cut it back more thoroughly to encourage thicker growth. A good rule of thumb is that you can take off up to a third of the plant each year when you prune. These steps will help you have a flowering Christmas cactus to add to your holiday decor.

When pruning your Christmas cactus, don't toss your cuttings. You can place a cutting with at least two joints in a glass of water or a propagation station, such as the THYGIFTREE Plant Propagation Stations with Metal Stand, to grow another Christmas cactus. Simply make sure it has enough water to moisten the bottom of the stem, but not enough so your whole cutting is under water. Propagating your cactus is an easy way to fill your home with free Christmas cacti all year long!