#Thanksgiving cactus free#

Enjoy these carefree holiday plants and start a new gardening tradition. There are reports of plants being handed down from generation to generation and being over one hundred years old. If the plant turns reddish in color it is an indication of too much sun, lack of phosphorus or lack of water.

#Thanksgiving cactus free#

These plants are relatively disease free unless over watered. If you want to encourage spring time blooms, simply return the plant to its short day conditions. The Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus may re-bloom again for you in the spring but not as profusely as holiday time bloom. The plants seem to do the best when root bound. The plant's soil should be dry to one inch below the surface before watering and not fertilized or repotted while blooming. Thanksgiving cacti can also grow new 'pups' or offsets around the base of. Be sure to use clean tools when propagating thanksgiving cactus, and only take cuttings from healthy plants. The plants enjoy bright light but not direct sunlight. You can also propagate thanksgiving cacti by dividing your plant's root ball or taking sections of the stem and rooting it in moist sand, vermiculite or perlite. That could be due to drafts, too-warm temperatures, too much water or direct sunlight. Sometimes a plant might start to drop buds at this time. When the buds appear it can be brought into a warmer area for your enjoyment. The Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus require approximately 6 weeks of short days in order to bloom whereas the Easter cactus requires 8-12 weeks of short days to bloom hence the name Easter cactus. A seldom used bedroom or lower level is the ideal place. If you have over summered your plant outdoors or purchased it from a florist or nursery the plant should be kept in a cool location and in a dark area until it sets buds. So in order to induce the plant into bloom it must have 12-24 hours of darkness and cool temperatures. The flower of Christmas cactus blooms around Christmas while that of Thanksgiving, around Thanksgiving Day.All of these three cacti are known as short day plants.Distribution of petals is even in Christmas cactus while the distribution of petals looks one sided in Thanksgiving cactus.The lobes on the leaves of Christmas cactus are rounded while the lobes of Thanksgiving cactus are pointed, and to some, they appear as claws of a bird.However, there are some other differences that only a person who has both varieties at home would be able to tell. Late fall is the time of bloom of Thanksgiving cactus while Christmas cactus blooms a month later. The main difference between the two cacti is the time they bloom.What is the difference between Christmas and Thanksgiving Cacti? The cactus sold in Canada by the name of Christmas cactus is, in fact, Thanksgiving cactus that has asymmetrical flowers and grows outward. This treatment should be started around mid October as it helps the plant to bloom properly. Christmas cactus requires dark treatments, which imply keeping it in dark for around 12 hours each night. Christmas cactus needs a well drained soil. Although cacti are heat tolerant, Christmas cactus blossoms better in cold temperatures. The flowers are mostly pink though these days one can see flowers of red, purple, and even white varieties. As flowers show during holidays only, they last for a long time, unlike other flowers. Flowers that bloom during holidays come on either the tips of the plant or the notches of stems. This article attempts to clarify differences between Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus by highlighting their features.īoth Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti have a flat plant body and the leaves are actually their stems. Many people, despite having grown one or more of these cacti at home are unable to tell which one is Christmas and which one is Thanksgiving because of the similarities between holiday cacti. While Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus belong to the genus: Schlumbergera, Easter cactus comes from the genus: Rhipsalidopsis. Mainly there is Christmas cactus, Thanks giving cactus, and Easter cactus that are popular in the country, and all three are closely related. Collectively, these cacti are referred to as holiday cacti. There are some species of cactus plants that bloom during the holiday season.