Planning to add color to your garden? If you have a Christmas cactus, now is the time to propagate them.
The Christmas cactus is one of the many holiday cacti plants there are. They are called such because all three thrive in the colder weather and bloom during their respective time.
The other two are Thanksgiving and Easter, which bloom right after winter.
What’s the difference between the three? Check their leaves.
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We don’t want to get too technical, so let’s leave the science aside, or for the green thumbs, you can check more information here.
But if you want a more straightforward explanation, the difference is in their leaves.
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An Easter cactus has smoother leaf edges compared to the other two, and it blooms during Easter since it needs a longer period in the cool weather to form flowers. The Thanksgiving cactus has notches with sharper edges and blooms horizontally to the stems.
The Christmas cactus looks like this.
It’s much closer to the Thanksgiving cactus, but you would also find one with rounded edges. Some of them would grow so long you can hang them already, and their flowers fit perfectly with the season it was named after.
Correctly identifying which one you have is the first step to propagating it properly.
Since the Christmas cactus grows along or vertically on its stems, you must make cuttings in a Y shape. Make sure to cut at least two to three segments so it will bloom in time.
These segments will soon grow more after a month since you cut them.
The easiest hack to propagate a Christmas cactus is using toilet paper.
It’s absorbent, fibrous, and biodegradable, so it doesn’t harm the tip. If anything, it can help the cuttings grow quickly. Just remember to give at least an inch gap from the end of the toilet paper, so there’s enough room for roots to grow.
You can find the steps for propagating your Christmas cactus below.
Remember to dry (and by dry, we mean without remaining water or moisture) the stems and roots before planting them into a new pot. This prevents your roots and the bottom stem from rotting.
Water it as you would a fully-grown Christmas cactus, and you will see it grow in time for the season.
Propagating a Christmas Cactus:
- Cut into a Y-shaped stem tip with two to three segments.
- Take a toilet paper about a foot long and wrap it around the bottom of the stem. Give about an inch allowance from the tip.
- Get a pot or any container and place a cloth sack to cover the bottom.
- Lay the wrapped cuttings inside and spray some water to keep them moist.
- Leave it in a well-lit area avoiding direct sunlight for a month.
- After a month, take out the wet tissue paper.
- Dry the stem, especially the ends, before planting to avoid rotting.
- Take a small pot of sand soil and plant the cuttings.
Ready to propagate your Christmas cactus? Watch the demo below.
