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A Christmas Cactus is a perfect potted plant; it gets beautiful flowers, is rarely
affected by pests & diseases, and requires almost no care. This flowering indoor houseplant is a Christmas present that
won’t be forgotten in a few days or returned for the wrong size. Best of all it lives for 100 years and can be passed
on from generation to generation, getting bigger & more impressive each year.
Houseplant 411 for the iPhone & i Pod Touch
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CARE OF CHRISTMAS CACTUS
Light: Place your Christmas Cactus in bright indirect light but never direct sun. This houseplant will live in medium to
low light, but flower buds may drop off or may never form at all. Water: Keep your
plant on the dry side; watering when the top two inches of soil are dry. Under watering leads to buds falling off of a Christmas
Cactus: over watering leads to root rot. Flowering: Blooms develop on a
Christmas Cactus when days are short and temperatures are low. Starting in early fall, try to give your plant 12 hours of
darkness each day, place it in a closet in the evening and remove it the next morning. Keeping a Christmas Cactus in a cool
area, 50-55 degrees, also helps the flowers form by Christmas. The cooler the room the longer the blooms will last. Fertilizer: A Christmas Cactus does not need much fertilizer. Feed your plant every
two weeks in the spring and summer with an indoor plant fertilizer at ½ strength. Pests: White sticky cotton like residue indicates mealy bugs. Dip a Qtip in alcohol and wipe them off. Do not spray your entire plant or all of the buds and flowers may fall off.
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CHRISTMAS CACTUS FAQ’S
1. My plant gets buds but they drop off without opening.There are several possible causes: not enough light,
soil is too dry, room is too dry, plant is too close to a draft or heating vent. 2.
I get a few flowers but not enough to make the plant look good. The plant needs long hours of darkness and cool
temperatures starting in October. This should set the buds. Once the buds have formed place your cactus in bright indirect
light. 3. What should I do after my Christmas cactus stops blooming?Cut off a few segments from each stem; this will help the plant bush out for the next year and you can use your cuttings
to start a new plant. 4. What kind of soil should I get when I want to repot my
plant?You can use any good potting soil that is specifically for succulent plants. 5. My Christmas cactus is very dusty; how do I clean it?Put it in the sink and gently spray it with warm
water.
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