How do I tell a Christmas Cactus from a Thanksgiving or Easter Cactus?
If you’ve ever wondered why your Christmas cactus blooms too early, it’s because it is likely a Thanksgiving cactus! Thanksgiving cactus blooms about a month earlier in the fall than its fellow holiday bloomer. The traditional Christmas cactus has more delicate, breakable foliage. The most obvious way to tell the difference between the two types is to look at the phylloclades, or flattened leaflike stems where photosynthesis occurs. The Thanksgiving cactus has pointy edges; the Christmas cactus has smooth, round edges.
All three variations are part of the Schlumbergera genus. Known for their leaf-like pads, or stem segments, the real trick to telling the difference between each species is to look at the shape of the stem segments and take note of what season they’re blooming in, she says.
Each of their common names refers to their flowering season. Thanksgiving Cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) and Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesi) varieties are the two most confused for each other because their blooming periods are back-to-back. Thanksgiving Cacti typically bloom between November and December, while Christmas Cacti bloom from January to February. However, houseplants can be forced to bloom at any time, and some Thanksgiving Cacti will bloom closer to Christmas. The Easter Cactus (Schlumbergera gaertneri) blooms in early spring, and it has the most noticeable difference in stem segment shape of the three.
How to grow Holiday Cacti
Each of these holiday cacti require well-drained soil and do not like to be overwatered. Pot them in an equal mix of peat moss, perlite, vermiculite and soil, which will give the plants the good drainage they require. Wait until the soil is dry before watering.
Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus like bright light but not direct sun. They also prefer night temperatures around 65 degrees (although flower bud formation requires temperatures 10 to 15 degrees cooler). Come summer, put your holiday cactus in a cool, bright room or set it outdoors on a partly-shaded side of the house. You can leave these cacti outdoors until fall temperatures dip to 35 degrees. Easter cactus can be treated similarly, but bring them indoors when temperatures dip to 45 degrees.
How to get a holiday cactus to bloom
Cool evening temperatures, around 50 to 55 degrees F, and 12- to 14-hour nights promote bloom set. To ensure your Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus blooms for the holidays, it needs a lot of time in the dark when the buds are forming from September through November. During this time, bright, indirect sunlight is fine during the day, but from dusk to dawn, keep it in a dark place with a temperature of 50 to 55 degrees.
An unused bedroom with a south window or a 3-season porch works great, but don’t turn on any lights at night and keep the plant away from street and porch lights, which can delay flower bud formation. Give Easter cactus similar treatment, starting in late December or early January for early spring blooms.
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