Is It Time For Feeding My Christmas Cactus?

Is it time to feed your Christmas Cactus? Yes it is.  Right now my cactus is getting ready to go settle down and get a little fertilizer in order for it to start budding in Late Novermber. I have started several smaller plants from peices that have been broken off due to a few cats around here that just love the window sill where my Christmas Cactuses  are sitting. 

For the smaller cactuses that have some growth on them I will give them a weaker dose of fertilizer the liquid type is what I like to use this time of year.  But in the spring and summer I tend to use granulars that are time released as you water. That way I just water once a week and forget about them.   I will check to make sure all the dirt around them looks fresh and top any plant that needs some at this point.  I will also repot anything that needs repotting also that I may of missed in the late spring.  Doing this now will let me Cactus rest before it has to get ready for the winter bloom in all its glory.

My neighbor recently passed away last month and her granddaughter that she raised  is living in the house now.  I want to place one of the new baby Christmas Cactuses in a Red Pot and give to her for the holidays. As this summer she was asking me how to take care of different plants outside in their yard. Angela is 23 and was helping raise her cousin that is only 15 now. She has alot of responsibility on her keeping him under control. For Angela I will make sure she has something living for Christmas one beautiful Christmas Cactus.

How To Purchase A Christmas Cactus

When you go to purchas your Christmas Cactus you want to make sure you look for shiny green leaves on your plant. Your Christmas Cactus should have small buds or small blooms on the plant before you take it home to where you will be placing it inside your home. You can find them from late October till December just before Christmas Time. The best time to purchase one is in Mid November as it takes 6 weeks to bud and begin to bloom for Christmas. You can purchse your Christmas Cactus from a grocery store, Walmart, Home Depot, Loews or any garden store. If you check the stores just after Christmas alot of stores will have them marked down or ready to trash. Ask you store manager if you can purchase one that is ready to be discarded. You can pick it up for a buck or two this way and get yourself a differnt color. They come in many different colors as they bloom. Just look around a grab one. You may not be able to tell what color it will be until next year since the blooms will have fallen off or died up. Best day to pick they up is about the 27 of December if you want one for just about nothing. You will have a wonderful time watching it bud before it opens into blooms next Christmas and be surpised by all its glory and the color you chosen for your buck or two Christmas Cactus. I hope when you purchase your Christmas Cactus you will love it as much as I do.

Fall Is Now Here Soon My Christmas Cactus Will Begin To Bud.

Fall is now here, Soon my Christmas Cactus will begin to bud. The weather is getting cooler and there is a crisp feeling to the night air. This year several peices of my Christmas Cactus has been broken off by one of my cats. I had picked them up and placed them in a small pot in hopes that they would take off and begin to grow. I had sever die and some take and root in the potting soil I place them in. I had to baby them quiet a bit in order for them to grow and be healthy. I beleive I now have about 6 small pots of cuttings that have taken off thanks to my cats. They seem to love them more then me. Dusty loves to try moving the large pot where my Christmas cactus is and sit in the window in the back of the house. The back of my house is a room where its a bookcase and ledge all around the back wall. This is where I have my Christmas cactus. It was my moms but when mom passed in 2000 my dad gave it to me. I had always loved them and moms always bloomed at Christmas Time. She has a green thumb for sure, I got that from her. As I love playing in the dirt and gardens around my house when I am able to do it. An during the winter and late fall you will see me playing with my Christmas Cactus making sure its fine before its time to bloom in all its glory. I will soon begin to keep a eye on my plants and see if they need new soil and give them one last feeding or two. As soon they will begin to show signs of budding. My baby Christmas Cactus may not do much this year but they sure will next year as they will be a little more mature and able to give me some blooms. I am planning on giving each of my sisters something they don't have for Christmas this year one Christmas Catcus that was Moms . I have already started my Christmas gifts as I am making both of my sisters crocheted afgans for the back of there sofa's. Linda my baby sister just got married and they have a small appartment and not alot of money for extra things. I know she loved home made gifts the best as they are from the heart. Dorene my younger sister is just 2 years younger then I am and she will love the gifts too. She is single and is now learning what home made gifts from the heart are all about. She's always loved bought things till recently.