- Author: Ed Perry
The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) is native to the jungles of South America, and available in a wide variety of colors including red, purple, oranges, pinks and creams. Its pendulous stems make it a great plant for hanging baskets.
While the Christmas cactus can adapt to low light, more abundant blooms are produced on plants that have been exposed to high light. While indoors, keep your plants in a sunny location. You can move your Christmas cactus outdoors in summer, but keep it in a shady or semi-shady location. Too much direct sunlight during the summer months can turn the leaves yellow, or even burn the leaves.
The Christmas cactus prefers warm temperatures. Good, vigorous growth occurs at temperatures between 70 to 80 degrees F during its growing season from April to September. However, evening temperatures of 55 to 65 degrees F are best for flower bud formation. When you move your plant indoors in fall, keep it away from heat vents, fireplaces or other sources of hot air, especially once flower buds are set. Continuous warm temperatures - especially above 80 degrees F - can cause the flower buds to drop.
The Christmas cactus also requires thirteen hours or more of continuous darkness each day before flowering will occur. This occurs naturally in fall. Street lights, car lights or indoor lighting can disrupt the required dark period, causing a lack of flowering.
The plant is not a true cactus and is not quite as drought tolerant as the name infers. However, it is a succulent plant and can tolerate some drying. Water thoroughly when the top half of the soil in the pot feels dry to the touch. During the summer, water so that the soil is always slightly moist. The plant does not tolerate wet, waterlogged soil conditions, especially during the dark days of winter. When fall arrives, water the plant only well enough to prevent wilting.
The Christmas cactus flowers best when kept somewhat potbound. Plants should be repotted in spring every two or three years, or whenever the pot is filled with roots and the soil no longer holds water and nutrients.
Fertilize your Christmas cactus with a soluble houseplant fertilizer every three to four weeks when new growth starts in early spring, and throughout the summer. Reduce the fertilizer during the fall and early winter. During flower bud formation, stop fertilizing and only water enough to keep the leaves from becoming shriveled.
Prune your Christmas cactus after blooming to encourage the plant to branch out. Remove a few sections of each stem by pinching them off with your fingers or cutting with a sharp knife. You can start new plants by rooting the stem tips in moist potting soil.
Ed Perry is the emeritus Environmental Horticultural Advisor for University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) in Stanislaus County where he worked for over 30 years.
- Author: Anne E Schellman
In August we featured an article by former Environmental Horticulture Advisor, Ed Perry, called "Save the Right Seeds."
This article discussed how to successfully choose which vegetable seeds to save to plant in your garden next year.
Now, we wanted to follow up with tips for how to save your chosen seeds. Master Gardeners Royce Rhoads and Heidi Aufdermaur taught this class last year, and plan to teach it again in 2021.
Here is a list of items to gather. Most likely you already have most of them:
-Tomato
-Marker and masking tape
-Knife and spoon
-Jars and rings; or just use paper cups
-Paper towels or cheesecloth
-Fine mesh or strainer
-Paper plates for drying
-Letter envelopes
Most people save tomato seeds, so let's go over the steps to save them. Tomato seeds have a gooey covering over them that needs to be removed first.
Allowing the seeds to sit in water lets “good” bacteria break down that covering. The empty seeds will float and you can skim them off. The seeds you want are at the bottom of the jar.
Step 1: Label the outside of your jar with masking tape and a permanent marker.
Step 2: Cut tomato, scoop out seeds & put into jar.
Step 3: Fill your jar, with the seeds in it, 1/2 full of water. Cover with paper towel/cheesecloth.
Step 4: Two days later, skim off floating seeds and remove.
Step 5: Wait a few more days until a film forms on the surface (fermentation* process).
Step 6: Strain the pulp through a screen until seeds separate. Spread onto labeled plate until dry for a few days.
Step 7: Label a paper mailing envelope and add seeds. Make sure to include the date.
Your seeds can last up to 4 years if stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Did you save any seeds using this post? If so, please tell us how you did in the comments below!
Vegetables such as peppers, eggplants, and melons are much easier to save than tomato seeds. Just remove and spread them out to dry. Squash seeds are also easy, but may need a little bit of cleaning by straining and rinsing with water.
- Author: Anne E Schellman
If you've always wanted to grow vegetables, but don't have the space, this class will help you get started. You'll learn which vegetable plants grow best in containers, which size container to choose, and how to plant, care for, and harvest warm season vegetable crops. This is a great class for beginning gardeners. Attendees will receive free seeds.
To sign up for the class, please see information below. Do not post to this blog. These classes are taught by our Master Gardener Program volunteers.