How to Root Christmas Cactus Cuttings in Water

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Yes, you can root a Christmas cactus cuttings in water! Let’s get to it.

If you’ve never seen a Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) you might be surprised to learn that it’s not at all like those you see growing in the Mojave or Sonoran deserts. It lacks the pokey spines of the desert cactus and, although it is a succulent, it hails from the tropics. Plus, unlike it’s arid-loving cousins, it blooms in winter – December, typically.

Christmas cacti, in fact, bloom more prolifically with age and they tend to live a long life, if properly cared for. Paul Brunelle, renowned cactus expert, claims that his 30-year old plant produced 800 flowers between November and May one year.

Pruning is best done when it finishes blooming. This also happens to be the ideal time to take cuttings that you can then root in water.

What you’ll need to root a Christmas cactus cutting and care for it afterward

How to root Christmas cactus cuttings in water

Use a sharp scalpel (we like these sterile, disposable cutting scalpels) or small knife to remove a length of Christmas cactus. As long as it has at least two sections, it will root.

root christmas cactus in water

Remove the flower from the cutting, if it has one.

Fill the jar, vase or whatever you’ve chosen as the rooting vessel with water and place the cut end of the cutting into the water until two nodes are submerged.

SHOP NOW

Place the cutting container in an area that receives bright but indirect sunlight and allow it to sit until roots form and grow as long as the cutting. This may take up to eight weeks so you’ll need to dump out the water and add fresh every few days or every week, depending on how cloudy it becomes.

Fresh water has more oxygen, so don’t neglect this task. Also keep an eye on the water level to ensure that the two nodes remain under water. When ready, plant the Christmas cactus cuttings into a planting pot filled with three parts of coarse compost (Duspro manufactures a coarse orchid blend, ideal for the Christmas cactus) blended with 1 part of small gravel or perlite.

Ensure that the planting medium remains slightly moist and that the air temperature remains no cooler than 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and between 60 and 65 degrees overnight.

Ongoing care of the Christmas cactus

Remember, your Christmas cactus is more of a tropical plant so treat it as you do your other houseplants. In fact, if you grow orchids, your Christmas cactus will enjoy the same care. Water the Christmas cactus when the top inch of the potting mix is dry and fertilize it monthly, April through October, with a standard houseplant fertilizer. We love Jack’s Classic

One of the kindest things you can do for your Christmas cactus is to place it outdoors when the weather turns nice. Start it off with 30 minutes for about a week and then work your way up, in one-hour increments, until it is spending all of its time outdoors during the daytime.

Never place the plant in direct sun, rather mimic its natural environment by placing it under a tree where it will receive dappled sunlight. Bring it back indoors before fall’s first frost.

Forcing the Christmas cactus to bloom

Force the cactus to bloom during the holidays by providing it with the proper light, moisture and fertilizer. Beginning in September, set the Christmas cactus in a room where it receives bright, indirect sunlight during the days and a pitch-dark room that remains near 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night.

Then, in September, ensure that the Christmas cactus gets at least 12 hours of complete darkness every night.  Ensure that no lights are turned on during it’s darkness cycle, even for a few minutes. In the daytime, move it into a bright location (no direct sun). Follow this darkness/daylight schedule through the end of November.  

Water half as frequently as you do during the growing season during this period. In early November apply a 0-10-10 fertilizer (buy it online, here) to the soil around the cactus according to the rate listed on the label. Reapply, at the same rate in February.

If you’re interested in purchasing a Christmas cactus, Amazon.com has some lovely varieties for sale. We especially like the peachy tones of the Samba Brazil or the striking magenta Christmas cactus, sure to chase away winter’s gloom.

Photo: By Schlumbergera_truncata_02.JPG: Lestat (Jan Mehlich) derivative work: Peter coxhead (Schlumbergera_truncata_02.JPG) CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

We receive small commissions from purchases made through links in this post. We have not, however, received any products for free — all of the products we refer you to are those that we purchase and use in our own gardens.


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