Christmas Cacti

Purchased this at a church sale a few months ago.I was hoping it would be nice for Xmas,but it seems to have got its seasons all mixed up. What do I do with it when it is finished flowering?

 

Very pretty Larburnum,mine never flowers at the right time either. When it is finished flowering I think you are meant to repot them but whenever mine are finished I check the pot and if it doesn't seem to be to pot bound I leave it and put it in a cool room with just a little water. Then later on in the year just water it when it starts to dry out.My cactus have always flowered but never at the time they are meant to. I have an Easter cactus that has just finished flowering :rolleyes:

 

Thats a nice plant Larburnum. I've grown them but not to that size, I tend to let them dry out a bit after flowering and rest. Its a long time off but I put mine outside in the summer in a shady spot, and bring them in about now, the buds are just forming.

 

Lovely plant Laburnum. These are one of the few indoor plants that I don't kill :( I have one that is 19 years old that was given to me as a tiddler. Likes light - does not like watering from the top, and keep it on the dry side - as succulents if you give too much water, they rot.

Remove the flowers carefully as they die and dry out. The occasional feed with something like bio and light - occassional repotting and mine just seem to keep going.

I love the flowers and as the plant grows, its quite architectural - survives breaking off stems too.Mine seem very happy on the kitchen windowsill - even do OK in full sun. The one time I moved them away from a light window - they were not happy.

[ 28. October 2005, 08:15 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

Thank you all for your advice, I do hope I will be able to keep it until next Xmas. Glad you told me about watering Fran I was inclined to give it a drenching now and again. Now I will just give it a little from the bottom.
When I got it in the summer I re-potted it in new compost and watered it well and fed it baby bio as I thought it was a bit dried out. I suppose it is me who has confused the plant as I probably disturbed its rest period.
Larburnum

 

<I suppose it is me who has confused the plant >

I doubt it - Christmas cactus seem to flower now til January, and Easter cactus - any time before and after easter.

My office christmas cactus is in full flower, my home christmas cactus is not even showing a bud?? Maybe plants don't notice calenders :D

[ 29. October 2005, 06:28 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

The two plants are similar, one has smooth edges and the other serrated. Do not move it, keep moist but not soggy and it will possibly flower twice. Take cuttings by cutting at the joints and allow to dry, then plant in potting compost. If you can get other colours, plant them all in one pot and it will keep flowering for a long time in different colours.

 

I was entrusted with such a plant three years ago when my friend moved to Spain to live.



It had belonged to her gran for several years and she'd had it for several years so I feel it's a bit of a responsibility. But it had never been repotted! So I repotted it this year and it's gone mad!



Since this pic was taken, it's doubled in size! I'm now trying to decided where best to keep it. Presently it's in my front south facing conservatory which seems to suit it and the sperengeri it has for company. It frequently sends e-mails to its former 'mum' to keep in touch!

[ 01. November 2005, 12:49 AM: Message edited by: michaelmasdaisy ]

 

I just bought two yesterday and read up a little on them. They hate to be moved and need to rest after flowering in a cool room. In the summer somewhere shady outside and then treat like a normal houseplant from autumn on.
I love these plants but never really get much success from them. Hope to do better with these two though.
I love the one in the pic as it isnt your usual xmas one is it?

 

Sorry whilst the pictures are lovely, that glorious plant is neither an xmas nor easter cactus. My father grew one of those and I remembered it as an epiphyllum (orchid cactus) but on checking I was wrong on that too.

So after failing to find in my indoor plant books, I consulted the the tomes he gave me on indoor plants. He collected for some reason a huge number of cards Success with House Plants amounting to some 10 volumes (prolly came with the Daily Telegraph :D ) - but from this it would appear from the leaf shape and flower, its a Pond Lily Cactus - Nopalxochia phyllanthoides. Gorgeous plant.

[ 18. November 2005, 06:05 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

I thought some type of Epiphyllum Fran

The leaves are too elongated for xmas cactus, are nopalxochia related to epiphyllums?

 

Found it
It is an uncommon variety of Epiphyllum
http://www.crisandi.com/cactus.htm

http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week122.shtml

 

That a good looking plant Michealmasdaisy, seems to flower well, I bet cuttings root easy.

 

Thanks Steve, nice to know my memory is not playing tricks with me. But it sure is a gorgeous plant, michaelmas daisy whatever its name.