Christmas cactus

One of our customers has asked us if we know how to prune a christmas cactus which is now flowering, I don't think personaly that she should prune while she has flowers on, also how can she get it out of her albaba pot, as it is pot bound and she wants to repot it but can't get it out, she said, should she try to cut round it then leave all the soil?
We said we would ask our gardening friends, so over to you guys and gals.

Could you also give some advice to me as i bought a pot of chives from the supermarket, I read where they are not the best places to buy but it looked so healthy. It had a sleave of plastic over the pot and i put it in our kitchen for when i needed it, but after a week it started to droop although it has been watered. Could the cause be because the plastic was holding it up. Do you think I should chop it down a little, or is it because it should be outside?
I have had them in our garden before and they have always been alright there.

 

With the cactus I'd wait until it has finished flowering and then use a long knife or hacksaw blade to cut around the rim of the pot. Then pull it out. Repot and then prune it back as after having lost part of the root system it will need to lose some top growth too.

Chives - my guess is that they were over watered and couldn't drain through the plastic.

 

Re the cactus - as with most plants, when you need to get them out of the pots, the first thing to try is a VERY good watering - this lubricates things, and you might find it comes out easily.... - but not until it's finished flowering!!

 

Thanks guys for the advice on the christmas cactus i shall inform our customer, thanks also regarding the chives.