You are buying 1 rooted plant. Ship without pot and soil. No bloom right now.
Please give me time to ship your order. I usually print first and then pack them within a few days. I work full time also. Please be patience. You will get your plant.
Please check your address before checkout. I am not responsible for the wrong address.
Return Policy:
There is no return on any plants, it is up to you to care for them after you receive them. But if your plant arrived damaged, please have your order number and photo of your damaged plant ready. Then, let me know via etsy's message system, so I can ship a replacement for you as soon as possible.
Is the bare roots shipping the safe way for the plants?
Yes...Some people worry about shipping bare roots because they think that maybe the plant get more stress in a box without soil, I'll try to explain in my opinion why I highly recommend bare root shipping.
1. Most of the plants and cactus need to be repotted every 1 or 2 years on the same pot to speed it's growing capacity with the new soil and sometimes to move to a bigger pot, and check for any problem in the roots system with pest, most of the cactus we sale need anyway to be repotted.
2. I don't wash the roots!, only remove the old roots an soil by hand to avoid any damage on the roots system, 3. the most important, to avoid any damage on the shape of the plant, when shipping in pot sometimes the weight of the soil can push the plant again the wall of the box if the postman drop the box outside down and the plant will be damage, in most case I can ship the plant in a pot.
Bloom color are different depend on the temperature. The cooler temperature, the color will turn more intense.
Christmas Cactus Care Instructions
Light
Unlike desert cacti, the Christmas Cactus grows natively in shady forests. This means direct harsh sunlight needs to be avoided. They need a well lit spot, although they will take darker locations as long as they can be given brighter light for at least a few months of the year.
Unusually for a cacti - direct harsh sunlightneeds to be avoided
Watering
Like all cacti they can store water inside their thick fleshy leaves, and live off this in emergencies. However if you want a thriving specimen you will need to water as you would a normal houseplant, i.e. when the soil becomes dry.
Humidity
Misting the leaves a few times a month is recommended if the plant has been positioned in a dry environment (think that naturally they come from shady, dank and moisture rich forests). Do not mist if your Christmas Cactus is in flower or you risk making them go soggy and rot away.
Feeding
Feed during the growing season about once a month. To encourage a large number of blooms to form if possible feed with a tomato feed which should be high in Potassium. If this isn't practical, an all purpose houseplant fertilizer will be fine. I use superthrive also.
Temperature
The average temperatures in most homes is perfect. The plant must rest after it has flowered, and this needs to be slightly cooler, 7°C - 15 °C / 45°F - 59°F. An unheated room would usually be ideal.
Repotting
The Christmas Cactus grows slowly and it takes quite a while to become pot bound. Repot after flowering if needed, but you probably won't have to do it more than once every three years or so.
Propagation
In Spring or Summer cut off part of one of the stems with 2 or 3 "segments" attached. Wait a day for the cut to dry over before inserting it into a pot with compost. You can use a rooting hormone if you prefer but cuttings normally take really easily on their own. Don't go crazy with the watering and aim to keep the compost only slightly moist (too much and the cutting will rot).
Speed of Growth
As mentioned the Christmas Cactus is a slow growing houseplant.
Height / Spread
There is no denying that the Christmas Cactus is a slow growing plant, but over many years it can become quite spread, and heavy!
Flowers
The secret to masses of blooms is to move it outdoors.
When in bloom this plant is truly spectacular! You may get one or two flowers if you leave it in the same place all year round, however the simple secret to masses of blooms is to move it - outside.
At some point between June through to August put the plant outside in a shady protected location. In short exposure to the elements outdoors hardens up the the new growth that will start to form from Spring. If kept indoors the new growth stays quite soft and flowers rarely form, exposure to the great outdoors over a couple of months hardens the plant up.
Buds appear on the very end of each stem after a few months of being outside, but it will take another month or so before they are fully developed. Ideally when the largest bud looks close to opening, bring the plant indoors to its flowering location and do not move it again until flowering has finished. This is because they dislike being moved about when in flower and doing so runs the risk of bud blast.
The plant should be brought inside when buds are forming or outdoor night time temperatures approach 7°C / 45°F, which ever comes first. (The Easter Cactus needs to come in when it starts getting cold outside regardless, because it won't show buds until early the following year).
Are Christmas Plants Poisonous?
Although the leaves and flowers do not taste nice at all, the plant itself is not toxic to people, cats or dogs.
Anything else?
When you put the plant outside for the Summer guard against slugs and snails, which will take random bites out of the segments.
