Topic: Easter/Christmas cactus

[vjm63]

Hi all,

I am just wondering if anyone else has had this 'problem'.  I have a houseplant Christmas cactus - which also flowers at Easter. It is different stems that flower at the two different times - but in answer to the obvious question, I got the cuttings myself off an older far larger plant a couple of years ago or more - I do know they were from the same one.

Is it possible that it has somehow done a sport or variation in one plant? - so some would have one flowering time, the other the other? The Easter side is facing the room, whilst the Christmas side faces the window - but I am grabbing at straws now..

Any ideas - or have I just got a confused plant?!  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Are the flowers on both stems the same? You can graft cacti, so maybe the original plant was grafted, or maybe two plants growing together in one pot.

[vjm63]

The flowers are the same, pretty much, but I did not know grafting was a possibility.  The original was a good size, and got too big so perhaps it was a grafted one before I got it. It all seemed to be one plant, although i took cuttings from various places before it went.

Thanks for the idea.

[carrot-cruncher]

I too have a similiarly confused cacti.

I now refer to mine as the "Easter/Xmas/Whenever it bl**dy well feels like it" cactus.

All the flowers are the same colour and style...I think it's just got rather confused during the years it's lived with me.

CC

[jennym]

I remember looking into Christmas cactus type plants a few years ago, they are Schlumbergera, and there are different types that flower at different times. I've got one that I keep out until mid November in a sheltered place, then bring in and it almost always flowers at end November (my mum's birthday). I did have some that flowered in the spring too. Not sure about your one flowering different times on the same plant, Robert may have the answer there with grafting. This US site gives a fair bit of info: http://www.mattslandscape.com/schlumbergera_growing/

[gwynnethmary]

Well Easter wouldn't make much sense without Christmas, and vice versa, so maybe the plant's got it right!  How lovely, a double delight!

[goodlife]

The name of the plant is only a refrence when It is usually due to flower...
But Christmas cactus can flower all year round given ideal light and watering levels for it ::) Mine throws odd flower through out the year.. like now..there is about 6 but only does the proper bloom November time..
My aunties cactuses are really nutters..they are flowering all the time and she hardly looks after them..she waters them when she remembers..and fertilizing ::)..yeah right.... ::)
The reason that one does flower and one not is like you said..one faces the window and another not..they are very light sensitive plants...often plants that are full of buds that are turned other way round for better view can get "upset" by different light direction and can course massive bud drop.. :o..yep..been there.. ::)

[Vortex]

The cacti are triggered into flowering by a cold snap and the amount of daylight - mine usually flower in late November/Early December, but have recently flowered a second time.
Commercial producers control light an temperature to deliberately force the cacti to flower at a given time so they can sell them to a particular market.
I propagate my own from cuttings, and in addition to the purple/pink variety I've managed to acquire a red one - now waiting for the cuttings to get large enough to flower.
Anyone know of any other colours?

[goodlife]

white, baby pink, yellow, various bi-coloured...

[campanula]

easter cacti- rhipsalis (sp?) come in orangey peachy colours.