Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Broken off Section-How to root? , 1 by docgipe

docgipe wrote:
If you would like Holiday Cactus to boom from Thanksgiving through Easter there are now three specific types that should be the basis of your display. The following is a good clearing of the air on this subject.

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CFREC-A Foliage Plant Research Note RH-91-20

R.T. Poole, L.S. Osborne and A.R. Chase University of Florida, IFAS Central Florida Research and Education Center - Apopka 2807 Binion Road., Apopka, FL 32703-8504


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HOLIDAY CACTUS

There is much confusion about the nomenclature of Holiday cacti, a popular seasonal plant native to Brazil. Many commercial growers now call the Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter cacti, Holiday cacti. The scientific as well as common names have also changed throughout the years. Currently, the Christmas cactus is identified as Schlumbergera bridgesii (Lem.) Lofgr., the Thanksgiving cactus, Schlumbergera truncata (Haw.) Moran, and the Easter cactus, Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri (Regel) Moran.

Christmas cacti have cladophylls, or joints, with 2 to 3 rounded teeth on margins, an ovary that is 4 to 5 angled, and purple anthers. Margins of the cladophylls of Thanksgiving cacti are 2 to 4 serrated, the ovary is cylindrical and anthers yellow. Grown under normal daylength, Thanksgiving cacti normally bloom near Thanksgiving, approximately a month before Christmas cacti. However, by manipulating daylength, growers can bring both species into bloom for the Christmas season. Easter cacti have cladophylls with crenate margins and bristles at the apex. Flowers have angled ovaries and spreading stigma lobes. They bloom primarily in the spring and sporadically throughout the year.

Holiday cacti are available in a range of flower colors including white, yellow, orange, pink, red, lavender and a few bicolors. Other characteristics which differ among cultivars are density of branching, stem texture shape of cladophylls, shape of flowers and time of bloom. Although flower color is the primary criterion which consumers evaluate when purchasing Holiday cacti, producers must evaluate performance, particularly the ability of specific cultivars to bloom in time for holiday sales. (unquote)

Since these plants are all relatively fool proof for anyone to probigate, feed and grow an endless supply is commonly available from growers and friends who trade cuttings and started plants. To achieve success one need only to hit an average of suggested management of the probigation and growing suggestions easily found on the net.

Also on the same search one can find commerical rooted cuttings for about five dollars per plug plus shipping. I ordered two of each type in all colors ranging from white to pink to go with the very common reds I allready had. The Thanksgiving types are now blooming. The Christmas types are showing small buds while the Easter types show no bud development presently in the middle of November.

I manage them all the same with the same light and potting mediums. Since they grow in nature on rainwater, high humidity and minimum amounts of all organic growing medium I use very weak fish oil and kelp fertilizers.........using just enough to tint the watering water. I would guess the strength to be about one tenth the label suggested use of the fertilizer. To look at the mix it would be likely called scant tea. I repot every three or four years to maintain great growing conditions. They like to be pot bound and need very little water.

This pix is of the Thanksgiving type. The first white showing this year on November 15th.