Mid-Atlantic Gardening: WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE MID-ATLANTIC FORUM?????, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
carolyn---
I have never before cut back my X-mas cactus---but, as you know--or should know--"doc" is an
expert on this....He inspired me to do this.....
The ones I posted were a good size--as I bought the pink one out-of-bloom on sale about
4 years ago. Of course--it is my best one--as all the others are much older....
I really want to get rid of them and get new ones.

Most of my X-Cactus are old and woody and droopy. I thought I would cut them back--
what do I have to lose?
I cut back all the "branches" but still left the promising. growing divisions on the plant,

My big pink one got blown down this summer and lost about 1/3 of it. Along with 2 others.
I gathered up the broken pieces and put them on a tray in my dark, cool basement.
They sat there for over a month--as I did not get to them to trim and plant.

Believe it or not--those broken off pieces all bloomed.....just as they were on a tray.
Proves that roots are not necessary for these to bloom. All their energy is in the succulent leaves.

Here are the broken off pieces ...on the tray...This was in October....

Gita