OMG!! My Christmas Cactus is actually blooming!!!

Wow! Look at this little guy. A friend of mine gave me this little cutting several weeks ago. It was just the green little cutting.. Recently I noticed it had buds at the end of each frond (not sure its called a frond as its not a true cactus)... Anyway... I looked at it yesterday and it has bloomed... WooHoo..

Not sure what I'm doing, but I must be doing something right.... I have never had one before..

This message was edited Dec 5, 2009 10:47 PM

This message was edited Dec 5, 2009 10:52 PM

Another pic... Its really just a small cutting in a little 4 in terra cotta pot.

I'm AMAZED

Ok, Sorry, My camera is screwy at close up shots lately... blurry is getting annoying.

Here is one more.. hope its easier to view.

thats awesome daisy! is it red? I just got 2 at walmart ones dark pink and the other is light pink

Yep Its red Trina... I'll share this with you, because I know you won't laugh at me.... ; ) You will laugh WITH me.... When I found the bloom, I danced around my kitchen. I was so happy and PROUD!!

I did that today when I noticed the poor man's orchids had started sprouting!

Nice blooms, Daisy. I think if you keep the plant in a cool condition the flowers last much longer. I've got two Christmas cacti, one has shed all its flowers already but the other one is still putting out new blooms. They are kept in an unheated room and have been flowering for about a month now! I think mine flowered earlier because of the short daylight hours here.

Yay, Daisy! I danced a couple weeks ago when the tiny sprig of Christmas Cactus I rescued gave me a pink flower too! I only got the one smallish flower off the biggest sprig - but considering the broken off fronds were half dried out and left to die when I found them back in summer, it's a wonderful little miracle!

Wow! Congrats! It's beautiful!

Paulie, Yours is a very pretty color, an attractive specimen.

I have it on the window sill of a northfacing window. The conditions are quite cool in that window. My Jade (crassula) is doing great there too, sprouting new leaves like crazy..(another reason to dance, as I love that plant).

I had tucked a glass jar in that window to water root a cutting from one of my golden pothos, and one from my satin philo.... Silly me.. its too cool in that window, for those cuttings right now... lol. In the spring and summer, its a great location for rooting cuttings...

Hey, This is definitely an "on the job training" experience. lol

Daisy, I think you and I must have the same plant collection, lol. I have a Crassula next to my Christmas cacti too, it's still quite small but probably twice as big as when I bought it last year. I like them when they are a couple of feet high, looking old and gnarled. There is one in one of the schools I work in, it looks ancient and neglected but still seems to thrive. God knows how long mine will take to get to that size. That's why I buy a lot of mature plants, instant impact (and lack of patience)!

Paulie,

"great minds think alike"..and we are people of good taste. I agree, we do have many of the same plants.

Here is a jade of my brothers that is blooming.

wow trish that's awesome

What a beautiful plant.

tishrh,

That is very pretty.. I have never seen one bloom before..

I wonder if you can get seeds from it. ? I will have to ask my brother. lol. He has 4 of these.

I read that either day length or cool temps will set the buds. I am trying to get some cuttings to bloom by using day length in the laundry room. I don't want to go in there at night anyway. Sheesh. The ones on the porch bloomed before Thanksgiving, thanks to some cool weather before they were moved into the house. Are they cactus or not? I thought no but one site says yes.

if you figure that out let the rest of us know please! LOL

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/cactusFAQs.html

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1510/

Yup. It's a cactus.

I was just telling someone else...but here's a good laugh for you....this was the first year I had ever seen christmas, thanksgiving, or an easter cactus

Lovely Holiday Cactus Daisy & Paulie! And Wow, Tish ... that blooming Jade of your brothers is gorgeous! I've never seen a Jade in bloom either but heard in California they are grown as hedges in some areas and have beautiful blooms.

It does get rather confusing with these plants. I guess the Schlumbergera are commonly called "Holiday Cactus" or "Thanksgiving & Christmas" Cactus) because they bloom during that time of year. Plant Files has 69 Schlums, some with photo's: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=Holiday+cactus&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&searcher%5Bgrex%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search&offset=0

Now, there's another genera.... Hatiora, which is called "Easter" Cactus because I suppose it blooms during that time of year: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=Easter+cactus&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&searcher%5Bgrex%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search

I don't think any are in the Cacti family but are labeled as Tropicals & Perennials and I think all are succulents.

3jsmom: Thank You! I didn't even notice the heading in PF ... they ARE all in the Cactus family, just different Genus.

Lyn you're awesome with the links, I can't get them to work when I try to post one...LOL

you can get jade plants by just taking a leaf and rooting it in some soil. They root rapidly.

Good to know.. I didn't know that it was a cactus.... Learn something new everyday, Here I learn about 3 new things everyday...

only 3? I have to take a break sometimes cause my head starts hurting from all the new things I learn....LOL

Trina: I had a heck of a time figuring out how to do the links, they would always show up but not highlighted. Then someone here told me how to do it correctly. After copying the link I needed to leave a space after what I typed before pasting it.

Pasting after the colon with no space:http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/cactusFAQs.html it shows up black

But, if I leave a space after the colon: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/cactusFAQs.html it shows up blue

Jade's are succulents but are not in the Cactus family

Crassula: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=crassula&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&searcher%5Bgrex%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search

I can't get the copy and paste thing to work so I'm always having to type it out and always manage to spell something wrong...LOL

Trina, You are a smart cookie so I know if this old lady can learn it, you can! ^_^

I am so not good at explaining things or giving instructions but this is how I do it:

Click on the left edge of the http: line at the top of the screen until it's highlighted in blue, then go to "edit" (somewhere at the top of your screen), scroll down and click on "copy", then go back to the page where you want to past the link and type something, go back to the top of the screen to "edit" again and click on "paste" and it should past it into your post. The link will show up black in your typed message but after you hit send it will be blue. Just remember to leave a space after your typed message before you click on paste.

You can also check in in preview.

I keep forgetting that preview button is there! LOL

Thanks Lin I appreciate it! although today I think I would appreciate the ability to sit up straight...I know better but I tried to do waaaaay too much yesterday because I felt good and I'm paying for it now!

Trina, I hope you feel better soon. I know all too well about over-doing, and the aches/pains of paying for it later ... and, the older you get the more you pay for it later, LOL.

well I must've done it good this time cause the vicodin isn't even taking the edge off the pain..teach me to move my big plants by myself

Trina.. You take care of yourself and do not over do it anymore.. Did you injure your back?

not so much injured as seriously aggravated an already existing injury...never move an 9 foot tall weeping fig by yourself

Heck! I wish I HAD a 9 ft weeping fig to move....

Let hubby help you next time. --

he'd have to be home first...LOL
trust me this time of year it sheds leaves like crazy cause the kids won't leave the front door closed, makes a mess everywhere, the oleander does too and I HAVE to keep those picked up cause of the dog

thanks everyone, i will tell my brother your compliments! He used the same conditions as you need to get a poinsettia to turn color for the jade to bloom.