Holiday Cacti General Discussion Forum

The purpose of this Thread is to give those of us who have a passion for the Holiday Cacti (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter) an opportunity to ask or answer questions, have discussions or merely show pictures of our prize possessions.
We want to keep it simple, so if you choose to use the Latin name please use the Common name also so we all know which plants we are discussing.
Any subject that pertains to these cacti will be welcome and no question is ever considered stupid. This will be a journey into the world of the Holiday Cacti. Enjoy your trip.

This message was edited Dec 29, 2010 6:36 PM

This message was edited Dec 29, 2010 6:46 PM

1st of many questions.

How can I tell if a holiday cacti is a Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter cactus by just looking at the leaves?

Does anyone have pictures of each type?

Mary

Well, here we are on the new thread and hopefully we will have lots of good stuff to discuss. What a way to end a year and begin a new one!
Until the snow melts and we can get outside again, we can participate in this group and hopefully have the time past faster. I am not a snowbird.
I for one would like to discuss how you tell the difference between the three cacti without having any ID other than the name.
The best place I have found that actually shows you the difference in pictures, is the article by Paul J. Brunelle written in December 2001 called Recognition and Culture of the Holiday Cacti. That has been a wonderful source of information and I would love to discuss it with someone.
My problem is I have a problem remembering the Latin names...............but my excuse is that I am old. Better than no excuse at all.
JB

Mary, I was writing when you posted. How funny. I answered your question before you ask it. I hope to find the link on that article. I have had it for sometime and need to search for the source. I was researching the cacti and came across Paul's notes but I am not sure where I found it. If you find it before I do, please post it. There are pictures that show the difference and all. Stay warm and watch out for the black ice if you come to NJ.

I was doing some surfing and found this site that shows the " leaf" difference between the Thanksgiving and Christmas, and mentions the Easter Cacti difference. http://www.ladybug.uconn.edu/factsheets/documents/HolidayCactus.html
I use to have one, but it got very old and woodie and started dropping peices all over the place, so it was sent to compost heaven. Now with all the talk about them I may just try one again.

JB, I think is the site you were referring to

http://cactus.biology.dal.ca/paulS/christmas/christmas.html#christmas

It states that both the Christmas & Thanksgiving varities bloom twice a year.

Question .. how do you get them to bloom in the spring?

Chris ,

The site you gave really shows how different the leaves are between the Christmas and Thanksgiving varities.


Gee, I'm already learning!

Thanks

MARY ^_^

BJ. Looking at your picture I would guess the red one on the left is a Christmas and the Pink-red one one the right is Thanksgiving. I was looking that the way the flowers hang from the plant. The Christmas is hanging down and the Thanksgiving has a slight bend pointing up.

I like that site you found Mary... Good job. I put it in my favorites.

Mary! That is an excellent site! I bookmarked it....++

I have NEVER seen a true Christmas cactus.
I have had an Easter cactus for several years now.

I am SO guilty of ignoring the water needs of these--and they get all dry,,,,
I just think that it is OK--but it is not! From the 2 links--you can see the times of year
that they need watering--and when not to. Shame on me!!!

I tell everyone else how to care for plants--and I tend to neglect them...
Luckily, I am fortunate to never have had any insect problems on any of my plants.
Perhaps, it is because I treat all my plants with Systemic Granules a couple of
weeks before I bring them in. ALL of them!

Just checked my Easter cactus--and the leaves look pretty sad--nor plump at all....
Maybe I should transplant it--not b/c it needs a bigger pot--but I bet it would love
some fresh soil.
I also have an off-shoot of this growing in a 4" clay pot. That definitely needs to move up!

The Easter cactus is also known as "Star cactus" b/c of the blooms...
You can buy these around Easter--sold in 4" pots at HD and such.
Just get one and let it grow!

Here is a picture of my Easter Cactus a few years ago...(2006).

This is my biggest Th-Giv cactus..I own.
I bought it end of season, somewhere, for 50% off.

It was a 10" HB--quite a nice size to start with.

This is the same pot that blew over this past Summer and a big chunk of it
broke off. Remember the pictures of the cuttings blooming in my dark shop???
Those were the remnants...

NOW--Doc said to cut back the TH. Cactus after it blooms. So I did!
Now--reading the link above--it says to cut it back in Spring--April...
That is why I have all these cuttings to share!

Now I just have to hope that they will actually re-grow between now and Spring????
I may have goofed!!!

HEY, DOC!!!! Did I do right??? You said so!

Here are some of the other ones....Red is nice!

I also have, by now, a nice, little Apricot one.
I believe it was a broken off piece at HD. that I took home and rooted....
It sat on my window sash--and bloomed it's little heart out this fall.
It was so healthy! Succulent!

I cut this one back too--and moved all the pieces and mama to a 5" pot.
I don't think I have a picture--but will look!

This is a wicker baker's rack that sits by my E-facing kitchen door that I never use...
The cacti like it here....I alsu put a lot of smaller pots (rooting) on here...

I had this saved in my Documents....
You may want to look through it....

It is Info. on all kinds of Holiday Plants...just click on the one you want...

http://www.rochestergardening.com/spotlight/a/sl981119.html#CC

Nice pictures Gita!

I think it is good to post these links

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

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/100676/

MARY

This message was edited Dec 29, 2010 9:54 PM

Great information and great pictures!

Good Morning Glories, Wow what a great start for this discussion. So much good stuff already surfaced and pictures are wonderful.
First of all, MARY, that is the link. I was referring to. I had printed it out and could not read the link on the printout. LOL Perfect , I knew if anyone could find it you could. Great work Mary. We will get your answer to the blooming thing very soon. I need to get organized. LOL

Lady, That is a great site and I have printed that one out too. The pictures are perfect. I would like to do that comparison with the leaves on mine just to see if you agree what I have.
Both of the pictures are of cacti I purchased last year and they are the Thanksgiving Cactus or Zygocacti as they are marked on the tags. If I read it correctly, they got that name because the flowers are asymmetrical (Zygomorphic) not normally pendent, but bent somewhat upward at the ovary, so that they grow outward , rather horizontally from the tips of the segments on the branches which are usually much more erect thatn those of the true Christmas Cacti. ( I am not that smart, I just copied the above from the notes Paul wrote)....... Wasn't that impressive....LOL I wish I had known that without looking. That is what we are here for, to learn. Thanksgiving Cactus are also called "Link Cactus or Grandmothers Cactus. Most people think they are Christmas Cactus when in fact, most of them bloom before Christmas and some will be blooming on Christmas but most will be over by then. They are in full bloom about Thanksgiving. Their cultivars are Schlumbergera truncata. I can not remember half of these names.

Gita, your Easter Cactus makes my mouth water. I DO NOT HAVE ONE AND I HAVE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER FOR ONE. I ordered one from Whitten Greenhouse but they will not ship it until Spring and it will be too tiny to bloom, but I am a patient old woman. Your pictures are great. I need to take better pictures. I always have my phone with me and usually snap them on that rather than use my good camera, which is of course not in my pocket all day.

Well, I think we are off to a good start, and I am so happy this topic has a "home" .

Mary, as soon as I get my daily duties done, I will find the article on how to get them to bloom in the Spring. I promise. But the cleaning lady wants me to get the birds done so she can do the bird room. Humpf....oh well. I would much rather do this than the birds but I will tear myself away for awhile. Besides, I must go next door to Gitas group and check in. Later Ladies. JB And a special Thank you for joining in and helping get this topic started. I hope the word spreads and that we can answer all questions. I hope everyone helps answer. All input is welcome.

My old Thanksgiving C. never bloomed untill I started putting it outside in the spring and leaving it out till fall. It was summered on our covered deck. Getting a short time in the afternoon sun when the sun came over to the other side of the house.
? what causes the plant to get woody is it just getting old or does the sun have something to do with it ?

I would like to know the answer to why a holiday cactus becomes woody.

Also, Doc mentioned a weakly weekly tea? What is that? How do you make it?

See, I told you to be prepared for questions from me ... esp my dumb ones! ^_^

MARY

Hey, what does the plant look like when it gets woody? Now we have three questions to answer.
How to make them bloom in the Spring?
What causes them to get woody?
What does a woody plant look like?

Help us out here you people?

I have several old plants but I am not sure if they are woody or not. LOL

I am coming to the conclusion that my Christmas Cacti are really Thanksgiving Cacti......

When do the Easter Cacti bloom? I just love Gitas...... I need to have more of these myself. Gita - your picture of your Easter Cactus has inspired me.....

One other question - perhaps this is a dumb question, but..... do you treat an Easter Cactus the same as the T. Cactus and the C.Cactus?

BJ, down near the bottom of the plant, the older "leaves" (I got to learn the correct name) gets sort of tough looking, like a hard covering over a young leaf. When I tossed the plant out, those old parts were very fibrous when broken in half. Does this help?

There are no dumb questions on this thread, Mary. Anyone who thinks there is can leave.
It may take us a little longer to find the answers, but we will find them, I promise.
I am working on the Spring bloom thing just now and none of the printouts I have address that except the Easter Cactus and I do not know much about them. It does say , now this pertains to the Easter Cactus:
Keep cool in the winter and cover the last one inch of soil with gravel to avoid stem rot. Be careful not to over water. Place pebbles or gravel in the drainage dish to hold water and increase humidity, make sure the pot is sitting on the gravel and not in the water. They do well as hanging plants. That does not tell me a thing about bloom.
I do not remember my TC or CC blooming after March or April. It is then that I take cuttings and repot, etc. I will keep looking into whether you can get them to bloom then and how. JB

I could be wrong, but I think they get woody as they age. I know that to get them to bloom, the days need to be shorter and you need to keep them cooler, but how would you go about that in the spring as the temperatures warm and the days get longer.

I bought an easter cactus a couple of years ago, but I think I may have lost it. I have tons of orchid cacti and 4 or 5 different colored Christmas cactus, but anything I can learn, I am happy about. I love these plants.

Here, I do put them outside as soon as the last frost date has passed and I do not bring them in until just before it freezes. They like living in and under my oak trees and getting watered whenever the sprinkler or hose passes by. I used a plant food mix that I found on the brug forum to feed them last year and they were amazing! I will see if I can find the link for the brug food.
I will post pictures of my colors and cacti later. I will also go find that link. Then I must get busy.
Have a great day everyone.

JB

I think this is a picture showing a plant with woody stems.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/13304/

MARY

Lady, that explains it perfectly. You find the correct names and I will not know what you are talking about. We an learn together. JB

Mary, I can't open that link. BTW is there a way we can make a list of all the links we put here so we can refer back to them when we have time? If anyone knows how, please do it or tell me how. Thanks. JB

Here is the link for the beer formula from the brug forum. I used it for all of my plants last year and they loved it.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/956114/?hl=Beer+formula+for+brugs

Why can't I open these last two links that were posted? Now this is weird. HELP!

JB. You could copy and paste the links into your first post. I also discovered that when you edit posts more then once you can remove the old messages that there is a edit. Just highlight and delete them. This is the only way I know of to keep the links in one place and easy to find.
Maybe someone else will have another idea.
No problem opening links here, that is weird.

And that is a perfect picture of the woody stems.



This message was edited Dec 30, 2010 11:18 AM

JB -

when I click on the links, they are opening in another window behind the window I am currently reading.... See if the links are creating other windows.

OK Carolyn, thanks. I am using FireFox instead of Explorer so that may be the problem. Thanx

Ibartoo -

thank you for that link. I have added it to my tagged files. I have to tell you though, ammonia really surprises me... I think of that as being detrimental to plants.

O.K. When you tag something, what happens, is that like Bookmarking it? I have never tagged anything on DG I bookmark it on the computer. Hmmmmm

Ok, before they are out of them, go to BJ's club (if you are a member). They have many many huge Christmas cactus that are finished blooming but have the dried flowers on them, so you can see the general color. They are in a plastic pot which is inside a crock. They are marked $ 9.99 but if you find a manager, tell them the plant is no longer flowering and if they don't water them, (the plants are bone dry), they will die, causing shrink (loss or no profit) to the store. Ask the manager what price would they accept for me to take one or a few home? I got mine for $ 5.00 and the plant is absolutely huge. Food for thought.

Oh Button, that is Hysterical. Yo are so funny. Thanks for the tip and welcome aboard.
Mary I got the link open for the woody image. Now, is that a Christmas Cactus or a Thanksgiving Cactus. Anyone can answer that question. I think it is a Christmas Cactus.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/13304/

I need info on how to tag a thread.

MARY

I have been going through my files and I found the one that just blew me away. I want to share it with you all. It will take hours for you to look at it and I had to print it out because I referred to it many times. It has been updated now and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
The second page shows the difference in the plants so you can really understand it. I would love to meet this man, he writes so I can understand it. LOL He is in Europe. Dang it.

You may already have seen it but for those of you who have not, here it is:

http://cactusepiphytes.pagesperso-orange.fr/z_page_les_cactus_de_noel.htm

Be sure to open all the sections. It seems endless but what pictures and what information.
Off to work on the taxes. Later. JB

You and me both Mary. How can we both be so dumb??????????????? giggling

Terrific website JB!

I have it bookmarked as Christimas Cacti JB.

Thanks for sharing! ^_^

MARY

I sent him an email. I hope he gets it. I am out of here for the night. Hope you all have a nice evening and I will see you bright and early tomorrow. Nite. ^_^ back at ya.

Tagging - if you go to the upper right hand side where there is an empty box and then a button that says 'search forums' - right next to that is a little file folder. If you click on the file folder it will open and you will be able to save that link and name it accordingly so that you can pull the information easily when you are looking for it. I have a number of things that are tagged..... It is a very useful tool.

Let me know if this helps.

Carolyn

Thanks Carolyn

Just in case I forget ... I copied and saved your directions to a wp file.

^_^ MARY