Holiday Cacti General Discussion Part #2

Early "BUMP"......

Here is a picture of my Baby X-mas cacti. Cuttings taken after bloom December 2010.

Till the weather got seasonal--I kept all these in all my mid-ledges of all my windows.
Ignored....Dried out.....but they are just fine now.....

Now they all sit in a tray right smack next to my entrance in total, bright shade.
They seem to love the fresh air--the humidity--and the frequent watering I give them.
Most of them are in 2" clay, or ceramic, pots. I prefer clay.....

I KNOW several of these will bloom by Th-Giving....will be fun to take pictures...
2"--3" plants in bloom! A novelty! Some already did last winter....

Plant Swap in September people? LOOK OUT!

JBerger! haven't heard from you all year! Everything OK?
I know we are all sweltering.....How are all YOUR plants doing????

Gita

Hello Gita, I am here, I am knee deep in cuttings of Holiday Cactus and Jasmine 'Maid of Orleans', plus the temp in the greenhouse is now 104 and I am praying my cuttings do not just die. Not much I can do about it. That is in the shade too. Oh well. I think Mother Nature is mad at me. She nearly killed me this winter, now this. I can not complain, I had a great year with the sales of plants and cut flowers.

Have you joined the new Dave's Garden Site? I am not sure of the name, something like All Things Plants??????? It is very similiar to this one and there are a lot of the people on there that used to be here. Now they are both places. I did a cubits finally with a cute little store.....it took me weeks, then Dave turned around and moved all the garden people out of cubits on to this new one and so my store bit the dust. LOL I do not care. I hadn't expected to do much business on there anyhow.

Your CC look good. I put all mine outside early in the Spring and they are still out. They are looking good except the color is pale due to the sun and heat. They will come back when I bring them inside, I hope. I have a new one that was given to me by a friend. It is orange with a pink center. The plant is so big I have it in the dining room and I took cuttings from it to make it smaller but it is still big. It is about 15 years old they told me so we will see what I can do with it.

All those Easter Cactus I purchased are patented and that really upsets me. I did so want to try and propagate them. I still have those you sent to me. They are doing just fine.
I think I will rest for a few minutes, my eyes are tired from working online. Thanks for showing up again. I missed you but I thought you were busy and did not want to bother you.

Have a nice day. JB

JB---

I have NO idea of the New Site" you are talking about! "All Things Plants"?????
When did that happen??????

I really need to pay more attention to the Dave garden Forum....Keep up with the changes....

My Easter cactus bloomed in mid-June. I think being outside helped....
More light...More water...More humidity.....

PLEASE! Go to the "What's happening in your Garden" Thread--scooch down to almost the bottom--
and check out the most amazing bloom I have ever seen. It is dazzling!

It is my one Epi that has never bloomed since I have had it--2005.
Now--it did! Oh, my God!!!!! I have never seen anything like it in my life!!!!

Here is the whole plant--just hanging around.....

BUT! You can see the size of the blooms in comparison to the plant!

I only had 3 buds--and now they have all bloomed out....Bah! Humbug!!!
Hope next year will be just as spectacular.....

Be well, my Friend! Gita

Is that a red epi? I have one, didn't realize it would have such pretty blooms! Better get it in a hanging basket

Crit--

The other one (seen behind the one in bloom) IS a red one.

This one has bloomed the last 3 years--not always as spectacular as it did in 2009.(see pic.)

I got both of these in 2005 from a DG'er in CA. Each was just a 10" section of a leaf.

These root easily--just shove a piece in some soil all the way down. Keep just moist.
The waiting for the blooming takes time. They like to get root-bound and who knows what else
triggers the blooming..

In the winter--you have to bring them in and keep them by a bright window.
Water at a minimum---they like a dormancy of sorts between Oct. and February.

For more info and discussion--go to the Orchid Cactus Forum.

Gita

THANKS! Will have to look to see who I got this from. It is 2 pieces of leaf. They are still in the styrofoam cup I put them in when I got them this winter. Not growing, but alive! ^_^ I wasn't real sure what to do with it.

Gita, you never told me what you sent me. Do you remember? That is one beauty.

See you later. Love that bloom. Lucky you.

JB--

What did i send you? Was it a cutting from a X-Mas cactus?
What color was the bloom.? I only have the fuchsia and white and some red ones.
Am babying a few peach colored starts. That one is pretty!

If you pay attention to the articles section, melody wrote a synopsis of what has happened
with Dave and all the bad stuff between him and the new owners of DG.
I am sure if you go to the daves garden Forum you can read all about it too.


Seems it is all worked out and settled. No details were given. But it is OVER!
No more war and dirt-slinging.

I will check out the "Plants" site.....Thanks for the link.
Wonder if Dave just could not live without creating another plant site...Hmmmmm....
I will have to check out the DG Forum myself....

Stay cool! This heat is a killer!!!! Gita

Gita, I thought you sent me an Easter Cactus. That is all you said. That is why I asked.

I was sure I answered this post this morning, but it is not here and I have no way to tell.
Sorry to be tardy. I have not had time to surf the DG site, but I will look into the article.

Thanks for telling me. I will be back tomorrow. I am tired and must get some things done before bedtime, which will be really soon. LOL Hugs. Jb

JB---

Maybe i did send you an Easter cactus. My brain is like a sieve sometimes....

Here is a picture of my Easter cactus.....Funny--but it bloomed in June....
It was very dry and in a small pot. Then I transplanted it in a bigger pot and it caught up.

Here is what it looks like. Yes--it is pretty....

Gita

I looked at the tag I put on and it says fuchsia gita's Christmas Cactus. I looked at the wrong pot the other day and it was not marked, that was why I ask you. Then today I found your cuttings and they were marked. Do you have any Easter Cactus I could purchase from you that are not patented? I would love to have an Easter Cactus I could propagate. I think they are magnificant. My new obsession. LOl

JB--

All I have is this one pot....sorry! I have struggled to get it back to functional--it was so dried and dessicated.
I re-potted it last year and now it is outside in semi-shade where everything seems to thrive.

If you wait until Easter--you should be able to find one to buy--even in the Box Stores....
Just don't wait too long before Easter--as the plants come in weeks earlier.

IF a piece ever breaks off of mine--I will send it to you....
Like--it could fall of the plant stand it is on.....

I have NO idea if this is patented---i have had it for many, many years....
I just propagate whatever I want. I know it is different for you--as you are more commercial.

Gita

Here's another picture of the Easter cactus (from earlier years) for you to salivate over...
I am mean--are I not????
This was taken in June of 2006

Close up of the blooms from June of this year.

Gita,

I purchased four Easter Cactus and they are beautiful colors. I was so excited until I looked at the tags on them. No where did the seller ever indicate it was patented. The only way I know they are is that the tags all have it marked. I was really upset. I do not trust anyone anymore online that are not like Logees or one of the big places where they tell you up front they are patented. So, that is why I asked you if you know.

It is so bloody hot here today I am not even going outside. I just hope my plants all survive.
The cactus all get morning sun and they look healthy but a bit faded.

Have a good day and stay cool.

JB---

YES! It is bloody hot!
I got up at 6AM< today and watered all mu beds before I could not deal with it....
Even then--i was dripping wet....

Luckily--I do not work again until next Tuesday....My hours are being cut--royally!
Us PT'ers pay the price for low sales....they cannot touch the FT'ers!

I think even AM sun is too much for your Cactus. That is why they are a bit faded.
Bright shade is the best way to go....BUT--You may know better--as you grow and sell these....

I still have all my itsy-bitsy pots of X-mas cactus cuttings sitting by my front door.
NO sun at all--as it faces North. They are growing so well! I am sure many of them
will produce a bloom come November.
Then they go back to sitting on the sashes of my windows.....

Here they are now. Gita

I must move them tomorrow . I will have to bring them inside because they are just not going to stay alive with this heat. I so wanted them to have a good summer, but I have no shade. I do not know how they will survive the AC at 72 and lack of humidity. I am between a rock and a hard place just now. The babies in the GH are o.k. but I must keep them damp or they will just dry out completely. I am not having fun today. LOL

Sorry about your work hours. Money is so tight and I just had to buy those darn hearing aids. That set me back $5,000. I can not believe I spent that but I wanted to be sure when i drive I am hearing everything because if something happens it will be my fault because of my age. Not if I can help it. ,.

Gita - Your CC's look great. Perhaps I should have taken mine outside - I haven't done that with any of them, however they do flower every year for me.

JB - It's important to be able to hear - too bad your insurance wouldn't cover the hearing aides. Unfortunately, I do think that is an accurate statement - if there is an accident...... so much for innocent until proven guilty.

Question for both you ladies - do the Easter Cactus typically bloom in June? I know they are forced for Easter. I have an Easter Cactus that keeps growing, but I have never had flowers on it. I rec'd it in a trade a couple of years ago. I should probably move it to where I have my CC's....

Stay cool everyone. Today will be another hot one!

JB--

Many of my little CC's are in 2" clay pots and many times they sit, completely dried out.
One good thing having them by my front door outside is that they get a sprinkle when
I water the beds in the front. I think they like that--as well as the humidity and the better light.

Carolyn,

Everything I have goes outside for the summer. Except my AV's and some Begonias.

My Easter cactus has always bloomed very end of May/beginning of June.
Never really paid attention to it. I think last year it did not bloom at all--or had 1 or 2 blooms.
It needed transplanting in a bit bigger pot. Must have worked.....

My biggest problem is the low light situation during the winter. I just do not have direct
sunlight anywhere....Roof overhang---Patio roof---Big trees--ALL shade the house.
BUT---everything has to find a spot somewhere...My house looks like a JUNGLE!
At every window--in every room--there TV trays holding plants. I get very disgusted
just looking at it all.
Some of my plants are HUGE--and I am afraid that one day, the weight of them will pull the hook
out of the ceiling. Like--My humongous Ric Rac Cactus--and my 2 big Epis--they weigh a ton!

This is from 2008--but then this is the way it looks--no matter the year,,,

Here are my 2 Epis last December They take up almost the whole LR window......

And here is my Ric Rac--ir takes up the whole corner in my DR.

I laid it on my picnic table outside before I brought it in.
It was almost 5' in diameter....

What to do??? What to do????

They are all so beautiful!

Morning to all, Carolyn it is so nice to see you again. Hope you are well and the heat is not making you crabby. It sure takes its toll on me. I am about as grumpy as one old lady can get. LOL

Gita, I brought every cactus inside last night. You should see the bird room. Three at each window, around the cages, on stands, on the room divider, just really full, but I could not leave them out in the heat and sun today, Even the morning sun this morning is almost 90.
The greenhouse even hotter. So my darlings are inside with me at 73 deg. and holding.

Will check in later. Must go to Chiropractor after I feed the animals. Then groceries and then home to just wait until it cools down to water tonight again. UGH!

Stay cool and drinks lots of water. JB

Thank you JB. It's good to be back....

The heat doesn't make me crabby, but makes DH crabby. I think it would be easier if it was me that it was making crabby! ^_^

Gita, what is the fort outside in the epi picture?

Ok you two, I want to know what is the full name of Ric Rac and Epic.......I am not up on some of these plants and need to learn. Both are beautiful. Mine are not nice and green like those. Some are but mostly they are greenish brown. What am I not giving them. The old plants are that color. They are big and old. Maybe that is the reason.

Off to do some paperwork because it is too hot to be outside. Later, Hugs. JB

Crit--That "fort" belongs to my back-yard neighbor. It is for his G-Children to play in.

Part of the reason I put up those 2 fence panels in the back of my raised bed is so
I would not have to look at all his junk.

He keeps all this stuff behind his huge garage building--so he does not have to look at it.
But--his "junk" is all I see the whole time I am in my back yard. YUK!

Problem esthetically solved...........with 2 panels of shadow-box fencing.

JB--The Ric Rack is: Selenicerius Anthonyanus. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/35231/

There is another one very similar to this one--but the
"ric rac" of the leaves are opposite each other. Mine alternate--just like in the ric rac binding in a fabric store.


I have no ID on the red Epis....Would love to???? Especially the one that just bloomed....WOW!
All these are in the Orchid cactus family. There is an Orchid Cactus Forum. Check it out....

As for your old, pot-bound Epi--maybe you should transplant it? Root-prune it? Some fresh soil
may do wonders....You can also take frond cuttings. These all root extremely easily.
Just shove it in a pot and keep it moist.

The Ric Rac Cactus does bloom. I have only seen it once. This was in 2006.

Here is the flower.....

Ah-ha Gita. I thought maybe you had a mini garden out there and that was the castle for it. ^_^

Bad enough to look at your own junk, but to have to look at others is just in-humane! Glad I am on acreage and no junk around my yard (but mine. ha ha).

We live next to a small farmette of 6 acres and the man died and they sold all his vehicles, trucks, etc. and everything that was worth anything. The rest of the crap they just left sit in the fields, etc. I left it go for one year, then I went to the police dept.and told them I know there is an ordinance that they must keep the place cleaned up and I wanted to complain legally and I want them to have a summons if they do not comply. $200 fine no less. Well, they did not comply and they got the second summons. This week they had all sorts of landscape and tree and junk services in cleaning it up. I guess after two summons because they get 10 days to do it. They figures they will now have court costs plus the $200 fee. But,. the place looks great and I am pleased. I think I told you about it. You can get them to clean it up but you do not make friends doing it. Then I do not give a because I will not pay the amount of taxes I do and live with a hogs pen next to me.That is a good lesson for the people who bought it because it has been vacant for months and the realtor was told by the bank the place had to be cleaned up and the fine paid before they will give the mortgage. So there. If you want your neighbors to hate you there are ordinances to make them clean up their places.

LOL. Well, at least you got it cleaned up and it looks nice now.

Really, you should not have to do things that drastic in order to keep your property from being taken over by neighborhood rodents, groundhogs, etc. With all the growth it was becoming a haven for all sorts of critters also. Oh well, it is beautiful now and hopefully someone will move here who raises horses, goats, I really don't care as long as it is maintained. We are a farm afterall. LOL

Bump

Thought I'd bump this thread up so we can continue to chat about our cacti! Maybe we can get JBerger or Gita to spill their secrets to keeping them happy in the house after being outside all season.

And, how do you get them to bloom for whichever Holiday they are supposed to be in flowers arrayed???

Rubyw wrote:
Crozet, VA
October 14, 2011
12:42 PM

Post #884878

"Another plant question for the pros. What has been your best tricks for getting Christmas Cactus to bloom? I am now the owner of several plus pots of small ones and am hoping to see some pretty blooms on them. I have read the tips online but am wondering if anyone has anything to add to leaving them outside till the very last minute and for keeping them in a dark spot for at least twelve hours daily. I haven't yet chosen their fall home for them and am wondering I suppose if anyone has ideas on how to keep them dark for twelve hours a day. I am thinking of setting them all close together on a chest in the plant room and covering with a piece of fabric each night or early morning in order to assure they are getting twelve hours of darkness daily. Any other ideas to assure darkness?

It is now a half hour or so later. I did some scouting while away from computer and found the possible answer to where to put CCactus between now and the holidays. When we brought the plants inside, we took a small three tiered wooden cart sort of piece and sat it in front of the window in the Master Bedroom. There are a few plants sitting on it now. If I move those plants to another location and sit the CC on top of it during the day time hours, I can easily put them on the middle shelf for twelve hours each day where there is a back on the shelf and no light will get there. By jove, I believe that is what I will do. Sorry about thinking out loud or typing out loud, but I often do my very best thinking this way. I am still open to hints and tips for better blooms, so send them on if you have any.

Let me take this opportunity to wish each of you a great weekend. Have fun and be safe and well.

Ruby
_______________________________________________________________________________________
sallyg
Anne Arundel County, MD
(Zone 7a)
October 14, 2011
01:48 PM

Post #8848854

Quote
Think away- we all like the process of figuring out our plants. My CC are budding nicely just having been outside in the shade of the norway maple tree all summer. Go figure ! Then I tempted disaster by up-potting the big one. I just had to. ( no explanation needed HERE about why i HAD TO repot a CC) So far it seems OK

_______________________________________________________________________________________
critterologist
Frederick, MD
(Zone 6b)
October 14, 2011
01:53 PM

Post #8848856

Quote
We're nearly down to 12 hours of darkness now, aren't we? Actually, yes, I'm sure we are, because Autumn Equinox (equal length of day & night) was Sept. 22 (or 23), and now the nights will be increasingly longer than the days until Winter Solstice... days won't be longer than the nights again until after Spring Equinox.

So, I don't think any shenanegans are required with respect to daylength. I have noticed that if I let a CC get really dry and then give it a good soak, that seems to stimulate budding, but I don't have any hard data on this.

________________________________________________________________________________________
Gitagal
Baltimore, MD
(Zone 7a)

October 14, 2011
05:55 PM

Post #8849096

Quote
I just leave all my CC outside till it gets close to freezing...Well--about low 40's or so.
Most of my other plants will have come inside long before.

Usually--when i decide to bring all the CC inside--the tips of all the leaves have small buds on them.
Also-They never get total dark--as I have a patio pole light that is on 27/7.
They all, definitely, get semi light all night...Go figure!

Today i was cooking all day Pot roast--taters--gravy--green beans--etc...
Did not get to bring any plants inside. Well--we had about 4 separate bouts of T-showers or rain.
NOT the most inviting weather for garden chores...

Gita

These are duplicates of comments from this thread http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1210244/#new

Good idea to bump this thread up! My CC's are looking good... hopefully I'll see some buds soon.

I am sooo looking forward to see how many of my little cuttings will actually bloom.
I did not have hardly any requests for these at Jill's Swap. I guess we all have too many CC.
They have put on some good growth all summer sitting against the front wall of my front entrance which
never gets any sun--just bright shade.
Of course--they were all sitting under my front door light......NO darkness there all night.....Oh, well!
They have been moved to my table under my patio roof so as not to get too much water with all the rains we have had.

I may just give them away as X-mas gifts to SELECT people at work.

Honestly! They appreciate being on the dry side. I water them sparingly when they get a bit too dry
as they are in little, tiny clay pots. Which means--they get dry in a matter of days...

Here's what I did to my oldest of all CC I have. It was getting gnarly and woody and not too full any more--
as the fronds were either rotting off, or breaking off.
I "bit the bullet" and cut all the above-the -soil pieces off and put them all into a pot of the same size to root.
We shall see......We shall see....From the "old" the "New" will come....You like that idea??????
It is the deep purple and white one--the common one....

Pretty soon we will be getting CC in at work. I will, diligently, look them over whenever I am there for any
broken off sections--as they are packed so tightly in shipment--and, also, customers paw over them
without regard. This is how I got my Apricot one.

The WHOLE X-Mas display went up this week at my HD. ALL of it! Geez! it is not even Halloween yet!!!!

Just for fun for all the kiddies--we are having a Trick or Treat this Sunday in all departments--for 2 hours.
They will decorate and set up a candy station for the kiddies to take.
Nice of HD to do this! Don't you think???

I work Sunday! Reminder to myself--BRING THE CAMERA!!!!!!
Gita

My white CC has buds, I had bought as clearanced one last winter. I just knew I'd be able to separate and share it. I did split it up this spring, one larger chunk made a nice gift for my dad. THen RUby asked for a white so I gave her some, Someone my DH works with gave me a chinese evergreen, so I gave her some white CC. And I kept on stem with a couple branches.

Hello Everyone, Just had a heads up to see what is going on with this thread from Judy. Wow, you have all been busy and seem to be getting in the mood.

My collection of Christmas Cactus has really grown over the past year. I did quite a bit of research because I am growing to sell, not just to keep and look at. In fact, the greenhouse is full of cuttings the Zygocactus I purchased two years ago. I have Peaches and Cream, Rare Yellow and Orange. Plus I had some really old plants given to me that are Orange and Pink and just plain Pink that I took cuttings immediately so they would be ready this Christmas as Starters.

Of course the weather has been miserable and wet and they are much happier on the dry side, that I must be so careful not to over water them or they will rot.

In addition to those I have purchased another dozen different colors in small plants that will have another year before I get anything from them at all, but in deciding what to buy, the research and conversations with other growers have been so rewarding. Unfortunately, some of the information out there is not accurate and there are people who are not getting what they think they bought. One reason for this is the terminology. You can go crazy trying to figure out which is an old fashion original Christmas Cactus and which is a hybrid that may bloom anytime. Unless of course you take the time to look it up and read about it.

I have decided to stick with the Schlumbergers and learn all I can about them since there are so many different species and so much to learn. I am too old to clutter up my old brain with trying to learn it all at one time.

Most of the Thanksgiving Cactus are starting buds now. I never move mine around because I do not have anyplace to put them. They still bloom and are happy. I think if someone is trying to raise them for bloom size and reasons other than selling as I do, it pays them to move them to a different spot and give them a rest for a few weeks late summer. I told my daughter to do that which she did and her little Schlumbergera russeliana has really nice size buds now. She does not over water either.

Each person has their own reasons for keeping these beauties and so the best thing to do it throw out all the information and they can pick out what suits their situation.

Gosh, I am rambling on, but I get so excited when I start to talk about these little guys that I just keep going like that little pink bunny. Sorry. Have a good day. Thanks for thinking of me Judy. Hi to all my old friends who are on this thread. Hugs. JB

I had no idea there were that many colored CC's. I picked up 2 real pretty ones, although now I don't remember the colors, off the $1 rack after Christmas last year. They are doing very well and putting on new segments all summer. They have been in the shade but bright light since I moved them outside. I am anxious for them to bloom again so I can remember what color they are. ^_^

coleup.....the coleus I got from you last fall are all absolutely beautiful!!!! Trying to decide whether to clip them down and make new plants overwinter, or bring in the pots and keep them alive that way. They are all just so pretty! If I were to cut them back to get new starts AND bring in the pot, tey would put up new shoots and regrow the plant wouldn't they? That is the thing about spring, everything is so small, then by the time they are big and beautiful, it's time to bring them in!

I wish I could bring the whole coleus's in but with two dozen other houseplants...I just can't. I have some other houseplants that I do cuttings of, just so that I can save a smaller specimen.

Well----
Like I knew i would--I took some Coleus cuttings. Trimmed them back and stick them in pretty large
cell packs. Actually, they are not cell-packs--but a plastic tray some small plants in small pots came in
at the HD. The sections are as deep as they are squared--about 2 1/2". Perfect "pots". Won't have to re-pot them.
Seems I lost several Coleus this summer in the beds. We talked about it on the other Thread.
Just rooted out--no roots left--so I pulled them up. Hmmmmm????????

I have 26 small pots of CC outside. Just counted...I keep thinkint I need to, maybe, bring them in and
start lining them up on the window sashes. We have had several nights in the high 40's now.
Maybe that is enough?

The leaves all over my lawn. HAVE TO mow it today! Might just run all over them and let things be.
Don't feel like going through all the shredding and bagging. Have no place left to put the bags.

Thursday is m1st cataract surgery. Don't want to have to do all this right after that.
Might even cut back and dig loose my pink Brug. She's not blooming any more.....One down--3 to go.
The Dr. Seuss is spectacular! Don't want to do that one....yet...It is just covered in blooms!

Sally--what other H-Plants do you take cuttings from?
OK---Better stop. Digressing too much here......Gita