is what my children call the Christmas cactus. Pretty though.
Seasonally Challenged......
Beautiful plants. Do you give them a period of time with cooler temperatures and so many hours of darkness to set their buds? Shirley
I have two in bud now. I think mine are Thanksgiving cacti, but I can't tell the difference between them and Christmas cacti. I name them by when they bloom.
Shirley
Mine are outside facing south all the time. They will set buds twice a season for some reason. The white/pink one bloomed 3x last year. I figure they are happy so I dont mes with them. My Auntie in New York swears by keeping them in the dark and I have to say they are gorgeous. Hers bloom for a longer time rather than 2x but hers is also a houseplant.
I like the peachy one. It is my 50 cent unknown color from last year. I always get one or two and them give them as gifts the next year if I already have one that color. I was thrilled to get this one.
Janice
They are georgous, I will tell my boss that he is growing the Huntington in the shade and in the greenhouse under a bench. I'll see if I can get him to change his ways. Norma
Good info. Mine tends to bloom first on one side, and then later on the other. I probably need to re-pot it... you cannot even see the pot in this photo, LOL.
darius, What color is the bloom on yours?
Frogs - very nice! I've had mine for 3 years and nary a blossom have I seen! Paradise says she keeps hers in a coolish area and uses Miracle grow, so I'm going to give that a try! I've had mine in a south-facing window, so maybe it's had too direct sunlight?
Anyway - I am envious! lucky you!
I use Eleanor's VF-11 and even my small plants (just planted from starts this summer!) are blooming.
Sequee - don't throw anything at me, but mine are blooming madly .. they are still on the porch. We've had night time temps of low 40's and day time temps of 60's that's that triggers them to bloom, I believe. I also use Miracle Gro on everything!!!
I'll post pictures on a thread later tonight. If you don't think it is too late to send them, I will be glad to send you cuttings of the 3 or 4 different ones I have.
Judy
Whew - I was just about to test my arm!!! lol! (I'm wondering, what kind of strength would it take to throw a flower pot from NY to TN???) Then the kind offer!
We had freezing temps most of last week, but we're back in the more temperate zones for most of the week. Today's about 60, and we're expecting to stay in the 50's all week, with night temps above freezing. Do you think they will make it? Did you send the Begonia already or would they be able to travel together? I sure don't want to be responsible for the death of any cuttings - I'm Catholic, I suffer enough guilt!
One good thing, if you make the package "perishable", the mail carrier will leave the package inside my sunroom. I am truly blesed with the world's greatest mail carrier - and I reward her richly! lol! LMK what you decide...
Sorry frogs - I have this annoying habit of hijacking threads! Can I help it if I'm gabby???
....Hello Janice! Other people's rabbit trails are half the fun of reading through the threads!
Karen :~D
Hey Karen!!
Hijack away. My Christmas cactus live outside and get the same treatment as the rest of the cacti and succulents. They get cactus food a couple of times a year, if I remember.
Sequee, you could probably help notmartha stir the pot of tar that she uses to tar and feather those of us in zones such as mine. Zone envy gets bad long about Jan/Feb.
I really like the color of this one.
Oh Sequee,
Still got that flowerpot ready? Here is my first bulb of the season-even before the narcissis. (please excuse the sun) The sound you hear is a frog running for cover ;-)
Me too....your pic is why that color got added to my "wanted" list! LOL
Oh, my! That's absolutely gorgeous!
Believe it or not, I'm quite content with my winters - even though I do a little Jonesing during the winter months. I spent most of my life in southern California (graduated from HS in San Clemente, college @ Long Beach State U), then lived in Florida for 10 years. Oddly enough, I didn't garden at all in the sunshine states - go figure!
I LOVE the seasons. There's just something about nature's rebirthing in the Spring that gives life a special glow for me. Each Spring I feel refreshed and renewed - it's like I get the opportunity to start over again! So, I don't envy you the sunshine or the heat - I DO envy the wonderful flowering plants that I SHOULD be able to achieve indoors! I do a great job with foliage, but the flowers are always lacking. Maybe I'll start to hit the bottle - Miracle Grow, that is! I always leave indoor plants "au natural"...guess them days over! Blossom-envy is an ugly thing!
Anyway, they are gorgeous and you have every right to rub my nose in it! lol! You are totally morivating me. "I will have flowers, I will have flowers, I will..."
Another thing.....my Mom and Grandmother always used to put their Christmas cactus in a dark closet for the month of October (water before, and check during so they don't go so dry that they suffer). They brought them out into the house again November 1st, and they bloomed like clockwork for Christmas. The cooling of the weather probably has something to do with their bloom, but me thinks it may be also the change from long days to short.....my Schlumbergera are at my office....it's kept at a constant 70 degrees and they're all blooming!
Quit using them big words! I had to go look it up - now don't I feel silly!
Lol!
Don't use miracle-gro. I am an osmocote girl. I am also a lazy gardener. I have self seedig annuals and the glads get attention when they unbury themselves. The cactus bloom when the cactus decide to bloom. Of course that is pretty standard with my crazy non weather.
Someone sent me some Mighty Plant as a bonus with a trade, I also have Shultz plant food and 14-14-14. I promise NOT to use them all at once ~:-) I'm pretty laid back myself. That's why I only had philodendron, spider plants, cactus, marginatas, wandering jew and herbs until DG...now I've stared a jungle! One day my home will look like JudyCookseys...in my dreams!!!
Sequee, Now you've done it!! I'll have to post a link to pictures of my house and plants. www.puppygal.com/house.html
It is good to know that I am not the only idiot for hanging plants. I have to hack and chop every now and again so that we can tell we have a back yard. Sure keeps it cool in summer though.
Big John makes his rounds on the porches with his "happy tail" and pretty much keeps my plants pruned back. lol lol lol
They are truely gorgeous. Yep that dog looks like he could keep about anything knocked down to size. Got cast iron ornaments on your tree?
I was at a flea market, he fell in love with me so I bargained for him, $50. He's dug up flower beds, decapitated plants, knocked pots off the porch and stepped on my feet. Through all that he has never ceased to show how much he loves me.... good thing!!!
Animals are worth their weight in gold - I truly believe they're our link to heaven! I fostered a Pregnant cat a few months ago, and the kittens are now 2 months old. My sunroom is a shamble, but I keep telling myself "just one more week", and the plant "thinning" with be helpful in the long run. The favorite game appears to be "beat the [deleted] out of the elephant ears"! Thank heavens they're supposed to go dormant for the winter anyway! And that will give me a nice sized space to plant a tomato plants!
Judy - next summer I'm coming to lie on your porch!
Animals are worth their weight in gold - I truly believe they're our link to heaven! I fostered a Pregnant cat a few months ago, and the kittens are now 2 months old. My sunroom is a shamble, but I keep telling myself "just one more week", and the plant "thinning" with be helpful in the long run. The favorite game appears to be "beat the the elephant ears"! Thank heavens they're supposed to go dormant for the winter anyway! And that will give me a nice sized space to plant a tomato plants!
Judy - next summer I'm coming to live on your porch! BTW - What kind of sedum is that with the hot pink/purple flowers? Is it Neon?
I don't exactly know which kind it is....maybe Showy Stonecrop 'Meteor' Sedum hybrid, please access PDB for more info.
It was gift from a friend, but I bet I could find a piece to send you, if you want.
Actually, it looks exactly like mine (came with the house). My neighbors tell me mine is the Neon, but many of them look alike in photos. I was hoping you'd be able to confirm for me!