The Christmas cactus, also known as the Decembrist or Schlumbergera, is one of the most wonderful living decorations for the home in winter. It is during the cold season that it blooms with bright tubular flowers of various shades of red, pink, white, yellow, and purple. But sometimes the plant can upset its owner and not release its buds on time.

Experts in house plants say that there is no need to be upset prematurely. A few simple techniques will help wake up the plant and stimulate its flowering. OBOZ.UA tells you more about these techniques.

The flowering season of the Christmas cactus begins around mid-November and lasts until the end of January. The plant does not require complex care because it belongs to succulents that feel great without frequent watering and in rooms with dry air.

But for timely flowering, it is still better to provide a humid atmosphere and also protect it from direct sunlight as too bright light can harm the plant.

If even ideal conditions fail to make the cactus bloom, it can be placed in a dark room. Absolute darkness should surround the flowerpot for at least 12 hours a day. October is a great time to do this because there are only a few weeks left before bud formation. The plant will perceive these conditions as long and cool nights, and this is the time of year when it blooms. This will also stimulate it.

But you can't move it into the dark if there are buds. This can cause it to drop them. During the period of preparation for flowering, the conditions for keeping plants should not be changed at all.

During the flowering period, water the Schlumbergera only when the top 5 cm of soil is completely dry. At this time, you can also replace watering with spraying several times a week or place the pot in a tray with pebbles and water. If the flowers on the houseplant fall off, it may be because the soil is too wet, so just stop watering for a while.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA shared how to save a cactus that began to rot due to excessive watering.

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