One of the best things about owning a houseplant is being able to multiply many of one. Rooted cuttings of your favorite plants make a great gift. It may sound difficult, but propagation doesn't have to be stressful, especially when it comes to Christmas cactus. This winter-flowering, hardy plant is easy to propagate at home. No botany degree or advanced experience required. All your friends and family can have a piece of your home in their own home this holiday season.
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Unlike most cacti that live in dry desert climates, the Christmas cactus (or Schlumbergera) is native to the humid, shady areas of southeastern Brazil. It's an epiphyte, meaning it grows on trees or rocks rather than on the ground. With leaf-like pads that hang down from one another and bold, vibrant flowers at the ends of the branches during the holiday season, the Christmas cactus falls into the same holiday plant category as pine trees and poinsettias. There are actually three different plants that fall into the “Christmas cactus” category, including the Easter cactus and the Thanksgiving cactus, but for simplicity's sake, we'll just call them all Christmas cactus.
Care
According to plant retailer The Sill, Christmas cacti should be watered every 1-2 weeks, allowing the potting soil to dry out at least halfway between waterings. The plant also prefers bright to medium indirect light (it can't tolerate direct or intense sunlight), but if you want to encourage prolific winter blooms, The Sill recommends exposing it to low light for an extended period during the fall season. Higher humidity is also better during the winter, so try keeping a humidifier near your plant if you want to keep the leaves healthy.
Although Christmas cacti are not desert plants, the Farmer's Almanac recommends using potting soil designed for succulents to plant Christmas cacti. This type of soil is usually a mix of standard potting soil, coarse sand, and pumice or perlite, which provides good drainage and prevents the plant from being overwatered.
Propagation method
There are two equally easy ways to propagate cuttings: direct planting or water propagation. Direct planting is the easiest, as you simply insert the cutting directly into potting soil and allow it to root, but water propagation allows you to watch the roots develop in real time. Gardening expert and blogger at The Empress of Dirt, Melissa J. Will, explains that propagating Christmas cactus by cuttings is the simplest and easiest way to propagate the plant.
For best results, Will recommends not taking cuttings when the plant is budding or flowering, and slightly warmer temperatures (71-81°F) will help them root faster. You can put multiple cuttings in one pot, but be sure to leave about an inch of space between each cutting. Here's how:
Instead of cutting, pinch the cutting at a node (between two leaf nodes). Gently twisting it out is the easiest way and will give you the cleanest cut. Be careful not to break the node down the middle. Will recommends taking one to four nodes at a time per cutting, as any more than this may cause the cutting to tumble in a pot or container of water. If planting directly, place the cutting directly into moist potting soil up to half the height of the first or second node and keep the soil moist until roots form. If propagating by water, place the cutting in a small jar, vase, or glass (Will recommends baby food jars) and submerge the bottom inch of the cutting in water. You can also put some stones in the bottom to hold the cutting in place. Once the cutting has roots (at least an inch long), it is ready to be planted in potting soil.
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