My Grandmother is about to pass and lives about 7 hours away. During my last visit (2 weeks ago) she insisted I take this plant she has had sitting in her dining room window since before I could remember. She hasn’t been taking care of it due to her health, what can I do to help it bounce back and keep it healthy? I don’t even know what it’s called 😅 I watered it pretty good when I got home, and I know I have to move it because it’s not liking so much sun. That’s about it. Please send links/tell me anything you want/can about it!!!
by kiefgrl
4 Comments
Looks like a Christmas cactus, so called because it is a southern hemisphere plant that will bloom during nov/dec if it has the right conditions. I treat mine like many of my other indoor plants; well draining soil, indirect bright light, water when soil mostly dry, light feeding in the fall instead of spring, though.
Others may treat theirs differently
Should grow in a chunky mix, some occasional direct sun is okay but mostly should be kept in shade. It’s also a tropical cactus so it needs to be kept moist.
I water mine once a week or once a fortnight. I keep it in my lounge where it gets some sunlight in the afternoon. The environment in my house is probably 12-18C and 60-80% humidity. I potted it mostly in compost with a bit of pumice and sand (my normal cactus mix is 1:1:1 of those, 2:1:1 for other succulents, but probably 4:1:1 for these type of “wetter” succulents)
It’s a holiday cactus – Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter (probably Easter given the rounded leaves).
And may not have been taking care of it, but it’s the healthiest holiday cactus I’ve ever seen lol.
They don’t like to be moved around too much. Water when dry. Get ready to pick up dead blossoms multiple times a year (not just the holiday they’re named for). Put it in a place with similar lighting conditions if you can.