Christmas Cactus

nodwah

i noticed in Marks and Sparks yesterday they had some for £3.99 - I know a bit pricey but some unusual colours like soft peachy pink

Secret_Lady

BB78 wrote: »

Does anyone know where I can buy a Christmas Cactus?
I'd really like one but quite find them anywhere.

Ikea sell them in pinks and reds, cannot remember the price but I think they were £2.97

savemoney

I am sure Morrisons sell them i been tempted to get one myself

A_Clock

They are really easy to get seed off, just get the pollen off one then rub it on another flower, then wait for the fruit to ripe which takes ages

BB78

I got one!! :j
Tried Tesco's & Homebase again but nothing then I went to a local nursery for something else and hey presto! they had them!! £1.45 , looking really healthy & loads of buds!!
Thanks for all the replies, happy bunny now!!

A_Clock

BB78 wrote: »

I got one!! :j
Tried Tesco's & Homebase again but nothing then I went to a local nursery for something else and hey presto! they had them!! £1.45 , looking really healthy & loads of buds!!
Thanks for all the replies, happy bunny now!!

If you want them to flower during the year, you stick them in a dark cupboard for a few hours everyday, or stick a box over them, which ever is easier

Jnelhams

Very easy to take cuttings, just bury a pad (the leaf) to half it's depth in a small yoghurt pot of compost lightly water, and leave for a couple of weeks.
Do not repot until it has flowered in around 10 months. Brought some lovely coloured ones from a charity in holland via ebay as pads like this, covered in apricot coloured flowers.

peter_the_piper

BB78 wrote: »

I got one!! :j
Tried Tesco's & Homebase again but nothing then I went to a local nursery for something else and hey presto! they had them!! £1.45 , looking really healthy & loads of buds!!
Thanks for all the replies, happy bunny now!!

Now you've found how useful a small local nursery try to use them more during the coming season. In some areas it'll be "use them or lose them" then all you'll have are the big sheds which, as you've found, don't always have all you want.

kandyfloss

We have got several of the Christmas ones and ours has been in flower a couple of weeks.

I have found the best way to get them to flower at Christmas is to stand them outside all through the summer months after the frosts have all gone which for us is usually about the middle of June.I just stand mine on the patio somewhere where the sun can bake them but not completely out of site or else there is the chance thta they might be forgotten about come the time to bring them back indoors.

I usually have mine in pots of Multi Purpose compost to which I had a bit of sharp grit which helps with the drainage.I let the rain water the pots unless we get drought conditions then I pour some water over them from the water butt.If anyone tries this method of ;leaving them out all through the summer then try to make sure that the pot doesn't get waterlogged because if you do the plant can rot off.

Before the first frosts come back depending in which part of the country you live,place the plant somewhere cool preferably where you would like to see it in flower.Eventually small flower buds will start to from at the ends of the leaves if you are lucky.Try not to move the plant as this is a sure way to get the flower buds to drop off.

All being well the buds will lengthen and you will be rewarded with a nice colourful plant for a couple of weeks.They can also be fed while they are in flower with a general liquid fertiliser like Tomorite but often if their is enough food in the compost it will last them for a few years.

When I want to increase mine I snap off some of the leaves usually with something like three leaves along the length of the cutting and pop them into a small jar of water.After several weeks roots will form and when the cutting have got loads of roots on them they can be potted on into small pots to grow on.As the plants grow on they can be repotted into larger pots depending on how large the plants get.

Most of these plants can be bought from Garden Centres, Plant Nurseries and places like Homebase, B&Q etc...

If treated right these plants will go on for years.....

BB78

peter_the_piper wrote: »

Now you've found how useful a small local nursery try to use them more during the coming season. In some areas it'll be "use them or lose them" then all you'll have are the big sheds which, as you've found, don't always have all you want.

I've used them alot over the last few months, been planting up the garden & have probably spent a couple of hundred £'s at the nursery, their plants are so much better than anything you pick up in the likes of B&Q and Homebase, bigger healthier, cheaper, better looked after and there is always someone on hand to give good advice on looking after or picking plants! The only problem is they are a bit out of the way and I hadn't thought of them for the Christmas Cactus as they don't usually have many house plants.
I went on Saturday for an Azalea and ended up spending £30 and coming back with about 12 different plants!! :rotfl: