The Christmas cactus is a pop houseplant that produce beautiful garden pink or lilac efflorescence in winter . You must feed it with a houseplant fertilizer to flower into a healthy plant . However , can you use orchid fertilizer on Christmas cacti ? We ’ve done wad of enquiry to find you the result !
Yes , you may use Orchid plant food on your Christmas cactus if the alimental content is suitable . You might prefer to stick to a cactus - specific Cartesian product , but some orchid formulas are also effective .
Please keep reading to learn how possible it is to use orchid fertilizer on your Christmas cactus . Included are when and how often you call for to tip your flora with fertiliser and what else you need to do to asseverate a healthy plant life . With that sound out , allow ’s plunge right into this topic below !
Can You Feed Christmas Cactus With Orchid Fertilizer?
Orchid fertilizers can be used on plants other than orchid that fly high inacidic soils . Thus , you may habituate it on Christmas cacti because it maturate well in acidic soils , range between 5.5 and 6 on the pH scale .
A houseplant , include your Christmas cactus , can get sizable by eat it with fertilizer that has a 20 - 20 - 20 formula . This mean the fertilizer has equal quantities of atomic number 7 , phosphorus , and potassium at 20 % . A 20 - 10 - 20 formula can answer as well .
Most orchids areepiphytes , meaning they develop by being set aside in the air . But , a few planetary varieties , such as paphiopedilums and cymbidium , develop in the soil .
These types ask a fertilizer with a 20 - 20 - 20 pattern . Therefore , you’re able to expend an orchid fertilizer on your Christmas cactus with this conceptualization .
Typically , an epiphyte orchid such as amoth - orchidneeds a fertilizer of 30 - 10 - 10 . This is because they ask a deal of nitrogen while develop .
When And How Often To Fertilize Christmas Cactus
Now you acquire that away from a houseplant fertilizer , you’re able to expend an orchid plant food on your Christmas cactus . This is advocate only if the formulation is 20 - 20 - 20 .
If you are wondering when and how often to fertilise your cacti :
First , take the instructions on the recording label . One of the direction is to fertilize your plantsonceevery calendar month . Start applying fertiliser as soon as you spot new shoots towards the end of winter or other leap .
During summer , exchange the covering frequency to once a month . During its growing stage , fertilize each month with Epsom salts .
tote up a teaspoonful of body of water to one gallon of water . However , do n’t use Epsom salt the same week you tot fertilizer .
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Will Fertilizer Help A Christmas Cactus Bloom?
Growing a Christmas cactus in your home is nice because of the beautiful flowers it produces around the holidays . The blossom make a elbow room feel live or make it look more appealing .
To assure your works bloom in time of year , do you only need fertilizer , or is there another factor to consider ?
The solution to your Christmas cactusbloomingeach class is the light and temperature . This plant grows well in a cool environment with fewer hour of sunshine day by day .
This means your plant should only have eight time of day of light every daytime . The dark hour should be farsighted , around 16 hours . wrick off the lights at night in the room your plant is in .
Furthermore , place your plant life in a room with temperature around 60 arcdegree Fahrenheit . Hence , do n’t place it where there are red-hot or cold melodic phrase draught .
How To Take Care Of Your Christmas Cactus
To produce a beautiful and healthy Christmas cactus , you must fertilize it . However , it would help if you did more than this to maintain your plant in good wellness throughout the year .
Thetipsbelow can help :
Pruning
Pruneyour plant to get rid of decease stems , offshoot , leaves , or flower to promote the growth of a sizeable flora .
The right sentence to prune your Christmas cactus should be just after it has bloomed . This is the period it begin grow to bring forth new leaves . It assist the plant branch out well .
If you ca n’t do this after your plant bloom , you may prune towards the end of natural spring .
Watering
Most cacti grow in dry orbit without a trouble .
The Christmas cacti , however , postulate an enough amount of piss . Therefore , water your works each workweek in the spring and summer , and then give up irrigate in the first week or two of October .
But , as soon as the buds start blooming into bloom , resume watering your works once a calendar week . When your plant stop flowering , repress the watering absolute frequency to two times a calendar month .
This is to preclude overwatering your plant .
Humidity
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Christmas cacti thrive in ahumidenvironment . lay your potted plant on a disk with pebbles . When you pour water into it , it dribble through the filth and finds its way onto the saucer .
Alternatively , add water to the saucer . Either way , the water will evaporate , increasing the humidity levels .
Light
avert exposing the plants to too much sun . The sun ’s rays can damage the leafage .
On the other hand , do not entirely keep them off from the light , or they will not blossom well and will bring about sparsed flowers . They necessitate some light , but not too much of it .
In addition , place them in an area with temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit .
Therefore , keep them away from areas with mellow heat , such as fireplaces or rooms where you use appliances that produce heat .
Why Is My Christmas Cactus Limp?
You are doing your proficient to grow a healthy - face Christmas cactus , eat it with the right fertiliser . But , when the plant set out withering , wrinkling , or limping , then something is wrong .
Below are several reasons that can cause this job and how to repair them :
Not Enough Water
If you are not giving your flora enough H2O , it will bug out exhibiting unwanted symptoms like wilt before becoming limp .
This industrial plant can live without water system for up to2 hebdomad , though the atmosphere should n’t be too dry . So , even if it can go that long without water , add water straightaway . The soil feels dry to the touch .
Too Much Water
incredible as it may sound , if you overwater your Christmas cactus , it can protrude wilting . Too much water causes the ascendent and stems to rot . If the saucer on which your potted plant stand does not dry out up during the day , you are overwatering .
If you do n’t take action quickly , the root word will become soft and drippy . In severe pillowcase , the prow will rot and produce a loathsome odour .
you’re able to trysavingyour industrial plant by mother free of the moulder parts . Carefully remove the plant from its pot , and shake off the roots to loosen the soil .
prove the stem and cut off those that are soggy with a unfertile knife . Rinse the antecedent in clean running water that ’s at room temperature .
Next , grant the plant to dry out for several hours or leave them to dry out overnight . You may overlay the healthy root word with a slightly damp towel to prevent them from overdrying .
Afterward , place the plant in a new pot with Modern land and very little water . The water should be enough to keep the dirt and flora moist .
expect for two day before you’re able to start watering your flora again . Your industrial plant should recover and keep on growing normally .
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To Wrap Up
you may use orchid fertilizer on a Christmas cactus , provided the nutrient quantity are desirable for your works . Aside from feed fertilizer , to grow a healthy cactus , you require to take good care of it .
Too little or too much urine can make your industrial plant to wilt and lastly go wilted .
lastly , for your flora to continuously bloom in season , set it in an area that receive fewer hours of light source and more hour of darkness .
And while we have you , check out these related articles !
How Large Do Christmas Cactus Grow ?
Is Christmas Cactus A Succulent ? [ What ’s The Difference ? ]
