Propagate Christmas cactus

20 Comments

1. M. Kinney - March 28, 2011 at 6:04 pm

   M. Kinney
   Is it be ok to take cuttings now (Sept) from my Christmas catcus to start a new plant, or will it interfere with the blooming process?

   Unless you have some broken off stems, taking cuttings at this time (Sept) will interfere with the blooming process. With cooler weather and shorter days, the plant should be starting to set buds. It is best to take cuttings after blooming.

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2. Anna - March 28, 2011 at 6:08 pm

   Propagating Christmas cactus cuttings
   My moms Christmas cactus is dying… I transplanted to help but nothing has improved. Mom passed away in April and no one tended to the plants so thinking lack of sunshine and ?1st I burned it in the direct sun, and since it was too dry to quick fix.. I overwatered it in the non-draining pot. So I thought transplant and do it right but it might be too late I’m afraid. I’m thinking it got root rot. Is it possible to take a cutting although they don’t look to good and possibly save it? The pic above shows a Y cutting with 3 segments. I’m sorry for being so stupid about this; but I have to ask… am I cutting this into 3 separate cuttings on the one side and another cutting for the other side of the Y? My reasoning…. how would that cutting stand up for rooting in 1 1/2″ soil? I wanted to try water rooting; how much of the leaf is submersed in water? (to prevent rotting)
   I managed to save the one plant that had the drainage hole and its recovering from the sunburn nicely. But I would really like to help the other as well..
   Any help is greatly appreciated!!!
   Thank You Anna

   Hi Anna
   The whole Y-segment should be planted. You need 2-3 segmentst of a cutting for good results. Let the cutting dry for a few hours and place 1/4-1/3 of the main straight stem into a pre-moistened peat/sand/perlite mix. You can also dip the cut end in rooting hormone but its not neccessary. Let the soil dry between watering to keep the cuttings from rotting. It should root in 2-3 weeks. E.spring is the best time to do this as in winter the plant is slow to root. So I would wait to do this. Rooting in water can cause mushy and rotting stems.

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3. Dawn G - March 28, 2011 at 6:11 pm

   Plant cuttings

   Hello. I just received about 10 separate segments from my mother in law and She told me to go home and put them in moist dirt. How many segments can go in pot? Do I possibly have ten individual plants? They all have 3 to 4 segments each. I hope this make sense.

   I would plant 3-5 segments in a 6″ pot. In a 4-5″ pot plant 3 segments. Plant them around the perimeter. They should fill in nicely.

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4. Heather - March 28, 2011 at 6:31 pm

   Propagate from cuttings
   Help I have had this Christmas Cactus for about 5 years. Blooms many times throughout the year just finished blooming. Got up this morning and all the sections lying on the dresser. Obviously rotted at the root. Can I somehow get these sections to root. I didn’t know what to do with them so I have put them in moistened soil. But I don’t know if that is the right thing. I just read about moistened vermiculite. I hate to lose the plant it has been so pretty and I thought I was doing well.

   Hi Heather
   Plant your cuttings in a 3″ pot (or a 3 in a 6″ pot) in a soil mix of 50 peat and 50 sand or 70% perlite and 30%peat. Vermiculite instead peat or perlite will also work. Plant it 1-1 1/2″ deep, just enough to hold the cutting in the soil. Place in a plastic bag and keep moist (not wet) in a warm shaded spot. In 4-6 wks you should have new roots and there should be signs of new shoot growth. Once the roots develop plant in a well drained potting soil mix.

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5. admin - March 28, 2011 at 6:45 pm

   Seed pod
   Okay, so my cactus has a seed pod. What do I do with it? I read that it dries up and falls off on its own and then you plant the seeds. Is that how it goes?

   Hi Lisa
   Yes, the attractive fruit is 1″ long and should remain on the plant for a year. After which, you can pick it and squeeze out the jelly of seeds and let them dry on a paper towel for a few days. Then you can plant the seeds in a seedling mix to produce new plants.

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6. Rick - March 28, 2011 at 6:48 pm

   Fruit/seed of Christmas cactus
   Hi, I have a Christmas cactus that has formed fruits, I’ve had it for ten years and this is the first time I have seen this. The plant was a clipping from a freinds that was passed down to her from several generations. Is the fruit edible?

   I don’t know if the fruit is edible. The attractive fruit is 1″ long and should remain on the plant for a year. After which, you can pick it and squeeze out the jelly of seeds and let them dry on a paper towel for a few days. Then you can plant the seeds in a seedling mix to produce new plants.

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7. Jitender Kumar - July 1, 2011 at 10:15 pm

   Hello, I am from North India where summer day temp.gone upto 46 degree and at winter its 20-25 degree. I bought Christmas cactus plant last winter but when summer was on its peek & rainy season came my plant going to dye as I trying my best to save it but I cant. My question is will this plant grow/flowering at this climate.

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8. Ruby - July 27, 2011 at 8:02 am

   Old cactus/propagate segments
   Hi
   I have a Christmas catcus which is very old, I transplanted it in an 8″ pot ceramic and for some reason the plant started to drop off segments. I put in water to root but after reading this site I see it is not the best to do. Anyway the old plant now is in segments and the mother part is still in the pot what do I do with it??? Now I am letting the segments dry out after being in water for a couple of days this was my mothers plant who has passed away and I really don’t want to keep it if I can… Help!
   Thank you

   Hi Ruby
   Older plants can finally succumb to disease and start dropping segments which can be easily propagated. Keep the mother plant and see what happens. Watch the watering-let the soil dry out between watering. If the plant has any life left it may send out new growth.

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9. Dana - August 12, 2011 at 1:59 pm

   I am trying to propagate some Christmas Cactus for a fund raiser. I planted them in pure potting soil (doesn’t have sand, perlite or anything mixed in) they have been planted for a little over a week, should I pull them out and mix the soil with something that’ll drain better or just leave them…and don’t overwater?

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10. Susan Massucci - August 23, 2011 at 11:48 am

    Hi There, I know this is not the “correct” way of doing things, but I thought I would share my experience.

    I have a HUGE “Christmas” Cactus – it is not a true Christmas cactus, but rather an Easter cactus, at any rate, it is over 3 feet across. Because of its size, my kids occasionally bump into it and it loses small segments every so often. I don’t have the time to root and plant each segment every time this happens, so I have a glazed pot with an attached base (with drain holes) that sits next to my sink. When a branch gets knocked off, I add it to the pot with water. When I notice the branches in the pot going limp, I add more water (about 1-2X a month). I currently have several branches that have rooted in the water and need to be permanently planted in soil.

    I have had branches sitting like this for months. Keep in mind they are not always sitting in water. They water dries out between “waterings” and then I add more. Also, one of the lower segments can occasionally get soggy and turn to mush. Cut it off. But it is an easy solution to keep the cutting or snapped branch alive while you are waiting for more “cuttings”.
    Sue

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11. Evelyn - October 25, 2011 at 5:21 pm

    Hello,
    I have quite a few pots of zygos and am wondering if anyone can tell me why some of them have changed colour to a reddish/brown and the leaves do not seem plump anymore. I have repotted the largest zygo recently but I did this because it was looking different in colour. In their present location they get sun till around midday and watered only from the rain and an occasional dunking. Can anyone suggest what the problem could be.
    Many thanks.
    Evelyn

    Reply
12. Maureen - November 15, 2011 at 4:20 pm

    Winter watering cacti
    Can anyone tell me what the winter watering rules would be for outdoor potted Cacti. They are in very large pots…protected in a corner…covered when temps require but don’t know if I should continue the drip watering now that temps are getting colder. I live in Zone 3 of Arizona.

    Hi Maureen
    As with most plants, water much less in the winter. Perhaps lightly once a month just to keep it from shriveling and drying out. Cacti are almost dormant during the cold months and don’t require much moisture and fertilizer. Stop the drip watering-too much moisture can cause the roots to rot.

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13. gail utterback - November 22, 2013 at 9:46 pm

    i have a section of xmas cactus from a plant that is 80+yrs old. it is 18″ long & branch is 5/8 thick. How do i plant it.? my mother in-law will be very unhappy if i kill it. Please help me. Just got it to night.

    Hi Gail
    See the above article on rooting your cutting. Best time to root is May/June, when days are longer and warmer. Rooting will take longer in the winter. Place the cutting 1-1 1/2 inches deep and lightly press in the soil. Make sure you use well-drained soil and be careful to keep the soil slightly moist but not too wet to avoid rot. The leaves may look shriveled but will fill in once they have roots and are ready to grow. Good luck.

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14. susy - April 18, 2014 at 6:16 am

    Hi all…
    I very badly want these Christmas cacti plants of different colors, and I am just not able to get them anywhere….Please help.

    Reply
    1. Darrin - May 17, 2014 at 9:05 pm

       Hi Susy,
       I’ve just begun this “hobby” myself and found “clippings” on Ebay at a very reasonable price! I’m getting 4 clippings of different colors for $8 and free shipping. Unless you know someone that has a Christmas cactus, your chances of finding one now will probably be pretty slim. The only time I’ve seen them in the stores or garden centers is around the Holidays. If you go with Ebay make sure you read the description of what the seller is selling. There is one place (Elegant-Exotics I think) that have some really different colors and the prices aren’t bad, but you get ONE segment…Just ONE! The person says that’s how they propagate all of theirs, but being new to this I’m not that brave yet 🙂 Good Luck!!

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15. Faye Randolph - September 30, 2016 at 6:40 pm

    How & Why does a Christmas Catcus just drop off from the flower pot? I have two and it has happened to both….I just stick them back in the dirt but don’t know if they will survive or live that way—-suggestions???

    Hi Faye
    Leaf drop may be stress related-usually water related. A change in the environment, too much water, dry heat, too cold temps can cause leaf drop. Keep it away from heating vents or cold drafts. If there is discoloration at the base of the stem, then it can be a stem rot or a canker caused by a fungus or bacteria. Save the “dropped” segments and root them in water or plant them in fresh sterile soil.

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    1. Terri - March 19, 2017 at 8:55 pm

       I found lavender, salmon, and a few other rare colors on eBay.
       They’re good at returning any plants that freeze, etc. in transit. Make sure you find out and use soil amounts, there are many online, I chose to have a local nursery mix mine. They are very hard to get started, many die but those that take root grow great and look great.

       Reply
    2. deb - May 28, 2018 at 7:22 am

       Join a swapping succulent club on facebook. FREE!

       Reply
    3. deb - May 28, 2018 at 7:26 am

       Succulents DO NOT like excessive water and will NEVER root in water. They hold their own water in either the roots, stems or leaves. Hence they need very little water from you. In nature, they are naturally found in the hottest, more arid climates, and manage just fine. Any parts that “drop off” can be left to sit/callus over (usually a week is a good amount time) and they will start to grow roots. When you see that, you can plant them in cactus-specific dirt, NOT reg plant dirt (which holds too much water).

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16. G. Sherman - November 17, 2018 at 8:19 pm

    I have had Christmas Cactus plants for years. My oldest one is 3-4 feet across. When a segment gets bumped off or broken, I just stick it halfway in the dirt of any other plant around. I don’t do anything special. Most of the planted segments grow. I give them away to whoever wants them. It doesn’t matter what time of the year it is. When my daughter moved to Utah, I tucked a few segments in a baggie with a damp paper towel and sent it with her. She planted them a few days later and they are doing wonderful.

    Reply