My "Christmas Cactus" is a tad off schedule!

[sasvermont]

This plant has always bloomed before Thanksgiving. Wonder why they call it a Christmas Cactus?

By the way, I have had this plant for over 20 years.

[Freckles]

It's just letting you know Christmas is coming.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Perhaps it is signaled to bloom by cooler weather and Vermont gets cooler FAST?????

It's beautiful. I have a mother-in-laws tongue that my boss sent me for my birthday in 1978!

[Randi]

We have a cactus like yours, SAS - when we came back from our holiday, it blossomed in one side - so I guess it's a good idea to leave them alone for a while!

I have one more I inherited from my mum, and she had got it from her mum!! - so God knows how old it is!! But it doesn't blossom.

Yours is beautiful!

[Logan]

Sallyanne,
According to my mother, who is a Master Gardener, there are "Thanksgiving" cactus' too! Maybe that's what you have! I have one in full bloom right now, as well, and it has always bloomed at this very same time of year.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving cactus. It is simply beautiful!!!

Logan

[catland]

I have both a "Thanksgiving" cactus and an "Easter" cactus.

[Karen]

At the office, we have a "Christmas Cactus" that last year blossomed continously from Veteran's Day through Valentine's Day, and it looks like it will do so again this year! It's one of Dad's cast-offs - actually, it's a Bruni cactus, created from pieces she broke off of other cacti when dad moved them to a window that she likes to look out of! An enthusiastic St. Bernard can cause a lot of plant damage unintentionally!

They tend to blossom the same time every year, if yours hasn't blossomed, try moving it to a different window, changing the light exposure (and/or repotting it, because if you've had it so long it may be root-bound.)

[Cataholic]

My Christmas Cactus nearly always blooms between Thanksgiving and my birthday..he he he, Dec. 1. I figured it was because that was the time I moved it inside for good, and the cold weather had been around long enough to kick it into bloom time.....Mine is just starting to 'pink'. I love it! Now, I will move it into my house....but, what do you do with 25 house plants inside? Too many!

[lynnestankard]

What a beautiful cactus Sallyann - I have one too and it's not bloomed in 12 years!!! I keep thinking I'll throw it - then I feel cruel so keep it another useless year! LOL.

Lynne

[neko1]

what a cool plant! Unfortunately I must have a black thumb or something cause I've never been able to keep a plant, let alone one for 20 years!!

[Pam]

That is a beauty of a Christmas Cactus if I ever saw one! Wow! I too have had them bloom ahead of time and never knew why but was just grateful that they were blooming! Eventually they die on me though. Since becoming a 'cat person' 9 years ago I have to be careful about plants. My boys like to nibble them and so many plants are poisonous. The only plants I have now are aloe and jade and they are on the kitchen windowsill, a place that the kitties seldom visit.

[Kfamr]

My mother's Christmas Cactus has blooms on it... she has a few of them... one that was her mother's. They bloom around this time also.

[Karen]

Originally posted by lynnestankard
What a beautiful cactus Sallyann - I have one too and it's not bloomed in 12 years!!! I keep thinking I'll throw it - then I feel cruel so keep it another useless year! LOL.

Lynne

Repot it and move it to a different window! It probably just needs new dirt and a bit of an awakening!

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

My mom always seperates her plants and gives me one.... and the other day she gave me a christmas cactus in a cute reindeer pot... it had one real pretty bloom on it. I sat it on top of the microwave to keep it safe... Tinky and Jupiter are not allowed on the counters and really never jump up there...but the next day.. the poor bloom was withered and cruched up where some curious kitty chewed on it... but I have a bud now where I should have another bloom soon.

[gini]

My Christmas cactus has done nothing so far - but I think it is because we have had such warm weather here lately.

I have another one that just blooms whenever it feels like it.

Do any of you put yours in a dark place in the fall? I have heard that is what you are supposed to do - and then bring it out in November or so - and you will have Christmas blooms?

My husband's grandmother always did this - and I have never seen such beautiful plants.

SAS - yours is just beautiful!!