Christmas cactus & orchid plants

[pomtzu]

Anyone out there have these? Well I know of one person who has the Christmas cactus (huge!). When I was at her house, I was trying to find a way to make off with it, but I think she would have noticed it was missing!

Okay - on to the questions:

My Christmas cactus always blooms about a month before Christmas, and by the time the holiday gets here, most of the blooms have shriveled and fallen off. But - then it blooms again in late winter or early spring. It's in bloom now! It doesn't bloom as profusely as it does before Christmas, but it still blooms, none the less. Do I have an oddball, or is all of this normal??? I don't do anything special as far as the care is concerned - just feed and water it, and it always stays in the same location.

On to the orchid. Last April I purchased an orchid plant in bloom - it had 2 stalks just loaded with flowers, and they lasted for over 3 months. After they died off, I cut back the stalks as directed, and kept it fed and watered as directed. I understand that they produce flowers once a year, but what am I looking for as far as new stalks go? The only thing I am seeing is the squiggly roots at the base of the plant that are pushing their way up thru the potting medium (this is natural). The leaves are nice and firm and green as they should be (with no rot), so the plant is healthy.

HELP!!!!!

[Randi]

The cactus you have we call November cactus here, so it's quite normal it blooms in Nov. Mine does too. I think it blooms again sometime in the spring, too, as far as I remember. It really doesn't need much care.

Concerning the Orchid, you have to be patient. The one you have sounds good and healthy and you'll see a new stalk in a few months time. I bought a cheap little one a few years ago and it just keeps getting more beautiful green leaves and is blossoming at least two times a year. Orchids doesn't like draft and should only be watered once a week - and be careful not to let it sit in blazing sun during summer.

[cassiesmom]

My dad has two Christmas cactuses (cacti?) that bloom faithfully every year ... around Thanksgiving. He calls it his Thanksgiving cactus. Sometimes it blooms again around this time of the year. He just got a little new one that has buds on it now. We still enjoy them whenever they decide to bloom!

[Karen]

Christmas cactuses will bloom much of the year if the conditions are right. It all has to do with the amount of daylight they get. The ones currently languishing in my (naturally dark) kitchen blossom once a year at best, one or two feeble flowers. But when these same plants were at my last office, they blossomed continually, from about Veteran's Day to after Easter. There they sat in a West-facing window that was unobstructed, so got the afternoon sun all winter long.

[Pinot's Mom]

The aforementioned "huge" cacti are in full bloom at this moment. They bloom at Thanksgiving(ish) and Easter(ish). Since Easter is late this year I think they're confused.

And, as far as making off with either of the REALLY huge ones - Ellie, you would need some pretty heavy equipment!

[pomtzu]

And, as far as making off with either of the REALLY huge ones - Ellie, you would need some pretty heavy equipment!

If the next time I come to your house, I have a muscle man escorting me, then you'll know what I'm up to!



Yes - they are heavy. Even my big one, which is small compared to yours, seems like it weighs a ton. I have it hanging in the front window, and if I have to take it down for any reason, I have to recruit someone to do it for me.

[pomtzu]

The cactus you have we call November cactus here, so it's quite normal it blooms in Nov. Mine does too. I think it blooms again sometime in the spring, too, as far as I remember. It really doesn't need much care.

Concerning the Orchid, you have to be patient. The one you have sounds good and healthy and you'll see a new stalk in a few months time. I bought a cheap little one a few years ago and it just keeps getting more beautiful green leaves and is blossoming at least two times a year. Orchids doesn't like draft and should only be watered once a week - and be careful not to let it sit in blazing sun during summer.

Well from what everyone is saying, I guess my cactus isn't an oddball afterall!

I have the orchid on a plant stand at my front window and it only gets the sun till mid to late morning. It gets "watered" once a week with 3 ice cubes! - these particular plants are called "just add ice orchids". Since they don't like to be wet, the ice melts slowly and the plant doesn't get saturated with a regular watering bath, as such. It's looking good and has put out 3 big new leaves since last summer - now I'm looking for flower stalks. Guess I just need to be patient. I want to get another - they will be in the stores again soon with Mother's Day coming up - that's when I got mine last year.

Thanks for your input.

[sana]

Anyone out there have these? Well I know of one person who has the Christmas cactus (huge!). When I was at her house, I was trying to find a way to make off with it, but I think she would have noticed it was missing!

Okay - on to the questions:

My Christmas cactus always blooms about a month before Christmas, and by the time the holiday gets here, most of the blooms have shriveled and fallen off. But - then it blooms again in late winter or early spring. It's in bloom now! It doesn't bloom as profusely as it does before Christmas, but it still blooms, none the less. Do I have an oddball, or is all of this normal??? I don't do anything special as far as the care is concerned - just feed and water it, and it always stays in the same location.

Maybe Christmas should come earlier Anyway, hopefully, you'll find the answer to your problem as I don't have cacti in my home

[Edwina's Secretary]

I am not an orchid fan but people give them to me and I feel obligated to make a go of it.

I have the best luck with them in my bathroom. Not much sun, lots of humidity. I take them in the shower once a week. Soak and let them drain.

They are making nice new blossoms.

I try and duplicate the Amazn jungle for them....

[cassiesmom]

Here are my dad's disoriented cacti ... this picture is from Thanksgiving '09. Maybe we should rename them holiday cacti.

I am not an orchid fan but people give them to me and I feel obligated to make a go of it.

I have the best luck with them in my bathroom. Not much sun, lots of humidity. I take them in the shower once a week. Soak and let them drain.

They are making nice new blossoms.

I try and duplicate the Amazon jungle for them....

Sara ... my dad just bought a new phalaenopsis orchid at Hausermann's orchid show a couple of weeks ago. They're off to Palm Springs the first part of April and guess who will be plant sitting, you got it, me, their black-thumbed daughter. All I know about the orchid is that it likes light and needs to be watered well once a week. Cross your fingers for me! I'm trying to convince my dad that he should let my sister care for it while they are gone; she's good with plants. The thing terrifies me.

[Edwina's Secretary]

Sara ... my dad just bought a new phalaenopsis orchid at Hausermann's orchid show a couple of weeks ago. They're off to Palm Springs the first part of April and guess who will be plant sitting, you got it, me, their black-thumbed daughter. All I know about the orchid is that it likes light and needs to be watered well once a week. Cross your fingers for me! I'm trying to convince my dad that he should let my sister care for it while they are gone; she's good with plants. The thing terrifies me.

Be careful with the light. They live naturally in "the shady moist undergrowth of the forest" so low light is best. Direct sunlight is not good - at least that is what I have heard..

[pomtzu]

Be careful with the light. They live naturally in "the shady moist undergrowth of the forest" so low light is best. Direct sunlight is not good - at least that is what I have heard..

It really is more of an indirect morning light that mine gets, since the sun isn't shining directly in the front window - kind of off to one side - if that makes sense.

I went rooting around the pot today, and I think I found a couple of new stalks. They definitely weren't roots, since the ends were shaped like mittens, and that's what the web site for the care of these plants describes. So I clipped them to the stakes in the pot, and I'll see what happens.

This is a pic of what it looked like last year in bloom. Rather dark, but you get the idea. Can't wait to see it bloom again.

[Asiel]

I'm don't have much of a green thumb as far as houseplants go, but I remember my mom had a Christmas cactus and it actually bloomed a few times a year. And yes, it was huge. For some reason she used to switch it from the upstairs to the downstairs at different times of the year but I have no clue why...could have been because of the summer sun being too hot.

As for orchids I know my friend has one and she doesn't water it like her other plants, she has a vat that she fills with water and lets the orchid soak and drain. Must say it looks great, all her plants do. She did explain that the orchid was too delicate to water like other plants and letting them soak up water was the way to go.

[lizbud]

I went rooting around the pot today, and I think I found a couple of new stalks. They definitely weren't roots, since the ends were shaped like mittens, and that's what the web site for the care of these plants describes. So I clipped them to the stakes in the pot, and I'll see what happens.

This is a pic of what it looked like last year in bloom. Rather dark, but you get the idea. Can't wait to see it bloom again.

Your plants are beautiful. My Mom was wonderful with plants but I
don't seem to have the knack for them.

[Randi]

This is a pic of what it looked like last year in bloom

Beautiful! I think it's the perfect place for it... with a thin curtain and no direct sunlight.

One of the Orchids I got for my Birthday is now shooting a new one sideways from the vertical stalk.

I know some people save the water they have boiled and use that to water their plants and that's probably a good idea.

I have a November cactus that I got from my mother and she got it from her mother. Quite amazing I've kept it alive, but it doesn't bloom.