Repotting a Christmas cactus: when and how to do this properly to ensure your cactus continues to thrive
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A tropical plant with a flowering period between November and January, the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) is perfect for decorating homes during the festive holidays with its pink, purple and red flowers.
Raising a Christmas cactus is fairly simple and to ensure it survives from one year to the next, repotting it properly is a necessary step.
In this step-by-step guide, we explain how repot a Christmas cactus correctly.
When to repot a Christmas cactus
Repotting a Christmas cactus does not need to be done very frequently - typically, once every 3/4 years - and in some cases, repotting can be left for even longer.
Wait until the pot has become too small to contain the plant; you will know when this happens when you see the roots growing out of the pot.
The ideal time to repot the cactus is when the flowering period ends, ie. when all the flowers have withered and fallen off the plant (usually at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring).
You should never repot a Christmas cactus before its flowering period is over, as doing so could seriously stunt its growth.
Repotting, step-by-step
Diaper_Avocado/Reddit
To correctly repot your Christmas cactus, proceed as follows:
- choose a new pot that is slightly larger than the current one and which has drainage holes;
- purchase fresh, well-draining soil, formulated for cacti or succulents from a garden center (or similar); alternatively, make your own potting soil using compost, bark and sand;
- half-fill the new pot with the fresh soil;
- gently remove the plant from its current pot, using a knife gently, if necessary;
- remove any excess, old soil from the roots;
- place the plant in the center of the new pot, filling the remaining empty space with the fresh soil.
Now that your plant is has been repotted, wait a week before resuming watering it to allow it to acclimatize to the new pot.
Follow these tips and your Christmas cactus will last you for years to come!
