Holiday Cactus Care Tips

 Right on schedule, the Thanksgiving cactus bursts into bloom, heralding the beginning of the holiday season. Often these plants have been in the family for many years because they’re as long lived as they are colorful. The Thanksgiving cactus belongs to a group of mountain cactus plants which also includes Christmas and Easter cactus. Known collectively as holiday cactus, these plants are easy to grow and have similar care requirements. All three are native to Brazil, the Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus are tropical rain forest plants, while the Easter cactus grows in Brazil’s natural forests. An easy way to identify each cactus type is to look at the end of the stem. 

Thanksgiving cactus leaves have claw-like edges while the Christmas cactus is more round. Holiday cactus need bright, indirect light and will do best in a cool, bright spot out of direct sun. An east-facing window is ideal. Holiday cactus bloom on their own in response to shorter days and cooler temperatures. Daytime temperatures in the 70°s and nighttime temperatures in the 60°s will help promote blooming.  Holiday cactus don’t like drafts, so place them away from heating vents, fireplaces or doors that open to the outdoors. During the bloom season, feed your cactus every two weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer such as 15-30-15. When it comes to watering, holiday cactus plants prefer to be on the dry side. An easy way to tell if your plant needs watering is to stick your finger into the soil. If the top inch or so is dry, then it’s time to water. Holiday cactus like high humidity and an easy way to increase humidity is to place small rock in a saucer, add water and set the plant on the saucer. Make sure the pot is sitting on the rock, not in the water.  If the plant begins to drop buds, it’s a sign of overwatering, insufficient light or low humidity.   

Holiday cactus will stay green year-round. Continue to feed your cactus plant every two weeks with a 10-15-10 fertilizer. Don’t be in a rush to repot holiday cactus. They prefer to be root-bound and can easily go three or four years without repotting. When you decide to repot, chose a pot one size larger and use a potting soil that drains well. With a little care, your holiday cactus will produce beautiful blooms for many years to come.  

 

Now’s the Time to Mulch Your Garden

Applying an organic mulch is one of the best things you can do for your garden and perennial beds this time of year. The right mulch will help conserve moisture, reduce plant damage and protect and improve the soil, through the course of the winter.  Garden and landscape mulches are available in two types, organic and inorganic. Organic mulches include shredded wood, screened bark, bark nuggets. Inorganic mulches include rock, gravel and artificial products such as shredded rubber.  Technically, both types of mulch will work, but for the most effective mulch in terms of winter plant protection, moisture conservation and soil stabilization and enrichment, choose organic mulch. 

 For perennial beds, shredded bark, bark nuggets and screened bar work well, while providing a natural look. The goal is to apply a three to four-inch layer of mulch to your perennial beds.  A two cubic foot bag of small bark will cover eight square feet three inches deep. A two cubic foot bag of shredded cedar or Gorilla Hair mulch will cover eight square feet three inches deep. Soil Pep is screened bark no larger than 3/8” which can be applied as mulch. A bag of Soil Pep will cover approximately ten square feet two inches deep. Soil Pep can be incorporated into the soil come spring. You may have read that using bark mulches will lock up the nitrogen in the soil. While true, the advantages of using biodegradable material as mulch far outweighs the loss of a small amount of nitrogen. For your vegetable garden, use organic compost as mulch. If you have access to leaves, spread them out evenly over the bed, then cover with three inches of organic compost such as Sheep, Peat and Compost. Through the course of the winter this mulch layer will protect the soil structure and micro biome. Come spring, work what’s left into the soil and you’re ready to plant.