How to grow Schlumbergera (Christmas Cactus)
Also known as Christmas cactus, schlumbergera is a tender, evergreen plant found growing naturally on rocks and tree trunks in Brazilian rainforest. It bears bright, cheerfully coloured trumpet-shaped blooms from November to January, making it perfect for adding a splash of colour to homes over the festive period and an ideal Christmas gift.
Schlumbergera is a popular houseplant due to its easy-going and long-lived nature (an individual plant can live for many decades and is often passed down through families). The key to success is remembering its need for two rest periods per year, during which both watering and temperature are reduced. Find out more about this in our ‘Resting schlumbergera’ section below.
The other key piece of knowledge when it comes to growing schlumbergera is an understanding of its natural habitat. Do not fall into the trap of lumping it in with the perhaps more familiar desert-dwelling cacti, which thrive in hot, dry conditions. Schlumbergera grows in humid, dappled shade and requires a different position to its parched relatives. Keep reading for how best to recreate these rainforest origins in your very own home.
Zantedeschia is a genus of flowering plants from the family Araceae and is native to southern Africa. With a rich history dating back to the Ancient Romans, these deciduous or semi-evergreen perennials have been used as a symbol of celebration. Zantedeschia was Named after Professor Giovanni Zantedeschia, an Italian botanist.
There are two main forms of Zantedeschia: hardy and tender. Hardy forms of the plant can be grown outdoors, enjoy moist soil and full sun or partially shaded conditions - these are known as Arum lilies. Tender forms of Zantedeschia prefer being grown in containers or pots and should be brought inside over the winter - these are known as Calla lilies.
With tuberous flora in all colours from whites, yellows and oranges to deep reds and purples, Zantedeschias are not to be overlooked in any garden, as long as they have sufficient sunlight to grow in.
Ready to learn more about growing Zantedeschia? Read on for all there is to know...
Key Information
Soil pH
Position
Hardiness
Where & when to plant Schlumbergera
Position - A warm, bright spot out of direct sunlight. An east-facing windowsill is ideal, and even better if it’s in a humid room such as a bathroom or kitchen.
Soil - A well-draining compost mix, such as cactus compost or John Innes No. 2 with added grit.
Flowering Period - Winter
Hardiness - Rated H1C, meaning it will not survive below temperatures of 5-10°C.
Newly purchased schlumbergera can usually remain in its original pot for a year or two. After this it should be repotted every 1-2 years into a container which is only slightly larger than the one before (this plant grows best when its roots are snug). Repotting is best done in late March, just as the plant starts back into growth.
In terms of choosing a location, remember you’re trying to mimic the dappled, lower storeys of a Brazilian rainforest. This means no harsh, direct, midday sunlight (morning or evening light is okay), and deep shade is also best avoided. An east or west facing windowsill is perfect, or a spot set back a couple of metres from a sunny window.
Schlumbergera enjoys a humid environment, which in the home may be found in a bathroom or well-used kitchen. Alternatively, mist your plant several times a week, and/ or place the pot on a saucer of pebbles kept topped up with water.
During the warmer, summer months schlumbergera can be moved outside to a warm, sheltered, shady spot. This can be useful in keeping indoor pests at bay as well as helping to ripen new growth and encourage more flowers. Just remember to return it indoors towards the end of summer before the temperature drops.
How to plant Schlumbergera
Newly purchased schlumbergera can usually remain in its original pot for a year or two. After this it should be repotted every 1-2 years into a container which is only slightly larger than the one before (this plant grows best when its roots are snug). Repotting is best done in late March, just as the plant starts back into growth.
In terms of choosing a location, remember you’re trying to mimic the dappled, lower storeys of a Brazilian rainforest. This means no harsh, direct, midday sunlight (morning or evening light is okay), and deep shade is also best avoided. An east or west facing windowsill is perfect, or a spot set back a couple of metres from a sunny window.
Schlumbergera enjoys a humid environment, which in the home may be found in a bathroom or well-used kitchen. Alternatively, mist your plant several times a week, and/ or place the pot on a saucer of pebbles kept topped up with water.
During the warmer, summer months schlumbergera can be moved outside to a warm, sheltered, shady spot. This can be useful in keeping indoor pests at bay as well as helping to ripen new growth and encourage more flowers. Just remember to return it indoors towards the end of summer before the temperature drops.
Resting schlumbergera
If there’s one thing to take away from this growing guide, it’s knowing that for your schlumbergera to thrive it will need two periods of rest per year. The first is immediately after flowering in late winter, the second in autumn. The idea is to go from a warm room where temperatures remain steadily in the 18-21°C realm, to a cooler room closer to 12-15°C (think porch, conservatory, or an unheated spare room). If this isn’t possible, simply moving the pot further away from a radiator can work too. Water sparingly during these periods; just enough to prevent the compost drying out completely.
In terms of timing – the late winter rest should start as soon as flowering finishes and last for two months, which usually means it ends in March. Start the autumn rest in late September and finish once flower buds start to appear. Try to move back to the usual spot the moment you spot small buds. If you wait until these are large, the movement can cause them to detach and fall off.
What to plant with Schlumbergera
Pair with other shade-tolerant foliage houseplants such as colocasia, solenostemon, and cyrtomium.
How to care for Schlumbergera
Pruning and Deadheading
Although by no means compulsory, a little pruning now and again can keep schlumbergera looking its best. After flowering, remove tips to promote bushiness and prevent the plant becoming too leggy. This is also a good opportunity to clear out older, scruffier growth – removing from the base.
Watering
Despite enjoying a moist, humid environment it is important to not overwater schlumbergera as it suffers if left sitting in cold, saturated compost. Always use a well-draining compost mix and, when you do water, allow the excess to drain away (rather than catching it in a saucer underneath). We find watering in a sink or on a draining board to be the best method.
A useful rule of thumb in terms of frequency is to allow the top 2-3 centimetres of compost to dry out before watering. Scale this back during winter and the two periods of rest, watering just enough to stop the compost drying out completely.
Feeding
Feed your schlumbergera monthly during spring and summer, using a high potash liquid feed such as tomato food.
Cold Protection
Schlumbergera hails from much warmer climes than ours and will not survive a UK winter outside. Follow our advice above for choosing the best spot to achieve optimum growth.
Pests and Diseases
Schlumbergera is generally problem free aside from a susceptibility to mealybugs. As always, our advice is that keeping houseplants as healthy as possible is the key to warding off problems, and by this we mean proper ventilation, adequately spaced plants (for good air flow), keeping everything well-watered and fed, and repotting into larger containers when necessary. Thoroughly cleaning the indoor environment every winter can also help to remove overwintering populations of pests.
Where infestations do take hold, try introducing biological controls (often sachets or tubes containing miniscule natural predators), or in the worst cases, remove the affected plant/s altogether.
How to propagate Schlumbergera
The quickest and easiest way to propagate schlumbergera is by taking stem cuttings, best done in May.
1. Take a length of two segments from the end of a stem. Either snap off or cut cleanly through the join with the next segment. Repeat until you have as many cuttings as you need.
2. Leave the cuttings on a windowsill for a couple of days until the cut ends callous over. This is to avoid them rotting in the compost.
3. Fill a container with a cactus compost, or a seed/ cutting compost mixed with sharp sand.
4. Insert the cuttings into the compost just enough to keep them upright (aim for a depth of around 1 centimetre). Inserting them too deeply increases the chances of rotting. Several cuttings can be put in the same container if there is enough space to do this without them touching.
5. Place next to the parent plant.
6. Water very sparingly (only when the compost feels very dry) and mist occasionally.
7. Expect for them to root in three to twelve weeks (look out for roots appearing through the bottom of the pot).
8. Once rooted, gently remove and pot them into individual pots. Grow on as above.
* Many plants carry Plant Breeders Rights and cannot be propagated for commercial purposes.
Common Schlumbergera Questions
How do I make my Christmas cactus grow faster?
Schlumbergera will cope with a degree of neglect, but to see it grow really well try to stick to our feeding, watering, and resting advice above.
Note also that pot size can have an effect, with too large a pot resulting in poor growth. The roots prefer to be snug, so pot up only once they have filled the current pot and even then, increase by only a centimetre or two. If you suspect you’ve ‘overpotted’ your plant, take it out, shake off any excess compost, and return to a smaller pot.
Another simple yet effective measure can be to wipe the plant with a damp cloth now and again. Dust can be surprisingly detrimental to a plant’s absorption of light, which of course is a vital ingredient for healthy growth.
Should I fertilise my Christmas cactus while it is blooming?
No, this could do more harm than good in generating growth at the wrong time of year. Feeding is best kept to spring and summer.
