Learn easy tricks to grow a bushier Christmas cactus with healthy stems, fuller shape, and more blooms for the holiday season.
The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) is a colorful and easy-to-care-for houseplant that has become a holiday favorite. In the middle of winter, it’s one of the few plants that blooms, bringing bright cheer with its flowers. This plant comes from the tropical rainforests of Brazil and is also called holiday cactus, winter cactus, or crab cactus. With the right care and tricks to grow a bushier Christmas cactus, you can enjoy fuller growth and more blooms each year.
Tricks to Grow a Bushier Christmas Cactus
1. Prune at the Right Time
Pruning a Christmas cactus helps the plant save energy. Instead of using energy to grow more segments every year, it can focus on making more flowers. As the cactus gets bigger, the base stems in the soil become hard and woody. This is helpful because it makes the plant strong enough to hold its own weight. But as the plant grows older, these woody stems can crack or split, which makes the cactus more likely to get diseases like root rot.
Christmas cacti are especially sensitive to root rot. This is because they are epiphytes, which means in nature they grow on other plants, not directly in soil.
2. Use the Cuttings to Propagate
Start by taking stem cuttings from a healthy Christmas cactus. Instead of scissors, gently twist off a stem with your fingers at the base of a Y-shaped segment. Each cutting should have three to four segments. Place the cuttings in a warm, dry spot away from direct sunlight for about a day so the ends can heal. After that, plant them in well-draining soil. Keep the soil slightly moist and the cuttings warm until they grow roots and become established.
You can keep them in the same pot as the mother plant to add extra fullness, or grow them in separate pots to share with friends.
3. Give It the Right Pot
Christmas cacti prefer slightly snug pots. A pot that is too large can cause the soil to stay wet for too long, which may harm the roots. A smaller pot helps the plant focus its energy on growing healthy roots and fuller stems.
4. Choose the Right Soil Mix
A Christmas cactus can grow in various types of soil, but it performs best in soil specifically designed for cacti and succulents. These mixes drain water well and keep the right amount of moisture, which is essential for healthy growth and holiday blooms.
Some gardeners like to make their own mix. Homemade blends often include compost, sand, grit, moss, and either perlite or vermiculite.
For a simple mix, combine three parts regular potting soil with two parts perlite or vermiculite. This will give good drainage. If you want a richer mix, use equal parts compost, perlite or vermiculite, and milled peat.
5. Provide Bright but Indirect Light
Place your Christmas cactus in a bright room but away from direct sunlight, which can burn the leaves. A spot near an east-facing window is ideal. Proper light helps the plant grow strong and bushy without stress.
6. Water the Right Way
Overwatering is a common mistake. Water your Christmas cactus only when the top inch of soil feels dry. Make sure the pot has drainage holes so extra water can escape. During the growing season (spring and summer), the plant will need more frequent watering, but in the fall and winter, you can reduce it.
7. Feed for Healthy Growth
Feed your Christmas cactus during the growing season with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer, but always mix it at half strength. Do not fertilize while the plant is blooming. And remember to be patient—Christmas cacti usually bloom when the light and temperature change, so it might take some time before you see flowers.
8. Provide Humidity
Since the Christmas cactus comes from a rainforest environment, it loves humidity. If your home is dry, place a tray of water with pebbles near the plant or use a humidifier. This extra moisture will keep the stems plump and healthy.
9. Rotate the Pot
Rotate the pot every few weeks so that all sides of the plant get equal light. This prevents the cactus from growing unevenly and encourages even, bushy growth.
10. Give It Rest After Blooming
Once the cactus has finished flowering, give it a short rest. Reduce watering and place it in a cool, quiet spot for a few weeks. After resting, resume normal care. This cycle keeps the plant strong and ready for the next season of growth.
