In spring after all danger of frost is past I take my the Christmas cactus outside for the summer. The Christmas cactus will thrive through the summer with the brighter light of my dry shade garden. Christmas cactus does require thorough watering during the active growth of spring and summer. Keep the soil evenly moist but allow it to dry out between watering. Never let the plant sit in water. I take my plants outside after the danger of frost is past, water a couple of times a week with a mild water soluble fertilizer and other than that I don’t pay them too much attention. They love the filtered light on my porch and shade garden and the humidity of summer.

As autumn approaches, my Christmas cactus are ready to come inside. The decreased light and the lower temperatures of fall puts the plant into dormancy. I treat the Christmas cactus to a bath of warm soapy water letting it drain down into the container. This will kill the spiders that have made the plant their home for the summer. With the spiders killed I give my plants a second bath before bringing them into the house for the winter. I still keep a container of insecticidal soap handy in case a spider has survived. Usually by Halloween my plants are covered with buds and then continue to bloom on and off through the winter.

When growing Christmas cactus indoors, give them as much light as possible, while avoiding direct light during the summer months. Because Christmas cactus like humidity place the plant on a tray of pebbles. Add water to the tray until it reaches just below the top of the rocks. As the water evaporates the humidity rises around the plant. If you aren’t able to put your plants outside, put them into the dormant period by cutting back on moisture, and reduce light and temperature to initiate flower buds. The plant needs 13 -15 hours of uninterrupted darkness. Once the buds have set, place the plant back in its usual setting. Avoid moving the plant once it is in bud.

While Christmas cactus love being a little pot bound, the time will come when it needs to be repotted. Use a good quality potting mix, tip the plant out of its container, remove much of the old soil and plant as you would any other house plant.

The garden centers have many of these beautiful plants on display with new cultivars available. They would make a lovely hostess gift for all those upcoming holiday parties. Be sure to pick up a new plant for yourself.

Rebecca Norton Ryan is a Penn State Extension Master Gardener and member of the Warren Garden Club.