Of the original planting of my tea jar terrarium, I had three varieties survive. It was looking rather sparse, so I added succulents from another pot we had hanging in a window.
I’ve increased the artificial light from 9 hours to 12 to see if that makes the cactus happier.
I have one happy cactus in my terrarium blooming away, one that wanted to bloom and I either missed it or it changed its mind, a few that are holding steady, one that slowly died, and one that bit the dust within days of replanting. I put up an artificial light that runs 9 hours a day (my choices are 3, 9, or 12), and water sparingly once a week. Here is the original post.
This post is to document that my Thanksgiving cactus is still blooming in April.
Texas is starting to warm up, which means the window this cactus leans against will warm up, and quit inducing buds. I’ll get to enjoy them for a little longer.
It must be getting close to Christmas, my Thanksgiving cactus has its first bloom!
I think mine blooms at this time of year because it only starts to really cool down in Texas in late November. The branches against the window finally get cold enough to trigger flower buds, then I turn the pot so the other side can experience the temperature change. Here is a link for more information.
My Thanksgiving cactus has a triple bud!
I’m quite excited to see it in full bloom. I have had a realization on the cactus’ blooms. I have read that in order to get a Thanksgiving cactus, or a Christmas cactus (related, but different species), to bloom, you need to water it less and put it in a cold (50 degrees F or so) environment. I noticed that my cactus gets buds on the window side, so I frequently turn it around. Our ambient temperature in the house is around 70-72, but the plant hangs in the catio access window, which is usually open, and the leaves touch the window, which is considerably colder despite being double pane. I also only water twice a week, year-round. Mystery solved, but I’m still glad it is a happy cactus. If blooming indicates well-being in cactus, that is. Hm.
Critters and Craft 