Plants of the Week - 12/9/17

Christmas Cactus – Since back in Grandma’s day, here is a plant that has not only been a favorite for the Holiday season, its actually one of the easiest plants to grow indoors (and outdoors during the summer), and produces one of the most unique and colorful flowers you’ll find, right around the holidays.  (Yes, there are Thanksgiving and Easter Cactus as well.)  And you’ll find many of these plants being handed down from generation to generation, as they are so easy to grow.  Christmas Cactus tolerates a wide range of light and temperatures indoors, can be placed in a semi shady location outdoors in the summer and early fall, and for the most part, fairly easy to get into flower for the holidays.  (Limit daylight to 10-12 hours starting mid October / expose to cooler temps – 50-55 degrees mid to late October.)  Feel free to prune your Christmas Cactus after flowering is finished (remove a few sections of each stem) to encourage the plant to branch out.  Those cuttings can be planted to produce new Christmas Cactus!   Take advantage of Christmas Cactus on sale after the holidays and buy several!