How to Prevent Christmas Cactus Bud Drop

How to Prevent Christmas Cactus Bud Drop

Christmas and other holiday cacti from the Schlumbergera genus are highly ornamental with flaring tubular flowers in gorgeous colors… that is, when the flower buds don’t drop off before they open up!

Although these South American succulents are easy to grow and care for, once the buds are set they’re susceptible to a few environmental stressors that can cause the future flowers to fall, causing much heartache to the grower.

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Plants that come into our homes from commercial greenhouses have been grown in exacting conditions that few of us can replicate.

And ones that come indoors from spending the summer out in the garden also have to adjust to changes in humidity, light, moisture, and temperature.

A few dropped buds can be expected as plants acclimate to a new environment, but with a little forethought to their needs, bud drop is easy to minimize and even eliminate!

Are you ready to enjoy an exuberant floral display this holiday season? Then let’s unwrap the steps on how to prevent Christmas cactus bud drop.

Here’s what you’ll find ahead:

Native to the coastal mountains of Brazil, Schlumbergera species and hybrids are indigenous to tropical rainforests where they grow on tree branches and rocks in filtered sunlight.

As houseplants, they do best with indirect light of bright or medium intensity.

This makes east-, north-, and west-facing windows the best choice.

South- and south-west-facing windows should be avoided as hot, direct sunlight can cause sunburn and scorching to the stems as well as dropped buds.

You can learn more about Christmas cactus