How To Water Thanksgiving Cactus

Watering Thanksgiving cactus correctly is key to maintaining your plant and keeping it healthy and looking beautiful.

One of the biggest struggles people have with Schlumbergera truncata is giving it the perfect amount of moisture, without overdoing it.

So in this post I’m going to tell you how to figure out exactly when it’s time to water your plant, and the best way to do it.

You’ll also learn how often to irrigate your Thanksgiving cactus to get the balance right, the symptoms of over and under watering, how to adjust the schedule as your plant’s needs change throughout the seasons or it begins to flower, and much more.

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Thanksgiving (aka November) cactus plants require consistently moist soil. They don’t like to dry out completely or have soggy or overly wet roots.

In nature, they’re epiphytes that attach themselves to trees or rocks, and they get much of their moisture from the air rather than the ground.

Also, despite the common name, Schlumbergera truncata is actually a type of succulent plant, so it can’t survive the harsh drought conditions like desert cacti can. This is definitely confusing for new gardeners.

Although they don’t need a lot of water, Thanksgiving cacti don’t like to dry out completely either. Instead, it’s best to maintain evenly moist soil, and only let it dry slightly between drinks.

Improper watering can result in problems like root rot, wilting or soft, mushy leaves, and even leaf, segment, and bud drop.

Related Post: How To Care For A Thanksgiving Cactus Plant (Schlumbergera truncata)

The good news is that Thanksgiving cactus plants aren’t sensitive to the salts and chemicals in tap water.

But I still prefer (and recommend) using distilled or rainwater, which are purer and more