How do you care for christmas cactus?

* Place the plant in an area that receives bright, natural light, but not in direct sun. To get the plant to bloom, place it in a room where natural day lengths are not disrupted. Do not place it in a room that will be lit during the evening or at night. A Christmas cactus will flower during the shortest days of the year and especially in places where it receives uninterrupted nights.





* If you find a location in your home where the plant flowers nicely, don’t move the plant from this area for extended periods of time. The plant will begin to lose its blooms if it is moved to rooms that have different amounts of light, temperature, or humidity.





* Moderately water your plant. Although it is a cactus, be sure to avoid drought conditions. If the potting mix feels a moist to the touch, then it probably has enough water.





* Keep your plant healthy by periodically repotting it. When repotting, use a potting mix that does not contain field soil, which can harbor disease-causing pathogens. According to Moorman, two of the most common diseases that affect Christmas cacti are Fusarium stem rot and Phytophthora stem rot. Fusarium stem rot causes brown spots to form at the soil line and Phytophthora stem rot causes the stem to appear wet or water-soaked at the soil line.





* Christmas cacti make great gifts and new plants can be produced from cuttings. When making cuttings, cut a short branch just below a knuckle. Insert the cutting into moist peat moss and cover the pot with plastic wrap to keep the humidity high. Do not place cuttings in direct sun. The cuttings should begin to form roots in two to three weeks.





Also look at http://www.fernlea.com/xmas/cactinfo.htm for further info.

How do you care for christmas cactus?
Treat it like any other house plant. Water when necessary, do not keep it saturated wet. Aerate if the soil becomes compacted (screw driver, scissors, pencil -- poke holes in soil) They like south facing windows. Can be rooted in water. My gram had a 75 year old C. cacti. Beautiful!