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Old 27-08-2014, 09:48 PM posted to rec.gardens
Dan Espen[_2_] Dan Espen[_2_] is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Dec 2011
Posts: 226
Default Christmas cactus

zxcvbob writes:

Dan Espen wrote:
zxcvbob writes:

I started a CC in December from a piece that fell off of my MIL's
plant. It was growing nicely under fluorescent lights, and I repotted
it about a month ago and moved it to my desk at work, right by an
east-facing window and the lights are always off at night. I wanted
it to be able to tell the day lengths.

I thought it should be going dormant now that the days are getting
noticeably shorter, but instead it's growing like crazy. At least a
dozen new leaves in the past 2 weeks, and I see new ones starting to
bud.

Hers was blooming at Thanksgiving; mine could be several weeks before
or after that 'cause I'm hundreds of miles farther north.

Maybe the dormancy period is shorter than I think? And it doesn't
start until after the equinox? I've never grown one of these before.
(I had no idea they grow so fast)


Dormancy?

I have 3 of them in a north facing window.
They start blooming around Thanksgiving, end up around May.
(I'm in central NJ.)

When I kept them in a south facing window they would bloom all at once,
the plant covered in flowers. I think I like them blooming all winter.
I turn the plant to see the flowers and another side starts blooming.
I like that a lot.

As for going dormant, I never really noticed any dormant period.
They put out buds and get bigger all the time they are not blooming.


Okay, I'm worrying for nothing. I read somewhere that they go
dormant for a while (and you stop watering) before the flower buds
start. Thanks!


That does sound familiar, hang around and see if anyone else
agrees. I don't stop watering and the plants are doing fine.
I do let them get pretty dry between waterings year round.

--
Dan Espen