Christmas cactus
 

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
noticably 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)

Bob

Christmas cactus
 

On Wed, 27 Aug 2014 12:16:47 -0500, zxcvbob
wrote:

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
noticably 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)

There are several varieties:
http://whittongreenhouses.com/variety.htm
http://web.extension.illinois.edu/st...fm?NewsID=8570

Christmas cactus
 

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
noticably 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.

--
Dan Espen

Christmas cactus
 

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!

Bob

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