Many people find the Christmas cactus a delightful addition to their home during the holidays, but propagating them can be a big hassle.
However, with the required knowledge and healthy Christmas cactus, you can grow new plants from the existing plant in your home.
This is a great option if you want to give family and friends something unique for Christmas, or if you want to keep a green thumb even when it’s winter.
In this post, you will get to know how to propagate Christmas Cactus in two different ways, one by Stem Cutting Method and another by Water Propagation Method.
This guide includes all the information related to supplies needed, steps to follow, and things to do after propagation to help you with each step.
Let’s get started!
Propagating Christmas cactus through Stem Cutting Method
One of the ways to propagate Christmas cactus is by stem cutting method. This can be a little complicated for a beginner but it’s very effective in getting the results you want.
Supplies Needed:
- Sharp blade
- Potting soil
- A plastic bag
- A pair of scissors
- Clear tape
- Watering can (preferably) or a watering can with a long hose attached to it
- Knife
Steps to Follow:
1. Select the cutting
Selecting the cutting for the stem cutting will be the first step in propagating a Christmas cactus. It is important to carefully choose the right one when you get it. Sometimes, this hard part because there are so many options that you can select from.
2. Take the cutting
The next step is to take out all the pieces of the stem cutting, which are attached to the root area, leaving just a few leaves and no flowers attached to it.
3. Place the cutting in the soil
Put the Christmas Cactus cutting into a plastic bag. Make sure that there’s no air present inside of it, by taping it.
4. Provide ideal conditions for growth
Maintain the perfect temperature for the propagation of the Christmas cactus. This is important because it will determine how fast it will grow. The ideal temperature is about 23-27 degrees Celsius.
5. Wait for the root to grow out
Wait patiently for a few weeks and check on it, if the roots have grown out by then you have successfully propagated your Christmas Cactus.
Things to Do for caring Christmas Cactus after Propagating by Stem Cutting Method
1. Feeding
For the Christmas cactus, it is important to feed it with a little bit of water once every two weeks. Also, check that the soil should be dry from the top before watering. This will ensure that the watering regime is proper for Christmas Cactus.
Also, watering it with a watering can seem a bit too much for the first few times but you should not skip this step.
2. Cleaning
Clean the dirt from the Christmas Cactus regularly so that this will prevent the roots from being attacked by pests and diseases.
3. Moving Place
After a few weeks of propagation, the roots will begin to grow out of the plastic bag and hence, you can move it to a bigger place where it will have enough room for its new roots.
4. Caring for the Leaves
After moving your Christmas cactus, make sure that you look after its leaves too so that they don’t wither away or fall off in case of moving from one place to another.
Propagating Christmas cactus by Water Propagation Method
Another way that you can propagate the Christmas cactus is by the water propagation method.
With the right characteristics and a healthy Christmas Cactus, you can grow new plants from existing ones in your home.
Practice this method, to have your home garden filled with beautiful Christmas cactus plants, which are unique and distinct.
Supplies Needed:
- Water
- 2 Plastic containers
- Clear tape For Propagating
- An empty jar or container
- A sharp knife
Steps to follow:
1. Choose the stem
Choose the healthy stem of your Christmas cactus, which is thick and more than a few inches long. Make sure to not choose any leaf or flower attached to it.
2. Take the cutting
Take off all the pieces that are attached to it at the root area, leaving only a few leaves attached to the stem.
3. Put the cutting in water
Put the cutting into one of the plastic containers and fill it with water till the bottom of the cutting is covered by water.
4. Wait for the rooting to take place
After placing the cutting in water it should start rooting in around 2 to 3 weeks. Make sure you check on it every day after a few days, to see if the water has been removed.
5. Transfer it
After roots grow out of its stem, you can transfer it to a bigger container. It is important that you should not touch the roots.
6. Take care of the plant
Things to Do for caring Christmas Cactus after Propagating by Water Propagation Method.
1. Feeding
Make sure that you feed your Christmas Cactus regularly so that it grows faster and healthier. It is important to feed it with a little bit of water once every two weeks. You should not skip this step.
2. Cleaning
You should clean the dirt from your Christmas Cactus regularly so that this will prevent roots from being attacked by pests and diseases.
If you want to clean the leaves, make sure that you wash them gently using a soft cloth or a soft brush.
3. Pest and Disease Control
Check on your Christmas Cactus regularly to see if the leaves are in good health. If they start to wither or fall, then you should add some fertilizer to them or keep feeding them with a little bit of water every two weeks.
You should also remove the dead leaves from it regularly so that this will prevent pests and diseases from getting a hold of them.
4. Temperature control
Temperature control is very important for growing new plants so you should make sure that it should be maintained at the right level. The ideal temperature is about 23-27 degrees Celsius.
5. Water measure
For Christmas cactus plants, it is very important to maintain the right level of water in the soil. You should try and maintain a good balance between watering and underwatering it so that your plant will grow into a healthy one.
To propagate Christmas cactus it is important to follow the above steps in the right order, as mentioned in this article.
Make sure to take all the precautions while doing so, so that your roots do not get damaged and you do not waste your time and efforts.
By following the steps in the right order, you will be able to successfully grow beautiful and healthy Christmas cactus plants in your home garden.
For more information on caring for your Christmas cactus, see our guide on this topic.
Conclusion
Let’s conclude the post on how to propagate Christmas Cactus!
I hope you enjoyed reading the post.
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