…is all about persistence.
I got a Christmas Cactus last November from Trader Joe’s… it was full of buds then, but not a single one bloomed. Instead over the course of a couple of weeks, they all fell off. I was quite heartsick over it.
But!! I did not give up! Instead I rallied around this despondent Christmas Cactus. I watered it…I made sure it had light and a lovely spot to sit. And yes, I talked to it… a lot! It is a very attentive listener! LOL
And in mid-October I began to give it the tiniest bit of fertilizer… and look at it now! Apparently, my plant was patient as well… patiently waiting for that bit of fertilizer! And it looks like it is going to be a showy November which will hopefully carry over into December as well!
The end of each phylloclade has at least one bud…quite a few have two, and some have THREE!
If ever there was a lesson for me in not giving up, this is it! Sometimes the payoff takes a LONG time… but don’t give up!
That, my friends, is my Sometimes Monday wisdom for all of you.
See you all back here on Wednesday!
BEAUTIFUL!!!! Maybe my Christmas cactus needs a bit of fertilizer….
Thank you! I put an 1/8 tsp of liquid fertilizer in a quart of water and I pour that in a big bowl and set the cactus in the water for 45-ish minutes. In the summer I only had to water once a month but I am noticing that the soil is drying more quickly now so I am only feeding once a month – not every time I water. (I am using Bonide Houseplant Liquid Food Concentrate)
Your cactus has beautiful blossoms and what a lovely lesson in persistence (and maybe also accepting things in their own time)!
there are lessons on many levels in this post! Mine is starting to bud and I’m excited about that!!
If there was ever a perfect example of patience and persistence, it’s nature. Your cactus is lovely — it is clearly appreciating how well you’ve been taking care of it!
What a show! And a beautiful story right along with it. Feels like a metaphor for raising a family. xo
That’s spectacular! Good on you for not giving up on that little beauty!
I love Christmas/Thanksgiving/Easter cacti! I have killed more than I care to admit. Yours is glorious!
What beautiful blossoms!
My Christmas cactus belonged to my grandmother and she bought it sometime in the 1950s. It usually blooms in late December-early January. I don’t do much to it other than feed it once a year and give it an occasional drink of water.
Good advice Kat. What a pretty plant. A few years ago, my Christmas cactus died. You inspire me to try again.
That plant looks so beautiful and healthy. How wonderful to have your patience and persistence pay off in spades. Enjoy those blooms!
I’m so glad you stuck with it, Kat! That’s a lovely Christmas cactus you’ve got there! I have a very, very old (and quite large now) CC. Some years it blooms prolifically and often. Some years, not so much. I can never figure out just what triggers it to bloom/not bloom. It’s a mystery! (I’m hoping for more blooms this year, as last year was rather lean. We’ll see.)