Propagating a Christmas cactus is not a great art. Offshoots are quite easy to grow from cuttings. More difficult and, above all, more time-consuming is rearing from seeds, which is more suitable for experts. This is how the propagation of Christmas cacti works.

Propagation via cuttings is easy but a bit tedious

Propagate Christmas cactus from cuttings or seeds

You usually propagate a Christmas cactus using cuttings. This method almost always works and you can quickly enjoy a scion with lots of flowers.

Growing a Christmas cactus from seed takes some experience and a lot of patience. It can take many months for a new flowering plant to emerge.

How to grow offshoots from cuttings

  • Cut off the cuttings with a sharp knife
  • Allow interfaces to dry
  • Prepare seed pots (16.68€).
  • Insert cuttings
  • keep moderately moist
  • cover with plastic wrap if necessary
  • set up bright and warm

The best time to propagate a Christmas cactus is right after flowering. To do this, use a sharp knife to cut off shoots with one to three limbs from the mother plant. Allow the interfaces to dry for two to three days.

Fill small pots with a mixture of potting soil and cactus soil. Insert the shoots two to three centimeters deep into the ground and gently press the substrate.

Place the offshoots in a light but not too sunny position. Keep the substrate evenly moist, avoiding over-wetting. You can also wrap the pots in cling film to keep the humidity constant. The foil must be aired at least every two days so that the cuttings do not rot or become moldy.

Growing a Christmas cactus from seed

Some varieties not only produce flowers, but they also produce fruits with seeds. When ripe, the fruits burst open. They contain many of the tiny seeds. Shake out the seeds, remove the pulp and let them dry. They must be stored dry until sowing in the following spring.

In the spring, fill small seed trays with loose cactus soil or potting soil. Sow the seeds as thinly as possible. Cover the seed with a very thin layer of soil. It is best to use a flower sprayer to moisten the substrate so that the seed is not washed away.

It can take several weeks for the seed to germinate, and not all of the seeds will sprout.

Prick after emergence

When the young Christmas cactus plants have reached a height of about two to three centimetres, prick them out carefully. Later, the individual plants are transplanted into pots with cactus soil and cared for there like adult Christmas cacti.

tips

Commercial cactus soil is suitable as a substrate for Christmas cacti. But you can also use garden soil that you loosen up with sand and gravel. It is important that the soil is not too rich in nutrients.

Category:

Vegetable garden