How to Get Easter Cactus to Bloom Again

The Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertnerii) is a tropical native of Brazil that sends out a profusion of red, 2-inch blooms from March to May. However, coaxing the Easter cactus into blooming year after year requires particular growing conditions in the late fall and early winter. As the days grow shorter, provide the plant with a cool, indoor growing environment and water it sparingly.

Things You'll Need

• Misting bottle
• 10-10-10 fertilizer

Instructions

1. Place the Easter cactus in a dark, cool indoor room overnight for about 12 weeks, from October through December. The room's temperature should be 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Leave the Easter cactus in the dark all night long. Do not open doors to check on the plant, because exposing it to even small amounts of overnight light could hurt its blooming potential.

3. Remove the Easter cactus from the dark room at around 7 a.m. each day and place the Easter cactus in bright but indirect light during the day --- for example, near a north or east-facing window. The overnight dark combined with daytime light encourages buds to begin developing in January. The cactus won't bloom properly if it receives direct sun in its bud-setting season.

4. Check for heating vents overhead when placing the cactus near a window during the day. Easter cacti need cooler temperatures to bloom. Blasting the cactus with hot air curbs its flowering activity, so move it away from vents.

5. Stop covering the cactus or placing it in its overnight room as soon as buds form. Once it buds, the cactus's blooms are set and ready to grow.

6. Mist Easter cactus buds daily with distilled water if air inside the home is dry or hot, above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Buds fall off if the plant lacks sufficient coolness and humidity.

7. Water the Easter cactus sparingly during bud development in October and November. Let the soil dry out three-quarters of the way down into the pot. Beginning in December, water just enough to wet the dirt.

8. Place the Easter cactus outside once blooming season is over, in late spring or early summer. Leave the plant outside during the summer, in a partly shady spot, to encourage bud development in the fall.

9. Feed the Easter cactus every two weeks during the summer with a balanced fertilizer containing a 10-10-10 nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium mix to boost budding potential in the fall.

References

• Iowa State University Extension; Growing Holiday Cacti; Linda Naeve; November 2008
• University of Illinois Extension; Thanksgiving Cactus, Christmas Cactus, Easter Cactus: What's the Difference?; Martha A. Smith; December 2007
• University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service; Plant of the Week: Easter Cactus; Gerald Klingaman; April 2006