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Christmas Cactus
Christmas Cactus are easy to look after and will live for many years. They like a cool east or west facing window, out of direct sunlight. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings and do not let the plant sit in water. One of the most common problems is bud fall. When you see new buds forming, leave the plant alone and do not move it, they dislike sudden changes in light quality or direction. After the cactus blooms, let it rest ... cut back on watering, do not fertilize, and keep it cool. To get them to rebloom, the plant must have total darkness every night for at least three weeks. Christmas cactus propagates quite readily from cuttings or from root divisions. It's best to divide in the spring, or take cuttings in the summer, when the plant has finished its resting period and is growing well. To propagate, carefully remove plant from pot and divide the root mass into several sections. Repot each section in moistened potting soil. To take stem cuttings. remove the leaf from the stem and allow the exposed ends to dry over for a few days, then place them,dry side down, in moistened potting soil, in individual pots. Bury only the bottom 1/3 of each leaf pad in the soil. Roots will develop and new growth will appear on the top surface of the leaf in a few weeks. Rooting the cuttings in water doesn't work ... they just get slimy and mushy.
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