It is the end of September!! Christmas is approaching fast - Not even 90 days to spare!! We should get into action and set our Christmas Cactus and Poinsettia to bloom for the festive season.
Christmas Cactus and Poinsettia are Photoperiodic, in which flowering or other activities are initiated in response to relative lengths of daylight and darkness. Both the plants need lightless conditions for an optimum periods of time to get induced to bloom. And the time to provide such conditions has come. The end of September or the first week of October is the right time to get into action!
For instance, Christmas Cactus needs a temperature range of 55 to 60 degrees for a period of four to six weeks for flower bud development. If temperatures remain in this range, they will develop buds regardless of the day length. If temperatures get above this range, the plant will need 13 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night. This can be done by placing them in a completely dark room, or covering them between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., or longer, with a dark piece of cloth so that light in any form does not fall on the plant.
Poinsettias are also similar in flowering behavior. Indeed, they need more time, almost seven to nine weeks of complete darkness for about 12 - 14 hours every night i.e., from early evening to almost next day morning. Night time temperatures above 70-75°F can even decay or prevent flowering in poinsettias.
So, get into action and start pulling the Christmas Catus and Poinsettia into the dark rooms for beautifying the festive season of Christmas!!
Christmas Cactus and Poinsettia are Photoperiodic, in which flowering or other activities are initiated in response to relative lengths of daylight and darkness. Both the plants need lightless conditions for an optimum periods of time to get induced to bloom. And the time to provide such conditions has come. The end of September or the first week of October is the right time to get into action!
For instance, Christmas Cactus needs a temperature range of 55 to 60 degrees for a period of four to six weeks for flower bud development. If temperatures remain in this range, they will develop buds regardless of the day length. If temperatures get above this range, the plant will need 13 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night. This can be done by placing them in a completely dark room, or covering them between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., or longer, with a dark piece of cloth so that light in any form does not fall on the plant.
Poinsettias are also similar in flowering behavior. Indeed, they need more time, almost seven to nine weeks of complete darkness for about 12 - 14 hours every night i.e., from early evening to almost next day morning. Night time temperatures above 70-75°F can even decay or prevent flowering in poinsettias.
So, get into action and start pulling the Christmas Catus and Poinsettia into the dark rooms for beautifying the festive season of Christmas!!
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