Meanwhile... Indoors...

A peek at photos I've just taken.

:-)

It's windy today.  I should be out there raking... 

but my neighbor would probably be on the receiving end of a LOT of leaves!

And yes.  The "Christmas Cactus."

Enjoy your day!

SG

A Valentine for Me!

Happy

Happy!

Check Out the Blooming "Christmas Cacti!"

Looks as though I should have cleaned my tabletop before taking this photo!
Lots of pollen all over! :-)

The cactus in the foreground bears light pink blossoms. I picked 34 spent blossoms off the plant (and table top) before I took this photo! Perhaps you can see there are still buds?

I have included a lot of information about what we normally call the Christmas Cactus below. My comments are in dark, bold, italic print. You can also visit this site... Purdue University Extension service.

Christmas cacti are not only popular holiday gift plants, but they are also the subject of frequent debate among gardeners. There appears to be much confusion about these unique tropical cacti regarding care, maintenance and, especially, on how to get them to re-bloom. The following tips address the most frequently asked questions.

Christmas cacti will keep their blossoms longer in cooler temperatures. Keep the plant in a well-lit location away from drafts from heat vents, fireplaces or other sources of hot air. Drafts and temperature extremes can cause the flower buds to drop from the plant before they have a chance to open.

Christmas cactus is a tropical type plant, not quite as drought tolerant as its desert relatives and, in fact, may drop flower buds if the soil gets too dry. (This happened to my pink flowering plant, as it got a little too dry while I was out of town last week.) The plants will wilt when under drought stress. Water thoroughly when the top inch or so of soil feels dry to the touch. The length of time between waterings will vary with the air temperature, amount of light, rate of growth and relative humidity. (I always keep a plastic tray under my plants... sometimes even putting a layer of rocks in the saucer, under my plants.)

The plant does not particularly need to be fertilized while in bloom, but most gardeners enjoy the challenge of keeping the plant after the holidays for re-bloom the next year. While plants are actively growing, use a blooming houseplant-type fertilizer and follow the label directions for how much and how often to feed.

While the Christmas cactus can adapt to low light, more abundant blooms are produced on plants that have been exposed to more light intensity. Keep your plants in a sunny location indoors. Plants can be moved outdoors in summer, but keep them in a shady or semi-shady location. (This is why, in the Summer, I place my plants outdoors in a bright, shady location.) Leaves may start to turn a bit red if exposed to excessive light. Too much direct sunlight can actually burn the leaves or may cause them to become limp. When it's time to bring the plants back inside in the fall, slowly adjust the plants to life indoors by gradually increasing the number of hours they spend indoors each day.

If your plant tends to dry out and/or wilt frequently, it may be time to repot the plant into a slightly larger container. Well-drained soil is a must for Christmas cactus. Use a commercially packaged potting mix for succulent plants or mix your own by combining two parts plain potting soil with one part clean sand or vermiculite. (My plants have been in their same pots for about three years. I believe I'll re-pot them to slightly larger pots this Winter.)

Pruning your Christmas cactus after blooming will encourage the plant to branch out. Remove a few sections of each stem by pinching them off with your fingers or cutting with a sharp knife. These sections can be rooted in moist vermiculite to propagate new plants. (I've never pruned my plants, but starting new ones sounds like a great idea!)

Christmas cactus will bloom if given long uninterrupted dark periods, about 12 hours each night. Begin the dark treatments in about mid-October to have plants in full bloom by the holidays. You can place the plants in a dark closet from about 8 P.M. - 8 A.M. each night for 6-8 weeks or until you see buds forming. Christmas cacti will also bloom if they are subjected to cool temperatures of about 50 to 55 degrees F, eliminating the need for the dark treatments. Plants should be blooming for the holidays if cool treatments are started by early November. (Because I've never done this, my plants bloom whenever they want... last Winter they each bloomed 3 - 4 times!)

(Mr. Brown Thumb, of Chicago, has provided this information. It might be interesting for you to determine the type of cactus you have!) Other species of holiday cactus bloom at different times of the year and have slightly different growth habits. Christmas cacti have scalloped stem segments and bloom at the stem tips. Thanksgiving cacti have 2-4 pointy teeth along the edges of the sections and will bloom earlier than Christmas cactus if left to natural day-length. Easter cacti have rounded teeth along the segments and bloom primarily in the spring but may also periodically re-bloom at other times of year.

The above subject contains only slightly shady topics. ;-)

Green Thumb Sunday

This is for Denny and Marty!

I just thought you might like to see what your "Christmas Cactus" is doing right now! Note the buds in the second photo! (I'm sure you're having a wonderful time! Can you bring a plant back from Hawaii?) ;-)

Click on the photos to enlarge them somewhat.

Meanwhile, back in Iowa... we're enjoying cold, windy days. Looking forward to a bit of sunshine tomorrow and Tuesday! :-)

Join Green Thumb Sunday here. Visit As the Garden Grows to see who else is posting today.

Green Thumb Sunday

Christmas Cactus Nursery

The plant on the left belongs to friends who have left for the Winter.
They have a son with a family in Arizona, and they have a son with
a family here in Fairfield, IA.

My white/pink cactus has finished blooming, at least for the time
being. Their cactus is on the left and blooms in brighter pink.
My second cactus is on the right. It has beautiful red blossoms.









Just thought you'd like to know. :-) If you'd like to participate
in Green Thumb Sunday, follow the link to As the Garden Grows.

Leave a comment on her latest post.


Have a Great Sunday!
:-)

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, a day or so early.

I returned home tonight after visiting my daughter, son-in-law and their family in Omaha over the weekend. I went alone, as my husband had work commitments today. Anyway, these photos (except for the last one) were taken last week. It's just fun to see what's blooming these days. Especially now that we're deep in the midst of October.

I assume I'll begin raking in earnest tomorrow. It's the 'season,' and I don't want to get behind before I've begun!

Tricyrtis hirta 'Variegata'
This is as tall as this plant has ever gotten. It's 4 - 5 years old,
started from bare-root... and as far as I can remember,
the first time it's bloomed! :-)
close-up!

This next photo was also taken in the backyard.
You can see 'Praying Hands' hosta behind
'Heronswood Mist' tiarella which is one of my favorite plants,
due to its delicately colored foliage!
Of course, there's an impatien blooming here.

This is right in front of the garage,
looking past my miniature water feature towards the front of the house.
I over-wintered the palm last year. Perhaps I can divide it, as
it's grown quite large this summer.

And (Surprise!)
my non-Christmas cactus, ready to bloom!!!
(kitchen window)

Th next photo was taken tonight. The cactus is beginning to bloom!
I am amazed! :-)
(I moved it into the living room while I was gone.)

I've now begun to think about my November 2008 Inspiration post... hope you'll join me! ;-) (See my upper right side bar.)
SG

To participate in Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Create your post on the 15th of any month and leave a note at her site. :-)

Green Thumb Sunday

Today is the most beautiful of beautiful of beautiful snows! It's just falling straight down in huge flakes. Interspersed with two photos of the same, almost-a-blossom on my friends' "Christmas Cactus," you'll find a couple of photos of the snowfall from the front window. Have a wonderful day.

Quite the study in contrasts, wouldn't you say? :-)