What kind of soil for Christmas cactus? Christmas cactus require a well draining soil mix to grow well.
The special type of soil mix literally means a soil mix which has an excellent drainage. Once you select a soil mix which fulfills this requirement, it will allow the plants to grow healthily as well as vigorously. If you use the wrong mix, it will absorb excess water and cause more trouble such as root rot.
Christmas cactus are such great plants which anybody would love to have. Furthermore, they would thrive well irrespective of the location you grow them. So , in this article I am going to cover the best soil mix which would suit them.
As you may already know, Christmas cactus can conserve water in their bodies and they can thrive well even if you neglect watering them. Hence it is important that you select a soil mix which could adjust to this special characteristic.
However, when Christmas cactus grow in their natural habitat, they would usually grow as epiphytes. This literally means they would grow on the larger tree trunks and absorb moisture from the air.
So , it is important that your soil mix has a blend of organic material and inorganic material to be a well-draining soil mix. It ideally consists of elements such as perlite and peat moss. Those elements would enhance the draining of the soil mix.
Besides it is important that their soil mix has a favorable ph. level as well. They would in fact prefer to have a soil mix which is slightly acidic. In other words, a ph. levels of 5.5-7 would suit them the best.
However, if you have grown them in a soil mix which has a higher ph. level you could consider adding coffee grounds so that it would balance the ph. levels in the soil mix.
Is succulent soil good for Christmas cactus?
Succulent soil is good for Christmas cactus, and in fact it is anybody’s first choice to grow the Christmas cactus.
They would consist of ingredients such as 75 % of the regular substrate , 25 % of perlite and some low fertilizers as well. Anybody could afford buying these and they have a great quality as well.
They would have a ph. range around 5.5 and it is somewhat acidic than the regular soil mix. They do not carry a huge weight as well. Further, They would fulfill the draining requirement of the soil mix too.
Orchid soil for Christmas cactus
You could use an orchid soil mix also to grow the Christmas cactus.
To make it, you could make a mix of ½ succulent and cactus soil mix into ½ cymbidium orchid mix. Additionally, you could make a mix of ½ potting soil mix and ½ orchid bark and then apply.
Besides, you could make one more orchid soil mix by blending 1 part of the cactus soil mix into one part of the orchid mix. Further you need to add one part of horticultural pumice, sand and from fine gravel as well.
Can I use African violet soil for Christmas cactus?
African violet soil mix could be used for the Christmas cactus.
African soil mix is also well draining which is exactly what the Christmas cactus need. They have a high porosity as well. This literally means the cactus will have a good aeration which will be helpful for the plant’s growth.
Further they are slightly acidic than the other regular soil mixes. Hence African violet soil mix would also be a good choice to grow the Christmas cactus.
Is Miracle Grow good for Christmas cactus?
You may also use Miracle grow as well to grow the Christmas cactus. In fact, it would help the plants to grow spectacular flower blossoms.
It is vital that they get nutritious meals on a regular basis to produce the flowers every year. In this context, Miracle grow soil mix would be a great choice. It would give them just the kind of nutrients they require.
I recommend using 2 pumps for the plants which you have grown in small pots. Moreover , you could use 5 pumps of them for the plants which you have grown in larger pots.
To be precise you could use 5 pumps for the pots which are over 6 inches in diameter. However keep in mind to follow the labeled instructions as well.
What kind of pots do Christmas cactus like?
You could use clay pots, unglazed ceramic pots mainly to grow the Christmas cactus.
Once you grow them in clay pots, it would allow the excess moisture to drain faster. Clay is high in porosity, and it will provide a quick draining as well as a good aeration too. It is important to choose the right pot to have a firm and healthy growth of the Christmas cactus.
If we elaborate further on the unglazed ceramic pots, they would also be great picks to grow the Christmas cactus as they are high in porosity.
One might think that it will make the Christmas cactus look more beautiful if you grow them in a glazed pot. However, I don’t recommend doing that as then it will be difficult for the plant’s roots to absorb oxygen from the air.
In simple words they are not porous. You could find many attractive unglazed options in the market and their rustic looks will make the cactus look prettier.
In addition to these you need to select a pot which contains at least one or two draining holes. Christmas cactus roots hate to be in waterlogged soggy conditions, and they would find it difficult to cope up with such unhealthy conditions.
Hence ensure that your selected pot has at least one draining hole to drain out the excess water. Besides, you may also use a tray under the pot to collect any water which is moving out from the pot.
Furthermore, needless to mention that you need to water the cactus to make the first layer of the soil to be moist too.
You may also grow them in festive pots as well. It would add so much spirit especially during the Christmas season when they are in full blossom.They have a short trailing growth habit and that characteristic makes them an ideal choice for hanging pots as well.
Conclusion
I hope this article was useful for you and that you were able to enhance your knowledge in selecting the right soil mix for your precious Christmas cactus.
Read Next : Why Is The Christmas Cactus Turning Red? Why Are Christmas Cactus Dropping Buds? How To Grow A Bigger Christmas Cactus?
