Christmas Cactus Dropping Buds? Here's How Your Bathroom Could Help Save Your Holiday Blooms
These holiday houseplants love higher humidity
Now is a crucial time for the Christmas cactus, with its blooming period just around the corner. What you do over the coming weeks could make or break your display, so it's more important than ever to protect this holiday houseplant and stop its buds from falling off.
Christmas cactus care can be particular, with it needing a dark period and stable conditions to guarantee blooms by the holidays. Humidity is a key part of this to ensure those buds stay attached; if yours are dropping off, it likely means the air in its current room is too dry. That's why houseplant pros recommend keeping your Christmas cactus in the bathroom, where it can soak up extra moisture.
Here, they explain why this can make a difference and save your festive blooms – don't forget to also pick up one of the best pots to display a trailing Christmas cactus and a soil moisture meter (from Amazon) to support your plant care.
The Problem with Fall
Despite its name, the Christmas cactus is actually a succulent. It's native to tropical rainforests in coastal mountain regions of south-eastern Brazil, where it thrives in higher humidity levels.
As per fall houseplant care, it's important to be aware of how our indoor heating can dry out the air and dehydrate moisture-loving houseplants, like Christmas cacti. As a result, these plants can drop their buds before they get the chance to open up, sabotaging your holiday blooms.
But, it isn't a lack of humidity alone that can cause bud drop: moving your Christmas cactus can result in bud drop if the conditions significantly change, due to these succulents needing a stable growing environment.
'The trick with a Christmas cactus is to leave it alone once the buds appear. Moving it, or letting the temperature swing when the heating turns on and off, makes it drop buds before they open,' explains Morgan Brooks, the Founder and Editor at Plant Style Home.
This means that moving your already-budded Christmas cactus to a bathroom that is significantly cooler and darker than its current position is risky and may also result in bud drop. However, if your Christmas cactus is struggling with humidity, relocating to a bathroom with stable conditions can be a lifeline – or relocate it to the bathroom after this flowering season for more success next year.
You can use this humidity meter from Walmart to determine where is best for your Christmas cactus, with 50-70% being the ideal window.
Morgan Brooks is the founder and editor of Plant Style Home, sharing practical guides on indoor plants, flowers and home gardening.
Why Keep Your Christmas Cactus in the Bathroom?
One of the easiest ways to increase humidity for indoor plants is by keeping them in the bathroom. The best bathroom plants are those that love some extra moisture, as they can handle the humidity from shower steam.
'As long as the bathroom has good natural light a Christmas cactus will thrive there. They love mist and humidity,' says plant expert and interior plant designer, Shane Pliska.
'Many people assume because 'cactus' is in the name that the Christmas cactus must require an arid environment. These are in fact epiphytes native to tropical rainforests and love humidity,' he explains.
Don't forget, however, that this won't automatically fix your Christmas cacti's bud drop. Your bathroom still needs to be bright and warm (between 60-70°F) to help your plant retain its buds and stay happy.
Likewise, if your Christmas cactus is already budding and your bathroom is too cool or dark, it's best to turn to other methods to boost humidity. This includes using a pebble humidity tray (like this from Amazon) or even a portable humidifier (like this from Walmart).
Shane Pliska is the president and CEO of Planterra - a national leader in interior landscaping. Shane's team include Feng Shui specialists who use ancient principles to enhance interiors with living plants.
What to Shop
There are a few other Christmas cactus mistakes to be aware of to ensure you still get a beautiful festive display. This includes watering your plant too frequently – these succulents are susceptible to houseplant root rot, so it's best to let the top few inches of soil dry out.
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