Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Schlumbergera × buckleyi bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Christmas cactus, holiday cactus (Schlumbergera × buckleyi).

More about schlumbergera × buckleyi

About Schlumbergera × buckleyi

Schlumbergera × buckleyi · also called Christmas cactus, holiday cactus · flowering

Schlumbergera × buckleyi is the true Christmas cactus, an epiphytic Brazilian forest cactus with flattened, scalloped segmented stems and arching, tubular pink-to-magenta flowers in early winter. Unlike desert cacti it wants humidity, even moisture and bright indirect light. Reliable winter bloom depends on cool nights and long autumn darkness to set buds. Long-lived and easy from cuttings.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Bud drop: Triggered by being moved, by draughts, temperature swings, or letting the soil dry out while in bud. Keep conditions stable and watering even once buds form.

The reasons schlumbergera × buckleyi isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming schlumbergera × buckleyi traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding schlumbergera × buckleyi a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get schlumbergera × buckleyi to flower

Maximise sun. Give schlumbergera × buckleyi the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for schlumbergera × buckleyi and get the feeding right with the schlumbergera × buckleyi fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Schlumbergera × buckleyi flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full schlumbergera × buckleyi care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Schlumbergera × buckleyi blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my schlumbergera × buckleyi flower?

Schlumbergera × buckleyi blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make schlumbergera × buckleyi bloom?

Give schlumbergera × buckleyi the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does schlumbergera × buckleyi normally bloom?