Monday, March 16, 2009

March Cactus

Look what's blooming at my house! This is not the norm for me. Beautiful, blooming Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus plants enter my home from the market, never to bloom again. I have tried everything! They've sat for a month in a dark closet, they've been fertilized, they've been placed in a room that has 12 hours of darkness, and they've been both ignored and watered. All to no avail. Whenever someone posts a beautiful, blooming specimen of such on their blog, I am sure to send them a comment, inquiring about their secret to success. Well, I don't know what happened, but after several years of such tactics, my claw-leafed "March" cactus decided to bloom. I am so delighted! It's been given a place of honor and I'm enjoying it to the hilt! You might wonder what I finally did to make it bloom. I am not sure, but I recently moved it to a spot right in front of the living room window. It may have wanted more light.

Comments and ideas welcome! I still have a Christmas cactus in pink that sends forth new leaves but no flowers. I'd like to see it in bloom as well.

4 comments:

  1. How beautiful! I think the light may be the answer and they like to go dry between waterings! It's funny how they bloom at different times of the years though! Can't figure that out!

    Please stop by and visit me this week! ; )

    http://lavenderdreamstoo.blogspot.com/

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  2. Mine is blooming right now, too! I "inherited" it several years ago from a dear "grandma" friend who passed away. Her daughter-in-law has a cut from the same plant, and hers doesn't bloom as much as mine does. She said "Grandma's" always did bloom more. I have no idea what I've done right! It does get plenty of light... but I don't hide it away or anything. Just water it occasionally. And it blooms in November and March!

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  3. They are definitely picky about the location they are placed and love south windows. I have a Christmas cactus that bloomed for a long time. When we moved it didn't like the new location and refused to bloom until I moved it to a south window.

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  4. I love the white blooms. I don't ever see that color. My pinkish plant is blooming now. I guess I should call it an Easter cactus.

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