Repot the Christmas cactus annually
At the latest, when the old pot has become too small for the Christmas cactus, you should repot it in a larger planter. You can recognize this by the fact that the first roots are peeking out of the drainage hole below.
also read
- Repotting the Hawaii Palm - When is it necessary to repot?
- Repot Schefflera - necessary from time to time
- Christmas cactus: care and varieties
Experts even recommend repotting Christmas cacti every year and giving them fresh substrate. A larger pot is of course not necessary every year, as the root ball remains comparatively small.
The right time to repot a Christmas cactus is right after it blooms. Just before flowering and during the flowering period, you should never put it under the stress of repotting.
This is how it is repotted
- Pot Christmas cactus
- Rinse off old substrate carefully
- Fill the larger pot with fresh soil
- Insert Christmas cactus
- Moisten the root ball well once
Repot the Christmas cactus immediately after buying it?
Often the substrate of freshly purchased Christmas cacti is too moist, too compact or too rich in nutrients. The soil that is too moist can be recognized by the fact that the leaves of the Christmas cactus droop.
In this case it makes sense to repot it straight away in fresh, suitable substrate. However, this is only possible if no flower approaches have yet formed.
If you can already see blossoms, do not water the Christmas cactus at first and only sparingly later so that the root ball can dry off.
The right pot and suitable substrate
The pot must have a sufficient drainage hole so that irrigation water or rainwater can run off. It is good to have drainage in the bottom of the pot to avoid waterlogging.
Cactus soil or garden soil loosened with sand and gravel is suitable as a substrate.
Do not fertilize after repotting!
After repotting, you must not fertilize a Christmas cactus for a year. Otherwise, over-fertilize the cactus so that in the worst case it dies.
Tips
The Christmas cactus does not only look good in the flower pot. Its drooping leaves also make it very decorative in hanging baskets.
