secrets to holiday-cactus success, with matt mattus

I WAS SCROLLING by way of Instagram the opposite day—sure, typically I simply can’t assist myself—once I noticed a submit by Matt Mattus about Christmas cactus. So despite the fact that it’s nonetheless excessive summer season, it made me lengthy for one among my very own.

I haven’t grown a vacation cactus since my very outdated plant took a nasty spill in a transfer of homes years in the past. Seeing Matt’s submit additionally made me suppose it was time for a overview of get these lavish bloomers to do their colourful factor, and that was what I requested him about once we spoke just lately.

Matt Mattus gardens in Massachusetts and is the writer of varied backyard books, together with “Mastering the Artwork of Vegetable Gardening” and “Mastering the Artwork of Flower Gardening.” When he isn’t tending his personal bold backyard and greenhouse or internet hosting Open Day excursions, he additionally gives session companies, each just about and in particular person, to assist others with backyard design and plant-care points.

Learn alongside as you hearken to the Aug. 19, 2024 version of my public-radio present and podcast utilizing the participant under. You possibly can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).

vacation cactus assist, with matt mattus

Margaret Roach: Good day, Matt, on this craziest of backyard years ever.

Matt Mattus: And we’re going to speak about Christmas cactus.

Margaret: I do know. What the heck? We’re simply going to overlook the remainder of summer season, Matt, and speak about Christmas cactus. So earlier than we do, inform the reality, what number of, quote, “houseplants” do you might have?

Matt: Effectively, that’s a extremely liquid matter now as a result of I’ve a greenhouse, so-

Margaret: I do know.

Matt: We constructed the greenhouse so we didn’t should have houseplants, however then progressively they moved again into the home. So we’ve quite a bit, let’s put it that manner.

Margaret: Is it 88 million or 3 trillion?

Matt: Yeah, possibly half 1,000,000.

Margaret: I had a sense. What number of Christmas cactus or vacation cactus do you suppose you might have?

Matt: Oh, vacation cactus. Not quite a bit. Possibly 10 or 12 proper now. Simply inherited a giant outdated one, so we’ll speak about that.

Margaret: O.Ok. So I say “so-called,” or in quotes “Christmas cactus” or no matter, as a result of I’ve misplaced monitor of the taxonomy frankly. I do know there’s a number of hybrids now which were bred, and I don’t even know the way you pronounce it, nevertheless it was once Schlumbergera [laughter]. Schlumbergera. Then there was x buckleyi and the opposite factor was the Christmas cactus in truncata. The species truncata was I believe the Thanksgiving cactus. Twenty years in the past, I used to know what was supposedly the taxonomy. I’m misplaced now [laughter].

Matt: You’re not alone. Put it that manner.

Margaret: O.Ok., good.

Matt: I’m misplaced, too. And in reality, doing much more analysis and the extra I look, I’m studying that a number of the consultants are misplaced too. I imply, even the Latin … So the genus title is Schlumbergera. So everybody for over 100 years now have been calling it Schlumbergera.

However I simply learn one thing the opposite day that he was supposedly from Germany, however now they consider he was from Austria, and there’s an Austrian with the same title that they’re unsure now who actually named it after whom. It was named after a collector, nevertheless it doesn’t actually matter.

Margaret: And also you stated Zygocactus in your latest Instagram submit, which I even have learn is a few individuals name the genus that, so no matter.

Matt: Yeah, it was. The genus was named Zygocactus in the midst of the twentieth century. After which it’s just about organized now. However once more, for the house grower, you don’t have to know this, we are likely to put them in buckets by holidays, like Thanksgiving cactus, let’s say, Christmas cactus, after which Easter cactus, type of the outlier. And that’s, I believe, a better strategy to lump all of them collectively. You may get misplaced within the Latin title for all of those.

Margaret: So cactus, the opposite phrase—these are usually not desert dwellers. These are, I believe, epiphytic crops, typically talking, which can be from the mountains of Brazil, like a rainforest surroundings, I believe?

Matt: Precisely. And that gives a tip for all of us who wish to develop them. They’re certainly Cactaceae. So they’re succulents, they’re cactus.

Margaret: Proper.

Matt: Which throws so many people off on this loop. And that’s why I’m glad you known as to speak about this as a result of it’s such a standard houseplant. And I don’t learn about you, however I grew up with my mother’s crops that have been from the Nineteen Twenties.

They have been my grandmother’s, so that they have been usually hand-me-down crops. And I guess there are lots of people on the market which have these older specimens. And the extra I realized about them, I don’t know in the event that they ever fell out of trend, however they’re at all times on the market. It’s not a kind of crops you’ll be able to go purchase a silk one at a craft retailer at Christmas [laughter].

And there’s some stunning colours now. And I believe we’re tempted once we see them on the grocery store, or nursery across the holidays. So I believed I’d simply revisit them once more to see what I may study. And I used to be type of shocked; they’re abused in my home. Are they going to bloom the vacation season or not? Or are they not going to bloom in any respect this yr? After which as soon as they bloom, we type of ignore them till summer season, once we throw them exterior. And I guess lots of people simply try this, proper?

Margaret: Mm-hmm. So what do you suppose, although, along with your 10 or 12, and along with your numerous years of expertise with them, what do you suppose? And within the Instagram submit the opposite day, you outlined your fundamental suggestions, however what’s your methodology in one of the best of instances? I imply, all of us fall off the protocol once in a while, however what would you say, and the place are the pitfalls? The place can we wish to begin?

Matt: Effectively, a number of this began with once I constructed the greenhouse. So I’ve a chilly greenhouse that’s not heated, however you don’t want a greenhouse to develop these crops. However the greenhouse taught me one thing about these and Clivia, oddly sufficient.

Margaret: My favourite houseplant. Sure.

Matt: And the most important criticism with each Christmas or vacation cactus and Clivia is how do I get it to bloom? That downside was solved for us once we constructed the greenhouse as a result of we saved the crops on the market. They didn’t go dry. All of the myths that encompass all these quite common houseplants, watering them with milk or cinnamon or no matter.

Margaret: I hate all that stuff [laughter].

Matt: And it’s so complicated. Put espresso grounds. So don’t put espresso grounds, make the soil extra alkaline. And these are crops that need acidic. I knew my mother solely grew these in soil from the backyard, which I believed was loopy, till just lately I’m realizing that that’s not a nasty thought, to combine common floor soil in along with your combine. These are usually not heavy feeders. These are usually not crops. They’re jungle crops, such as you stated.

So what I love to do first is look again the place they’re from. So the greenhouse for me is chilly and moist within the winter. It looks as if they wouldn’t like that, proper? They don’t like chilly temperatures, however they’d come into the home once they set buds. However the huge factor was they began setting buds naturally by October. And I by no means knew why. And similar factor with the Clivia. They at all times bloom in March now, all of them, with none care in any respect. It’s all due to they reply to day size, proper? They’re-

Margaret: Proper. We’re triggering that by permitting them to, in your case, it seems like they’re cooling off in there for a sure interval.

Matt: They’re thermo-periodic, so it’s temperature and the size of the night time actually. Some individuals say day size, however they want these … Like proper now we’re all beginning to really feel like, oh, possibly it’s fall within the air, proper? The cyclamen is beginning to bloom. We’re beginning to wish to braise one thing on the chilly days.

And by September, in case your crops are exterior, they sense that the times are getting shorter. So Christmas cactus or any of the vacation cactus, or not the Easter cactus maybe, however the first two, let’s say, let’s group them as Thanksgiving and Christmas, that ought to all be setting bud exterior in September. And by center of October, they need to all be exhibiting buds. In case you’re indoors, it is advisable get them right into a room the place they’re getting pure gentle and never even a avenue gentle exterior, and never even a light-weight or lamp within the room.

Margaret: I’m glad you stated that as a result of once I was taught about them, and this goes again a long time, and it was like, “And right here’s how you must care for it, Margaret,” I type of inherited the household one, and it was all about 14 midnights an evening to simulate … And it was like lots of people stated eight weeks of that. And a few individuals stated solely 4 weeks would even set off it, it could be sufficient. However it was like eight weeks of 14 hours an evening. And once more, that is outdated recommendation and I don’t know what the present protocol is.

However the thought being like with the Clivia, the place I hold them a lot cooler and dry, to form of say to them, it’s time to consider on the point of flower, it’s time to consider on the point of flower, simulating one thing that of their historic roots, of their homelands, there was a interval of this no matter, deprivation of some component [laughter]. And it triggered it. So I’d be simulating it. And that’s what I at all times did with the vacation cactus. And I used to examine in outdated backyard books that we’d speak about, you’d put a black plastic bag over them at night time or one thing for 14 hours, set an alarm clock [laughter].

Matt: My mother and father would deliver them within the fall and put them within the cellar home windows. I do not forget that. And they’d at all times bloom. So yeah, there’s one thing to that. I believe we’ve to recollect they’re from Brazil and that’s the Southern Hemisphere. So that they bloom in Could. So I believe it’s like Florida mayo or one thing, known as the Flower of Could. So it’s like many South African or South American crops that, they’re on the alternative schedule up right here within the North. So conveniently, they bloom early winter.

However right here’s an fascinating reality. The Christmas cactus that you simply had, or let’s say the vacation cactus you most likely had, if it had the rounded leaves or clads, the form of paddles, proper, on the stems? That’s the outdated Christmas cactus. It’s not bought anymore. You possibly can’t discover that at a backyard middle or nursery. It’s actually a pass-along plant. All those you discover now grown retail are technically they’re Thanksgiving cactus. It’s the cross. I imply, the outdated one was, yeah, you have been saying the Latin names earlier than, which-

Margaret: Effectively, one is now they are saying with the Christmas, they are saying x buckleyi and truncata was the one which they used to say was Thanksgiving. And I don’t know what the unique species was of the, as you say now, not in commerce, the unique Christmas. I assume x buckleyi means it’s a hybrid with one thing else, however I don’t know.

Matt: No, you’re proper. Christmas cactus. I imply, they return to the 1830s once they have been first launched. It was Epiphyllum x buckleyi for some time, which additionally offers us, , that’s the orchid cactus. So these are all crops that within the wild, once more, going again to search for tradition, how we are able to develop them, look again to the place they develop within the wild.

They grew on mossy branches with leaf litter in Brazil, in a cloud forest. Positively not cactus surroundings, however they have been well-draining. That tells us they like, in order that’s actually well-draining, like an orchid. They like moisture round within the air however not across the roots actually. They don’t have robust root methods as a result of they’re epiphytic or lithophytic, that means they generally develop on rocks, however on cliffs.

So these are all ideas that we are able to use. They usually love acidic soil or acidic rain. So all these, that tells us what sort of water they need, what sort of vitamins they need. And mix that with the daylight factor, you might have this stuff nailed. Now it’s how can we try this at dwelling?

Margaret: And if we wish to even have it for a vacation, i.e.Thanksgiving or Christmas, you’d should again as much as proper round now and say, “Hey, guess what, honey, you’ll be able to’t be out on the porch anymore within the shiny gentle. I’m going to deprive you of that for 14 hours in the present day.” [Laughter.] You understand what I imply?

Matt: Yeah, yeah.

Margaret: You’re going to most likely shift their place. Or such as you stated, somebody in your loved ones used to deliver them into the basement, into the cellar window.

Matt: I believe frost got here, or at the very least right here in Massachusetts, frost arrived earlier.

Margaret: Oh, for certain. In September for certain.

Matt: We may nonetheless get one in September. However to essentially assure you’ll get buds, I imply, utilizing my greenhouse instance, I depart mine out as late as doable till that first risk of frost, which there is perhaps an evening or two in September I’ve to deliver them in. However they return out once more. As a result of that’s once they’re actually delicate to the day size.

So proper now they may set buds by the top of September. You’ll look rigorously. And as soon as they set buds, then you’ll be able to deal with them otherwise. However we attain that, it’s 13 hours really is the advisable size of the night time, nevertheless it’s most likely 12 to 13. And I simply hold them out till early October possibly, after which deliver them in.

Margaret: And so that you’re bringing them into the greenhouse, however let’s fake we don’t have a greenhouse. So that you have been speaking about a number of various things, the soil and the acidity and the great drainage and issues like that. So what can be excellent for me to do with, whether it is my houseplant, what do you suppose? What ought to I be doing with it this fall?

Matt: Yeah, let’s undergo the entire calendar of what you’ll do. It’s fairly easy. I deliver them in at any time when that first heavy freeze shall be, so it is perhaps Halloween. If they’ve buds on them already, I deliver them in the home, I deliver them onto our windowsills. Now we have deep windowsills, so that they’re nearly on show at that time as a result of they’ll bloom most likely for Thanksgiving or between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The 12 crops are likely to bloom week on, week off up till then.

As soon as they bloom, the season’s over. So most are executed by, let’s say by New 12 months. The issues individuals have then is typically you get bud drop, and that simply occurs when the temperatures shift an excessive amount of. However what I’m speaking about is that if we had 90-degree days after which instantly 40 diploma days, they don’t like that. Or in the event that they’ve gone too dry once they have this. Simply hold the moisture form of even, not soaking moist. All the time keep in mind they don’t have huge root methods. They need a extremely porous soil. So both a number of perlite or a number of gravel within the soil.

Margaret: You talked a couple of barky combine in your Instagram submit; that bark could assist, too. Whereas it could nonetheless have quick drainage from the opposite components within the potting combine, the bark would possibly maintain a bit little bit of moisture for them to make the most of with their small root system and so for them to form of grasp on to. So nearly like orchid bark, that type of bark a bit bit within the combine?

Matt: Yeah. I exploit a tremendous orchid bark from a wholesale grower. The actually good wholesale growers will use tremendous orchid bark, possibly 50 p.c. And the opposite 50 p.c is both a industrial potting combine or coir and perlite. So it’s very fast-draining, nearly like what you might have your phalaenopsis in, however with a bit extra potting soil in it.

Margaret: And never swimming in a large pot. These are guys, they don’t want, as a result of once more, these are, a number of them are like epiphytic nearly. They’re like hanging in timber and so forth, resting on. So that they don’t want a large pot.

Matt: No, however they want a heavy pot. So I have a tendency to make use of clay. If I don’t use clay, I put a rock within the backside of a plastic pot. As a result of you know the way top-heavy they’re, they’ll swing round and fall over.

Margaret: Effectively, that’s what occurred to mine. And I used to be transferring between one home and one other, and it took a spill and it type of shattered and it was a large number, my outdated one. So sure.

Matt: The opposite tip I realized just lately was to pinch them again. I had by no means pinched vacation cactus in any respect.

Margaret: Oh.

Matt: However in January, February earlier than the brand new development begins, and industrial growers develop them in a single season, so it’s at all times good to take a look at the industrial develop sheets for ideas. So you’ll be able to simply do a Google seek for tradition sheet for, they nonetheless would possibly name them Zygocactus, some growers, they may name them Schlumbergera or vacation cactus, however you’ll see what the skilled greenhouses use.

And it’s possible you’ll not wish to use the chemical compounds they’re utilizing. Chances are you’ll not wish to use the soil. So that they’re utilizing a number of peat as a result of they wish to make a extremely acidic soil. However they do train you some good ideas. And that one tip of pinching was one thing I realized there, that we see so many buds on those you purchase on the market, it appears to be like like they’ve been handled with chemical compounds, proper?

They pinch the guidelines out, the primary new development, after which they get extra clads popping out, extra leaves, if you’ll. After which all these produce extra buds. Simply don’t pinch after March.

Margaret: So pinching. So the “clads” [cladodes or cladophylls] are these segments that make up what appear to be a bunch of leaves caught collectively, or stems, relying on the way you wish to give it some thought [laughter], the branches, so to talk, however pinch out an entire one. Am I taking an entire one? How far do I pinch?

Matt: One leaf off, let’s say. Observe the guidelines. They could ship out three new ones. After which fertilizer is fascinating as a result of these are, and also you’ll see, don’t observe something of the myths for fertilizer. You definitely, they’re not going to feed these milk.

Margaret: Oh, please. If the web doesn’t cease telling individuals kill crops, I swear.

Matt: The extra widespread the houseplant, I believe the extra myths there are.

Margaret: Torture. It’s torture. It’s all torture [laughter].

Matt: They need acidic soil, so that you’re not giving them espresso. I’ve seen that too. As a result of it’s not really-

Margaret: Oh, please.

Matt: Yeah, they need rainwater. So begin with the fundamentals. They need acidic water. So in the event you use faucet water.. I by no means knew this, however I checked our faucet water right here the place I dwell and the pH is actually excessive as a result of it’s been, despite the fact that we’ve acidic rain and acidic soil, the town, and most metropolis water is adjusting the water pH. And it doesn’t have an effect on the plant over a couple of months, however over a yr or two or three, and also you’ve by no means re-potted it, that soil has change into actually alkaline. And then you definately see these form of shriveled up, crisp vacation cacti which can be struggling.

So it’s most likely finest to re-pot it yearly or each two years in a brand new acidic combine. And March can be a good time to try this or April, and reintroduce in a very good combine. Like I stated, a extremely porous combine, like a half orchid bark combine. Even in the event you simply half orchid bark, half potting soil, that might be nice. You would possibly wish to add gravel or a pair handfuls of backyard soil in. That’s one fable I’ve seen that appears to be confirmed by a number of cactus and succulent societies. I haven’t researched it, however hey, my mother did it and it labored [laughter]. I don’t know if that’s any motive to strive it, however my crops are wanting fairly wonderful now. They’re getting rain. This has been an excellent wet summer season for them.

Now that they’re in new combine that’s recent and acidic, they usually’re getting a number of new inexperienced development, and I’ve been fertilizing with a half-strength fertilizer. However there’s two issues with fertilizer they don’t like. They don’t like iron. And that’s actually vital, as a result of in the event you’re utilizing any industrial manufacturers, like something that’s blue, that’s water soluble, it has iron in it. So they’re quite a bit like geraniums. You know the way laborious it’s to develop a geranium and fertilize it and it doesn’t appear to be the one to procure on the backyard middle within the spring? There’s a feed known as geranium feed that the professionals develop in, and it doesn’t have iron in it, however you’ll be able to by no means purchase it retail.

However now with the entire hashish trade, these little startups are promoting specialised soils for hashish growers, as a result of they’re loopy about what they’re feeding their crops

Margaret: And specialised fertilizers then, as properly?

Matt: And it’s a development I’ve seen just lately. I simply went onto Google and I discovered a couple of growers which can be really promoting Christmas cactus fertilizer. After I appeared on the evaluation, it doesn’t have any iron. So that they don’t like manganese, both. So I believed that’s fairly sensible. And these are in a single quart containers. So it’s reasonably priced. It’s a extremely weak energy.

Watch out typically with seaweed fertilizers or any fish emulsion, as a result of they’re too excessive in nitrogen, however most of them are like a 2 or 3. I imply, you’re tremendous. These aren’t heavy eaters, however they do need some meals through the summer season rising season.

Margaret: O.Ok.

Matt: However simply not iron.

Margaret: And lightweight-wise, once more, these are usually not cactus within the desert, baking within the solar. We don’t wish to, even in the summertime, I’m assuming you don’t have these out within the hottest, most baking spot within the backyard. Are these in a shiny, filtered-light scenario or what’s their, as a result of they’ll type of burn, as I recall.

Matt: Completely. In the event that they develop on timber within the jungles, they’re getting dappled gentle beneath the leaves. So in the event you may search for these situations, it is perhaps the north facet of your own home the place it’s open to the sky, however the solar by no means hits.

They don’t wish to be too darkish, although, as a result of they nonetheless have to photosynthesize. Beneath a magnolia or one thing like that might be too darkish. I’ve us on a deck, they’re beneath, they get shaded by a giant Stewartia that form of lets dappled solar down onto them. However they’re not getting, they get little dots of suns type of wiggling round on their leaves, however they’re not getting full solar. Yeah, you’re proper. They may burn very simply.

Margaret: Yeah, I do not forget that typically the tissue nearly will get purple like sunburn earlier than it actually deteriorates. You possibly can nearly see once they’re getting broken, about to get broken or beginning to get broken.

Matt: Or flip purple, flip purple.

Margaret: Purple. Proper. Proper. Precisely.

Matt: Particularly they’ll lose that after they begin entering into type of a much less, the depth of the solar is much less.

Margaret: Proper. Until you permit them out in it too many days in a row, which might be dangerous. Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous.

Matt: We’ve all executed it.

Margaret: Yeah. So the opposite factor I used to be interested by is, as I stated, my outdated one had an accident within the transferring van scenario, fell off [laughter]. Anyway, it was a catastrophe, busted up into items. In fact I most likely may have propagated. How straightforward are these guys to propagate?

Matt: Oh, they’re very straightforward. I imply, for this reason they’re such an excellent pass-along plant. You may take a reducing once more in March most likely if you’re doing pinching. So in the event you needed to pinch, you may pinch again three leaves price. So three or 4 of these clads or leaves or these cladophylls, you’ll pinch off. And I wouldn’t root them in water. They’re actually finest rooted in a extremely porous combine, simply perlite, even in a yogurt cup or in a drained container, however water it on daily basis so it runs by way of, or a bit little bit of soil and one thing actually porous like aquarium grit.

You may purchase a cactus combine after which add some potting soil to it. That’s good, too. I believe the check is in the event you pour water into your combine and it runs by way of, however you are feeling the combo and you are feeling dampness, that’s a very good combine. They usually root in three or 4 weeks.

Margaret: Oh, O.Ok. All proper. Good.

Matt: Talking of cuttings, those you purchase commercially now, additionally, they put like 30 cuttings in a pot. They wish to get a phenomenal plant that’s most likely, they intend it to be disposable. So that they’re placing, I don’t know, 12 cuttings in a 3 inch pot.

Margaret: So an actual fast bulk up, promote it, the top.

Matt: That’s not a wholesome strategy to develop it on. So in the event you do get a kind of across the vacation season, I’d at the very least cut up it into two or three. Ideally, three crops to a pot can be nice. And that might be a sensible factor to do if you wish to get an heirloom plant.

I discussed I inherited, my mother had these outdated crops. My mother, she had me, she was 45, she died at nearly 100. And I’ve these crops which can be most likely 80 years outdated, however I misplaced all of them and I used to be devastated. However my godmother, who lives throughout the road from us, handed away this spring. And we went over to assist clear the home out. And there was one among my mother’s Christmas cactuses on her windowsill, and it was simply as outdated as those we had. So I used to be so treasured to get it, nevertheless it was in fairly dangerous form as a result of nobody was taking good care of it. So I simply re-potted it and it type of fell aside. However on this new soil combine, I imply, these crops are older than a number of people, proper?

Margaret: Sure.

Matt: We corky and we reduce it again and it’s all regenerated, and it’s fairly thrilling to see that occur. However it’s that old style one. It’s the outdated buckleyi that has the rounded clads. It’s scalloped on the sting of the leaf, and it has a phenomenal shiny pink flower. However I imply, is there actually a nasty vacation cactus?

Margaret: Yeah. Effectively, we’ve used up our time nearly. And so I used to be going to say, you simply remind me, as a result of I’ve my grandmother’s Clivia, which has acquired to be 80 or 90 years outdated. I imply, it’s now many, many crops, however the identical type of factor, the place it’s simply such a treasure and it’s your most treasured factor. So I like that you simply discovered a part of your mom’s Christmas cactus. That’s implausible.

Matt: And the care is identical on each of those, too. So in the event you’re fighting Clivia, we simply answered that query too.

Margaret: Yeah, yeah, precisely. Proper, proper. A bit robust love for some time there. Yeah. Effectively, I’m glad to speak to you, and like I stated, I used to be glad to see it. It made me need one once more, and so possibly I’ll be going out doing a bit buying. However it’s at all times good to speak to you, Matt, and thanks. Thanks for making time in the present day.

Matt: It’s a pleasure. Have enjoyable selecting one of many 2,000 varieties which can be up there.

Margaret: [Laughter.] I do know. It was simpler within the outdated days. All proper. I’ll speak to you quickly once more. Bye-bye.

(All photograph by Matt Mattus, used with permission.)

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