My Christmas cactus looks spectacular this year, and I know why. The room it sits in got a new resident in late September—a pet canary. And because canaries are supposed to sleep 10-12 hours each night I make sure to turn off all the lights in that room by 7:30 each night so the little guy can get his rest.
Christmas cactus set buds best when they get a period with 12-14 hours of darkness between September and November. This simulates the conditions where they grow naturally.
I used to spend time in my office each night after supper so that meant the lights were on and the plant was not getting its required hours of bud-setting darkness.
I’ve never seen so many blooms on my plant in the 15 years I’ve managed to keep it alive!
