Christmas cactus
Schlumbergera truncata, epiphyte
Water a Christmas cactus when the soil is dry a few centimetres down, which indoors means every 7–14 days all year round. It wants partial shade, 2 to 6 hours of sun a day, and starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F).
Updated 12 October 2026. How we write these pages
Christmas cactus at a glance
Water, indoors
7–14
days in summer
7–14
days in winter
When the soil is dry a few centimetres down.
Month by month
Minimum temperature
15 °C
It starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F).
Humidity
It likes humid air.
Growth
In the wild it grows on trees.
Repotting
When the roots fill the pot.
Pruning
No regular pruning needed. Pinch out the shoot tips.
Where does your plant live?
Pick its place and see what changes.
What changes
- Indoors, near the window. Fine, as long as the hot midday sun doesn’t fall straight on the leaves.
- Indoors, away from the window. With less light it grows more slowly. If you can, move the pot closer to the window.
- Outdoors, in the shade. Fine, as long as it gets at least 2 hours of sun a day.
- Outdoors, in the sun. Full sun all day is too much. Move the pot where the hottest hours are in shade.
- Indoors, summer. In July it usually needs water every 7–14 days. Heat dries the soil faster, so feel it more often.
- Indoors, winter, heating on. In January it usually needs water every 7–14 days, and more often near a radiator, because warm air dries the soil.
- Indoors, winter, heating on. It likes humid air, and the heating dries it out. Stand the pot near other plants or on a tray of wet pebbles.
- Indoors, winter, cool room. In January it usually needs water every 7–14 days, and less often in a cool room, where the soil stays damp for a long time.
- Indoors, winter, cool room. It starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F), so the room has to stay warmer than that.
- Outdoors, summer. Outside the soil dries faster than indoors, where in July it needs water every 7–14 days, so in the sun feel it often.
- Outdoors, winter. It starts to suffer below 15 °C (59 °F). Bring the pot indoors before the first cold nights.
How often to water a Christmas cactus
Indoors, month by month. Tap a column.
In October
Every 7–14 days
Usually every 10 days. Feel the soil first, and water when it is dry a few centimetres down.
Every month in a table
| Month | Usually | Usually between |
|---|---|---|
| January | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
| February | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
| March | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
| April | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
| May | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
| June | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
| July | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
| August | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
| September | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
| October | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
| November | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
| December | every 10 days | 7–14 days |
Typical intervals indoors in the northern hemisphere: light, the pot and the season stretch or shorten them. How to tell when to water, with a finger and the weight of the pot.
Soil, propagation and problems
Soil
A cactus and succulent mix, with sand or pumice: water should drain straight through. It likes it neutral or slightly acidic.
Propagation
From a cutting: cut a piece of stem with at least one node and stand it in water or damp soil until it roots.
Common problems
The most frequent: Aphids · Mealybugs · Scale insects · Spider mites · Grey mould · Root rot
When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Christmas cactus: good to know
Some cacti come from rainforests.
Succulents have thick, fleshy parts that store water. Succulents come from over 25 families; cacti are one.
The Christmas cactus is a true cactus growing on trees or rocks.
Christmas cactus: questions and answers
How often should you water a Christmas cactus in winter?
Indoors it’s much the same all year round, usually every 10 days.
How can you tell when a Christmas cactus needs water?
When the soil is dry a few centimetres down, not just on the surface.
How much light does a Christmas cactus need?
Partial shade: 2 to 6 hours of sun a day, without the full midday sun. Indoors that means near a window, out of the sun in the middle of the day.
How much cold can a Christmas cactus take?
It starts to suffer from the cold below 15 °C (59 °F). If it spends the summer outside, bring the pot in before nights drop below 15 °C, and in winter keep it away from cold glass and draughts.
When should you repot a Christmas cactus?
When the roots fill the pot. If needed, the best time is when it starts growing again. There are usually 1 to 2 years between repottings.
How do you prune a Christmas cactus?
No regular pruning needed. On leggy stems, take off the last few segments. Always remove whole segments, so the plant keeps a natural look.
How can you tell if a Christmas cactus is getting too much water or too little?
Too much water often shows as fleshy parts going soft and mushy. Too little shows as fleshy parts wrinkled or shrivelled.
How much humidity does a Christmas cactus need?
Wants humid air: indoors, keep it away from radiators and close to other plants, or on a tray of wet pebbles.
What soil does a Christmas cactus need?
A cactus and succulent mix, with sand or pumice: water should drain straight through. It likes it neutral or slightly acidic.
Which pests and diseases affect a Christmas cactus?
The most frequent are aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, spider mites, grey mould and root rot. When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
How do you make a Christmas cactus bloom?
About eight weeks before you want flowers, so around mid-October for Christmas, keep it where the nights are cool, around 10–13 °C (50–55 °F). In a warmer room it needs darkness instead: at least 13 hours every night with no light at all, say from 6 pm to 7 am in a cupboard or under a dark cloth. Put it back by the window during the day. Once you see buds, don’t move it again.
Why is my Christmas cactus limp?
Feel the soil. If it’s wet and the segments are soft, especially near the base, it’s too much water and the roots can rot, so empty the saucer and let it dry a few centimetres down. If it’s dry and the segments are wrinkled, it’s thirsty. If it stays limp even though the soil is moist, look at the roots: if they’ve rotted, take a cutting from a healthy stem.
Where should a Christmas cactus go in summer?
Indoors near a bright window, out of direct sun. Or outside in shade or partial shade, with the pot off the ground because of slugs. In autumn it can stay out until the nights drop to around 10–13 °C (50–55 °F), which helps it flower; then bring it in bit by bit, a few more hours indoors each day.
Why is my Christmas cactus dropping leaves or buds?
Buds drop if you move the plant once it has them, or if it gets too much water, a cold draught or warm air from a radiator. When segments drop, it’s usually water: if the soil is wet, let it dry out; if it’s dry and the segments are wrinkled, water until it runs out of the hole.
How do you propagate a Christmas cactus?
Twist off a piece of stem with 2–5 segments at a joint and let it dry overnight. Push the base about 2.5 cm (1 in) into barely damp perlite or coarse sand, in a bright spot out of direct sun, and water when it starts to dry. Roots form in 6–8 weeks. Once they’re a couple of centimetres long, move the cutting into a small pot of free-draining potting mix.
Is a Christmas cactus toxic to cats?
No, it isn’t toxic to cats or dogs. As with any plant, eating a piece can give them a little vomiting or an upset stomach.
What’s the difference between a Christmas cactus and a Thanksgiving cactus?
They’re close relatives and need the same care. A Thanksgiving cactus has pointed, toothed edges on its segments, while a Christmas cactus has rounded ones. Many plants sold as Christmas cactus, like the one in the first photo, have pointed edges.
Read next
Every plant has its own rhythm. LINFA keeps track for you.
It looks at the light where your plant stands, its pot and the season, and tells you when to check it.
Coming soon to Android
