Expert: Greg Simpson - 11/5/2007

Question
What is the procedure (amount of light vs. dark) to get a christmas cactus to bloom?  I have heard 8-11 hours of daylight, and I have heard complete darkness day and night.  Which is the correct way to go?

Answer
Vicky,

Put your plant in a dark room or closet for a couple of weeks prior to Christmas, like now, and that should be sufficient to force it to bloom in December. Here is a link with some more detailed info: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/cactusFAQs.html

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Greg