I have a thirty year old red Christmas cactus which is so huge it is becoming difficult to keep in my home. I know I can take cuttings from leaves and have done so successfully many times, but can'I break up the main plant, it has three thick main branches. I would hate to kill it.
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I believe it is recommended that separation should be done in late spring or early summer (February, March, April). I believe this has something to do with blooming time.
I have a very large one also and i just transplant mine instead of really dividing it. I do generally take a few clumps off the sides when I do this but I believe transplanting causes less shock than dividing.
They also need about 14 hours of darkness each night so when mine is on my porch I sometimes cover it with a large box so the darkness lasts longer. Some people cover theirs with a light weight dark cloth.
Christmas cacti like a tight pot, so be sure to select the right size for your new divisions - I think it's recommended to only have about 1 - 1/12" between roots and side of pots.
Soak the plant in water before dividing so the soil will break up easier. Trim off any slimy pieces of root.
You can use a general purpose potting soil but cacti soil mix is very good and helps drainage.
Christmas cactus plants like feeling a little cramped and flowers best when root bound. Consider transplanting it every three to five years.
YouTube has some good videos on how to divide your plants.
www.youtube.com/
After keeping mine in during the winter, I put outside under other perennial plants and nearly forget them, I may spray water occasionally, but not consistantly. It allows them to dry out on their own, then in September I bring them in for protection against the cold nights.
Here is a couple of links to safely divide this beauty - www.hunker.com/
How to Divide a Christmas Cactus
Under the right conditions a Christmas cactus will flower.
The decorative succulent known as the Christmas cactus is readily available in garden centers as an attractive, hardy houseplant that can withstand slight neglect in regular watering. As the plant grows, it produces multiple stems from the soil featuring broad, flat leaves which stack on top of one another and branch, making the cactus plant look full. To keep the plant from becoming too overgrown, you'll need to divide a Christmas cactus every four to five years.
Step 1
Spread out newspaper to cover your work area. Support the base of your Christmas cactus with one hand and pull the pot from the roots with the other hand.
Step 2
Use your fingers to work excess soil loose from around the roots of your plant. Note how the root system contains large white roots, each of which directly connects to individual stems above.
Step 3
Slip a knife or hand trowel between stems near the center of the plant at the soil level to divide the plant into two halves. Move the knife downward to slice through the smaller roots that may be tangled together.
Step 4
Continue to divide each half of the plant down the center, repeating the process until your individual sections hold three or four of the large, white roots. Gather together as many small pots as needed for the number of divisions you end up with.
Step 5
Cover the bottom of each pot with a 1/2-inch of pea gravel or small stones. Fill the pots halfway with succulent soil. Set each cactus into the individual pots.
Step 6
Hold the cactus so the base of the plant rests a 1/4-inch below the upper edge of the pot. Add more soil under and around the roots of the cactus to secure it and cover the roots. Continue until each Christmas cactus division has been planted.
Step 7
Set the divisions into a bright room away from direct sunlight. Water the soil to moisten it thoroughly and repeat watering each week. When new growth appears, move the pots to a sunny area.
thanks for that!i was wondering,do i need to repot my 2 christmas cacti,the soil in the pots seems rock hard?x
The directions you are seeing here are copied directly from this website. www.hunker.com/
this is a pretty forgiving plant. I have many times just removed branches and put them in water for a bit and then plant them once they root.
By the way, those "red" leaves on your cactus usually means one of two things: Way too much sunlight or it's lacking nutrients. These cactus like bright indirect light, not baking in sunshine.
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