Why do the buds of Christmas cactus fall off before they open?

Now is the bud and flowering period for Christmas cactus. Some have already bloomed, while others are still in the bud forming stage.

After entering winter, many flower lovers have reported that the flower buds of Christmas cactus in their homes have grown a lot. But they fall off before they bloom. So what causes the flower buds of Christmas cactus to fall off?

1. Keep the pot soil moist for a long time

It is a cactus plant. The root system of the ungrafted Christmas cactus is very slender, but its leaves are full and thick. Therefore, Christmas cactus is drought-resistant and afraid of waterlogging.

We usually keep the potting soil dry rather than wet. If the potting soil is kept moist for a long time, the roots will become suffocated and rot.

When the root system is damaged, it cannot provide nutrients to the flower buds, causing the flower buds to fall off.

Therefore, during the bud formation and flowering period of Christmas cactus in winter, watering should be properly controlled. The soil in the pot should not be too dry, nor should it be kept moist for a long time.

2. Avoid applying fertilizer randomly during the bud stage

When fertilizing during the bud stage of Christmas cactus, you should not use nitrogen fertilizer. Because the plant needs more phosphorus and potassium fertilizers for the growth of buds and flowering. Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers at this time will affect the growth of buds and cause them to fall off.

When applying fertilizer, if the flower buds have grown very large, it is not suitable to spray on the leaves. Otherwise, if the flower buds are sprayed, it is easy to damage them in the case of poor ventilation.

For example, you can use 1:1200 potassium dihydrogen phosphate water-soluble fertilizer to irrigate the roots every ten days or half a month. Don't adjust the fertilizer water too concentrated to avoid burning the roots.

3. Avoid long-term lack of light

During the bud formation and flowering period in winter, if the plant is not exposed to sunlight for a long time, the plant will lack nutrient supply and the flower buds will fall off.

The light hours in winter are short and relatively soft, so you don't have to worry about it getting sunburned. If there is enough sunlight at home, you should keep it in the sun to improve the photosynthesis of the plant and allow it to bud and bloom smoothly.

4. The ambient temperature should not be too low

Although Christmas cactus is relatively easy to grow, it is also afraid of heat and cold. It needs shade in summer and needs to be kept in a warm environment in winter so that it can bud and bloom as soon as possible.

If the temperature of the maintenance environment is relatively low, or if you forget to move the plants indoors at night, the flower buds will easily be frostbitten after a short period of sub-zero temperatures, causing a large number of them to wilt and fall off.

【 Kind tips 】

Now is the bud formation and flowering period of Christmas cactus. If the buds of the Christmas cactus at home fall off, you must find out the cause in time and solve it in a targeted manner to allow it to bloom smoothly.