How to prune Christmas cactus

After the spring flowers fade

After the flowers fade, remove the remaining flowers in time, shorten the 3 to 4 stem nodes under the flowers, and thin out the aging stems to facilitate ventilation and later maintenance.

During maintenance

Christmas cactus grows rapidly. During the cultivation process, sometimes 4 to 5 new branches will grow on one node. At this time, they should be cut off in time, leaving 1 to 2. Of course, if there are many small flower buds on the nodes, some of them should be picked off to make the flowers uniform in size and bloom more vigorously.

Cultivation 3~5 years

After 3 to 5 years of cultivation of Christmas cactus, the leaf stems can basically reach 20 to 30 cm. At this time, use thick iron wire as a support and wrap it around the pot. Place a circular bracket on the top and tie the overly long branches directly to the ring to prevent the stems from becoming scattered. After treatment, the uneven stem nodes will be cut off to make the plant umbrella-shaped, which is beneficial to the plant's photosynthesis and display.

Plant size is too large

If the maintenance environment is suitable, Christmas cactus will grow rapidly and the plant height can reach more than 50 cm, which is not conducive to viewing. The stem nodes can be shortened in spring, and dense and aging branches can be removed. After thinning, the new branches will be green and strong. If they still grow wildly, they can be pruned again in autumn. Be sure to choose a sunny day for pruning and avoid pruning in summer.