How do you care for a Christmas cactus?

Care for a Christmas cactus by preparing a humid environment for it, making sure it gets enough hours of dark, watering it correctly and pruning the limbs. You need a pot, a small container, pebbles, water, a dark room and pruning scissors.

1. Prepare a humid environment

   Prepare a humid environment necessary for the growth of the Christmas cactus. Fill a small container with pebbles. Place the pot containing the cactus on the pebbles. Pour water on the pebbles, which helps to increase the humidity of the surrounding area.

2. Place it in a good location

   Place the Christmas cactus in an area that receives direct sunlight. However, move the pot during the hottest times of the day to prevent scorching the plant. The pot should be moved to a location at night that maintains a temperature between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Place the plant in a dark room

   Place the plant in a dark room, and cover it with a black plastic bag during part of the day to help it blossom. The cactus needs 13 hours of complete, uninterrupted dark to bloom.

4. Water the plant

   When the soil feels dry, water the plant until the water exits through the holes in the bottom of the pot. To help it blossom, water the plant more often with the same amount of water.

5. Prune the limbs

   Tim the limbs after the plant blooms.