Schlumbergera Blooming. 8 Nov 24.

 Here are the Schlumbergera.  They are pretty showy.

Up-potting Schlumbergera Seedlings. 11 Jun 24.

 I planted these Schlumbergera seeds 6 Dec 23, from seeds that I saved from my own plants and cross pollinated myself.

They grow slowly but I'm surprised at how sturdy sone of the seedlings are.  There is also quite a diversity of appearances.

The roots are not deep, but they are tightly entangled. They were difficult to separate.

 

I selected the most vigorous looking plants to separate and plant into three or four inch containers, three plants per container.  This is similar to how the plants are sold, a few together in 4 inch pots, but these plants are much smaller and in juvenile stage.

I also replanted the remaining smaller / less vigorous seedlings together again in a small container.

I haven't grown Schlumbergeras from seeds before, so I don't know if any seedlings might bloom this winter.  They are still quite small, so I have my doubts.  There is quite a diversity in shape and vigor among the seedlings.  It's an interesting experiment.

Repotting Schlumbergera. 11 Apr 24.

 These were the two smallest / newest Schlumbergeras.  One has a sort of fuchsia tone that I haven't seen much in modern ones.  The color was more common in the past.

These ceramic pots are quite heavy.  They won't have any problems tipping over as they grow.  Also, they look nice.  I did not prune these.  They didn't need it.  Also, if my pruning of some of the others was too severe, these will be the blooming ones, next winter.

Here are the roots.  Nice, and I did not disturb them. 

These cacti should be set fir a few years now, with just routine care.

Later.  

I decided to add this photo, rather than a new blog post.  This cactus had a couple of buds.  One opened.

I finally labeled them with the flower color.

Pruning Schlumbergera. 9 Apr 24.

 I've usually been reluctant to prune the Schlumbergeras.  As a result they tend to sprawl and become top heavy.   I wanted to prune them just after blooming, but some are still blooming.  I started with these two.  I left still- blooming stems in place. I pruned the others back by 1 or 2 or 3 nodes - basically the past 2 or 3 years' growth.

After the flowers finish, I'll prune those stems back the same way, so they are all even.

Schlumbergera Update. Seedlings and Up-potting One. 16 Mar 2024.

 Sclumbergeras tend to become top heavy with age, and fall over.  I don't think they need as large a pot as some plants the same size, but they eventually need up potting.  This one was grown from cuttings maybe three years ago.  Nice, unusual color.  I grew the original plant from cuttings many years ago, and took these when it became scraggly.

For the falling over problem, I think a heavy pot is needed.  I had one extra, so I used it.

The root mass looks pretty good.  No winding roots, but pretty dense.  I roughed it up just a little before potting.

As for the Schlubergera seedlings, they seem to be on a bit of a growth spurt.  They are making new pads at the apex and and the sides of the old pads.  Interesting.

I sat them all outside today, not in full sun except briefly.  Temp 72F.  To night they will come back inside for the expected low40s F.

Rudbeckia, Eucalyptus, and Schlumbergera Seedlings. 8 March 2024

 Here are the Rudbeckia seedlings.  I planted these after stratifying in the refrigerator, using the moist paper towel in sandwich bag method, six weeks in fridge.  It was a challenge getting the seeds off the damp paper towel, because they are tiny and they stick, but it was doable. I just patted the seeds onto the already dampened seed starting medium, watered them in, and placed onto a warming mat.  They germinated in a few days.

I can't see wanting more than a half dozen, so they will need thinning.  Maybe a few more.

The Lemon Bush Eucalyptus have weird things on their leaves.  I up-potted them, maybe two weeks ago.  I'll see if they grow out of whatever is happening.

The Silver Dollar Eucalyptus seedling all look good so far.

The Schlumbergeras grow slowly, and with a lot of variation.  I imagine they will need a couple of years before blooming.  It's fun, taking them through blooming stage, pollinating, growing a berry, letting that mature, harvesting the seeds, and now growing plants.  I will continue giving them the best growth conditions I can, and maybe transplant when they are a little bigger to give them more room.

Starting Eucalyptus Seeds. 15 Jan 2024.

 I wanted to try something different.  These Eucalyptus citriodora can be grown as an annual.  The trees in Australia are beautiful and truly massive, but the goal here is an annual, sort of similar to a mint or lemon balm, that will tolerate what has been a trend to hotter and drier summers.  If they grow, I'll try growing them in containers.  Of there are extras, I can see if they survive a border accesible to deer.  I bet the deer don't bother them.

I surface planted the seeds in a six pack on moistened peat and perlite seed starting medium. I dusted them with a bit more medium, then spritzed with water.

Again with avoiding unnecessary plastic, I covered with a glass baking dish lid.

I read they require warmth and light, so they are sharing an LED desk lamp with the Schlumbergera seedlings.

From the previous post, these are the seeds.

Schlumbergera Seedling Update. 15 Jan 2024.

 So far, so good.  I'm just keeping them under an LED desk lamp, very close.  Light is on about 12 hours daily.  At night they are covered with plastic.  I water them when dry, with a very dilute bloom food.

A few are growing their first true (tiny) cactus pads.

Schlumbergera Seedlings. 20 Dec 2023.

 Here are the Sclumbergera seedlings, from seed I planted two weeks ago.

I don't have a macro lens, so they are difficult to see.  There are about ten seedlings.

I had them on a seed starting warming mat.  The pot was covered with plastic wrap to maintain warmth, uncovering daily to air out.  I read they need light, so they are under an LED desk lamp.

So far, so good.  Today I watered from below and turned up the light intensity.  I have not done this before, so it is an interesting experiment.

Schlumbergera Update. Seeds. 6 Dec 2023.

 The Schlumberas have been winding down, but still nice.

The first to bloom has a developing fruit.  I've been pollinating a few flowers for fun.  The fruits take a long time to ripen.  I'll just leave them alone as the plants over-Summer.

I also collected seeds from one that fruited TWO years ago.  The fruit was a bit wrinkly but still moist and soft.  I washed the seeds into a teacup.

Most of the seeds sank in the water, which I guess is a good sign.  I rinsed a second time, carefully pouring off the water, then planted the minuscule seeds on the surface of moist seed starting medium, gently pressing them onto the medium.

From what I read, they might germinate in a few weeks. I'm keeping them covered but in the light.

I saw this one at Winco and bought it.  The color was more purple under the store lights.

Nice Holiday Cacti (Schlumbergera) In Bloom. 15 Nov 23.

 The Schlumbergera bus are opening.  It's a nice show so far.

They don't get much special treatment.  I keep them on the North side of the house for the summer, bring them in during fall.  Give a little flower fertilizer.  Several are cuttings from older plants that became too big, a couple of years ago.

Edit - here's one more.

A couple of others are not blooming yet.  That will extend the show.

First Schlumbergera Flowers. 11.25.22

 These were cuttings I made a few years ago.  The mother plants were becoming too large for me to handle.  I had these on a bench, under a tree, all summer.  Minimal care.   I brought them indoors a few weeks ago and started watering them.   I gave them a little bloom food.

Holiday Cactus (Schlumbergera) Blooming. 11.19.2021

Some of these started blooming a few weeks ago, others just started. I repotted these last winter. They are about three years old, maybe four.

This one is much older. Maybe ten or fifteen years.

These are cuttings Im took last winter from the older red one and a salmon colord one that is not blooming yet. They may need another year to start blooming.

The First Schlumbergera Cactus of the Year. 11.2.2021

I repotted this one during Spring. It was a grocery store purchace a few years ago, just now starting to get some nice size.

X-mas Cactus (Schlumbergera). 10.15.18

Last winter, I bought these two "Christmas Cactus" plants to cheer up my office.  I think they are more correctly called "Thanksgiving Cactus" or better yet, Schlumbergera.   They bloommed very nicely.  During the summer, and into the cooler nights, they were outside, on the East side of the house, with morning sun and afternoon and evening shade.  I watered them when I remembered.  This is not organic, but I gave them Miracle-Grow for green plants, at 1/4 label recommended strength, until fall, then switched to the Miracle-Grow "Bloom Booster" at 1/4 strength.  Now they are in my South Facing office window.  Lots of buds.  They might actually be in bloom at Thanksgiving.  Meanwhile, there is the joy of anticipation and the pride of growing something that will bloom nicely, soon.

There are also a couple of Schlumbergera that are much older and larger.  They are beginning to set flower buds, but not as much.

Edit:  I can remember reading various schemes about putting these in the dark for a month to get them to bloom.  That's just not true.  I've grown them for years, and just let the change of seasons do it's thing.  They always bloom, every year, without putting them into a dark closet.  Maybe that's the climate or lattitude?  I don't know, and I don't worry about it.

Schlumbergera. 11.27.14

Schlumbergera.  11.27.14

This is my oldest Shlumbergera.  Started from cuttings, about 2003 I'm guessing.  Nice salmon color.  Just beginning to bloom.

No special care.  Outside East side of house in shade for the summer.  Water when I think of it  Bring back inside in October.

Schlumbergera season

They are way to easy to grow and bloom. Downside: as they grow larger, the flowers face downwards. If hanging, that's fine. On a table, up-facing flowers are easier to view. Summer outside in the shade. Try to remember to water them at least weekly. Bring inside when it's cooling down. Avoid keeping them in lit rooms at night - not difficult. When they start to bud, I provide some orchid bloom food in weak solution.

A pink Sclumbergera. Probably about 3 or 4 years old.

I think I was going to throw away this red one. But this year the color is very good. So I will keep it.

I grew this salmon Sclhumbergera from gift cuttings about 6 years ago. I think this year I will start from cuttings again, for more compact size.