In 2017 I decided to put all three of my Schlumbergeras into one large hanging basket .
Pale pink and dark pink and white ...or so I had thought , I cant see any white ones so maybe I was mistaken . Or maybe I lost that one.....I need a white one ! Can anyone spare me a cutting of a white one please ? !!!
Anyway I,m still delighted with it !
This usually lives in our front porch , but I have someone coming to collect a piece of furniture this morning so I had to move it to save it from being knocked over .
They don't like being moved when they are in flowering mode and can drop all the buds and flowers . So I thought I'd better take a picture of it now while it's looking fabulous !
Schlumbergeras come originally from Brazil , where they are found growing epiphytically , putting their roots down into the leaves and other bits and pieces that are decomposing there in the nooks and crannies on trees ..they get some of their nutrients from this , but also make their own through photosynthesis .They also hang down and scrabble about over rocky , mossy banks and cliff-sides .
They have flattened stem segments which are crab like and the flowers are teapot spout like in shape , unlike Rhipsalis , Hatiora and other Epiphyllums which have more of a star type flower and in my location Cornwall , England these other plants flower in the Spring and get given the common name of Easter Cactus .
Anyway, the Schlumbergeras usually bloom around about the end of November , which is why it is commonly known as the Thanksgiving Cactus and as you can see mine is bang on cue !
Wishing all my American friends a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving Day !
They have become a very popular house plant , in many different colours . Fun to share cuttings and so easy to propagate . Just stick into a pot of compost and away it goes .
This is quite a large hanging basket and quite heavy , so I was delighted to find this clever plant stand for it . I stand this on a table in the porch and can easily tend to it there. What a clever person to design this !
I will ease off the watering over the winter months , start again in the Spring . It might need tidying up and a feed with some Baby -bio . Maybe some fresh compost top dressing or even re-pot with some fresh compost .
It goes outside in a shady spot in the Summer . I usually hang it in one of our trees , up and away from slugs . I bring back it into the porch , as the weather changes in the beginning of Autumn . It then readjusts and begins to show it's buds , then , in full bloom towards the end of November ....cheering us up from all this gloomy weather !
It's a while since I grew any of these - maybe I should start again.
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