00:00Holiday cacti are generally low maintenance plants, but a little care goes
00:04a long way in keeping them healthy. Today we'll cover three important steps
00:08repotting, pruning, and propagating. Holiday cactus are actually happiest when
00:13their roots are slightly crowded, so repotting should be infrequent. If after
00:18a few years your plant needs a new container, be sure to use a porous,
00:22lightweight, well-drained cactus potting mix in a pot with a drainage hole. The
00:27plants can be repotted after they are done blooming and the flowers have faded,
00:30usually late winter or early spring. Do not repot a Christmas cactus during an
00:35active blooming cycle. Prune the plant back annually if needed. If the plant has a
00:41nice shape then let it be, but if the plant is unruly or lanky you can cut
00:46between two leaf segments or cut the entire plant back by one-third. So what
00:51can you do with all those cuttings? Well this is where Christmas cactus gets fun.
00:55You can easily propagate them by taking a short Y-shaped segment, letting it sit
01:00out for a few days to heal, then bury one-quarter of its length into a cactus
01:05mix. Keep the cutting slightly moist and in just two weeks you will have new
01:10roots. Once you know how to care for a holiday cactus, it's an easy plant to
01:15manage and when given proper care and placed in a suitable location, the holiday
01:19cactus may even surprise you with additional blooms throughout the year.
01:23Until next time, happy gardening!
