• About Us
    • Hours & Locations
    • Rewards Club
    • Our History
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Behind the Scenes
    • Our Community
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Donation Requests
  • Weekly Features
  • Events & Workshops
  • Plant Selection
  • Products & Supplies
  • Gardening Advice
    • Garden Blog
    • Care Sheets
  • Shop Online
  • Gift Cards
  • Contact Us

Wagner Greenhouses

> News and Notes > Holiday Cactus

Holiday Cactus

November 22, 2021 / News and Notes, Holiday / Wagners Greenhouse

Cactus identification chart.

How do determine if you have a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter Cactus.

Other than the bloom time, you can determine what type you have by the shape of the leaves. Thanksgiving cactus have pointed claw like leaves, the leaves of a Christmas cactus are more scalloped, while Easter cactus leaves are more rounded.

General care tips

Water only when the soil surface is dry and increase the watering slightly when the plant is in bloom. Bright light such as a south or west window is ideal year-round or move outdoors during the summer months. During the winter months your cactus should be fertilized once a month and every other week during the summer when it’s putting on new growth.

You can

How to set flowers

Two things are needed to set flowers on holiday cactus – cool night temperatures, and short days. In the fall expose your cactus to night temperature of 40-55° for several weeks and make sure they receive 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night. Having your plant outdoors in the fall or in a room indoors that has the right conditions will start the process of setting blooms. If your plant is outdoors, don’t expose it freezing temperatures. Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus should set blooms in 4-6 weeks after the cool temp and darkness treatment. Easter cactus should follow the same treatment but for a longer period and will bloom much later.

Propagating

Holiday cactus prefer to be root bound and can go years without transplanting. If you do need to transplant, do it in early June and increase the pot size only slightly. It’s very easy to root cuttings from the plant. Remove a stem with 3 or more leaves and let it sit on your countertop for at least one day to callus. Place in perlite filled container, water occasionally and it should be rooted in 4-6 weeks. This new plant can then be planted in a small container with a drainage hole using cactus soil.

Related Content

Fall decor.

4 Natural Fall Décor Ideas

Fall Clean Up- Don't Put it off this Year

Fall Football Season vs. Fall Garden Ideas

A table of succulents.

Top 10 Best Air Purifying Houseplants

Garden Blog Categories

Wagners email Signup

Sign up to receive weekly emails regarding our featured plants and products, upcoming events, and news updates!
Sign Up Here
follow-us-instagram

Garden Center & Wholesale Office

6024 Penn Ave S. Minneapolis, MN

Garden Center 612-922-6901

Store Hours:
Open Daily: 9am-5pm

 

Wholesale Office 612-922-1262
Mon-Fri: 8am-4:00pm

Directions

Garden Center

4860 Frenchman Road N.
Hugo, MN

Garden Center 651-653-8863

Closed for the season. See you in the spring!

Directions

Minneapolis

6024 Penn Ave S.
Minneapolis, MN

Garden Center 612-922-6901

Store Hours:

Open Daily: 9am-5pm

 

Directions

Hugo

4860 Frenchman Road N.
Hugo, MN

Garden Center 651-653-8863

Store Hours:

Open Daily:
Monday – Friday: 9am – 6pm
Saturday & Sunday: 9am – 5pm

Directions

Wagner Greenhouses & Garden Center

Wagners is a fifth generation family owned company operating at the same location since 1901.
View Employment Opportunities

Garden Center

  • Shop Online
  • Visit Garden Center
  • Weekly Features
  • Wagners Rewards
  • Care Sheets
  • Hours & Locations

Wholesale Plants

  • Visit Wholesale
  • Wagner Greenhouse: Young Plant Programs
  • Young Plant Availability
  • For Landscaping Professionals
  • Plant Fundraising

Wagners Rewards Sign Up

Click the link to learn more about our Rewards Program!

Learn More

© 2025 Wagner Greenhouses, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use - Privacy Policy.

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Hours & Locations
    • Our History
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Behind the Scenes
    • Community
    • Employment
    • Gift Cards
  • Garden Center
    • Visit Garden Center
    • Weekly Features
    • Events & Workshops
    • Wagners Rewards
    • Plant Selection
    • Products & Supplies
    • Donation Requests
  • Wholesale Plants
    • Visit Wholesale Plants
    • Young Plant Availability
    • Wagner Greenhouse: Young Plant Programs
    • Ordering Info
    • Brokers
    • Finished Plant Availability
    • For Landscaping Professionals
    • Plant Fundraising
  • Shop Online
  • Gardening Advice
    • Garden Blog
    • Care Sheets
  • Contact Us