Everyone enjoys seeing their cacti bloom, and I’m frequently asked if it’s possible to get a cactus to bloom not only in the spring and summer but also in the autumn and winter. It would be amazing to witness a year-round display of cactus blooms.
Imagine how beautiful it would be to witness a year-round display of cacti flowers.
Every cacti species has a specific flowering season, and most of them only bloom in the spring and summer. However, some species also have flowering seasons in the autumn and winter. For example, Schlumbergera, the Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti, bloom profusely from October to February, often blooming more than once during the winter. Certain epiphytic cacti, like rhipsalis, bloom in the winter and have the added benefit of blooming again in the spring and summer.
Buckeyi Schlumbergera Christmas Cactus: late November through early February is when it blooms.
October to December is when Schlumbergera truncata, sometimes known as the Thanksgiving Cactus, blooms.
Is it feasible to grow flowers on a single cactus throughout the year?
As previously noted, every cactus has a certain flowering season. However, you can trick a cactus into flowering outside of its natural cycle by utilizing LED plant grow lights and leaving them on for 15 to 17 hours a day during the winter. This will give the cactus the impression that it is spring and summer.
and will stimulate the cactus to bloom. For this reason, plant nurseries have been using grow lights to force desert cacti that are sold in wintertime garden shops to flower at the incorrect time. Of course, many cacti are also sold with plastic or paper flowers adhered to them in an attempt to make a quick sale.
But, I strongly advise against forcing your cacti to flower out of season because this can weaken them. Cacti actually need a resting period; without it, they cannot devote their natural energy to growing and producing blooms in the spring and summer. Long-term disaster is guaranteed when you force your desert cacti to bloom in the winter when they should be hibernating.
A stunning spring and summer flower is Mammillaria carmenera.
How then do you get your cacti to bloom all year round?
You will have cacti that bloom for you all year long if you cultivate a range of various varieties, such as desert cacti, holiday cacti like Schlumbergera for Christmas and Thanksgiving, and epiphytic cacti like rhipsalis.
Bright orange blossoms appear in the spring on the stunning and dramatic Rebutia albipilosa plant.
