Natural Cycle

Day 30: Every year, I hear people talking about how their November-blooming "Christmas" cacti (Zygocactus) seem to have lost track of what season it is, or that they're getting an early start on the holidays. Nope! The ones you see in nurseries and plant shops have been forced to flower out of their natural cycle by being subjected to a schedule of cool temperatures and limited light. It sometimes takes a couple of years for them to resume their normal activity, but once they're back on track, you can expect a full flush of blooms in November and then a few stragglers again in January. To be sure that they flower the following year, keep them on the cool side (55-60 degrees) through winter.