Best Methods to Make Your Cactus Bloom (Step By Step Guide)

Overview

Cactus plants bloom by producing flowers all over themselves,  including the leaves, areole, ribs, and warts. Just like any other flower, cactus flowers have petals, stamens, stigmas, and all other components of a flower. In fact, bees and other insects can also use or pollinate them.

Cactus flowers come in plenty of shapes and sizes. Some flowers are tiny, while others are big and colorful. 

The type of flowers, and the time it takes for them to bloom depends on the species of cactus.. Some flowers will be gone within 24 hours after blooming, and others might last a week or two. It all varies from one cactus to another.

Each cactus plant blooms at different times of the year. After spending the winter dormant, some cacti blossom in the spring. Others blossom in the summer heat after accumulating a good amount of water from the fall. 

Holiday cacti, for example, bloom during the holidays after which they are named.

Dormancy

Because they are expecting a reduction in temperature and daylight hours, cacti will naturally go dormant in the fall and last through the winter. Their development will decrease or possibly stop for the season during this period. Unless it is a Christmas cactus, your cactus won’t bloom during the dormant season.

It’s normal for cacti during this period to need less water and light. This often happens naturally in its current location, or you could relocate the plant to a location where it only receives 3-4 hours of sunlight each day.

In the winter, the soil dries out more slowly, meaning that you’ll need to water your cactus less often. So, definitely be mindful of the amount of water you give  your cactus. You shouldn’t have any problems with root rot if you take the proper drainage measures and make sure not to water the plant until the soil is fully dry.

Finally, don’t forget to return your cactus slowly to its original setting and watering frequency when the weather warms up in the spring.

What Makes A Cactus Bloom

Because we can’t offer as much light as a sunny desert, it’s difficult to encourage desert cactus to bloom indoors.

Age is a key factor when it comes to blooming cactus. It might take years for some plants to reach their full potential. The easiest way to determine this is to purchase one that has already begun to bloom

Another factor is dormancy. Cool, dry, dormant periods cause many desert cacti to bloom. During the winter, limit watering to once a month and relocate your cactus to a cool place with lots of sunlight, around 50° Fahrenheit.

Most plants need constant care to grow, and cactus is one of those plants. Even a mature cactus can’t bloom unless it is given adequate care and is kept in the right environment. 

How to Get Your Cactus to Bloom

Cacti can be tricky when it comes to blooming. There are several factors you have to be aware of, and they all come hand-in-hand! But when done right, the result is a satisfyingly beautiful, blooming cactus. 

Light

Just like in their natural habitat, the desert, cacti need plenty of sunlight. A south-facing window is the ideal location for your cactus in the house, since it will receive the majority of direct sunlight throughout the day. If you want to relocate your cactus, make sure it still receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily.

Even if you live in an area where direct sunlight is rare, you can still opt for an artificial grow light to help your cactus receive the appropriate amount of light. 

Although cacti are low-maintenance plants, this doesn’t mean you can sit around and forget about them! Make sure to regularly check on your cactus to ensure it’s acclimating properly, especially after it has been introduced to its new habitat.

If anything’s wrong with your cactus, it will tell you. No, it’s not a talking plant, but it will show signs that it isn’t getting enough light, or even getting too much light. 

If your cactus isn’t getting enough light, you may see yellowing on its leaves or stems, and you may even notice the cactus stretching up and trying to reach the sun. In this case, the best thing to do is to relocate it closer to direct sunlight and give it a push with an artificial grow light once the sun has gone down.

The idea of a cactus receiving too much light can be a bit weird, since its natural environment is the hot, sunny desert. But this surprisingly can happen, and when it does, you’ll see sunburn on the cactus’ skin as dark, rough spots. 

A cactus can also get discolored and faded if exposed to too much sunlight. In this case, just relocate your cactus away from the window where the sunlight is more direct and strong.

Water

Another thing cactus owners should keep an eye on, apart from light, is water. Since cacti naturally grow in the desert, they don’t need plenty of water. They can store water in their leaves and stems for very long and hot periods. 

So, when should you water them? You can find out the answer to this question by feeling the top of the soil. If it feels dry, wet it thoroughly. 

You can wait a bit before watering your cactus if it’s still damp. Normally, though, your cactus will need watering once every 10 days. 

Even if you water your cactus plant about once a week, if the plant is not well-drained, the roots will sit in water and potentially cause root rot and irreversible harm to the plant. If this happens, you’ll notice that your leaves and stems feel limp and soft.

Watering isn’t the only thing you should be aware of. You should also be careful when potting your cactus. Opt for a pot with drainage holes and line the bottom with a layer of pebbles for extra drainage. Finally, instead of regular potting soil that holds too much water and causes root rot, use specially made cactus potting soil.

Overwintering

If you wish to see your cacti bloom beautifully, overwintering can get the job done. This is important for cacti since it discourages them from continuing to grow during the few hours of daylight and to just rest during the cold winter days. As a result, they will be more likely to produce flowers in the spring!

Desert cactus, in particular, can benefit from staying cold and dry throughout the winter months. During the winter, keep them cool by maintaining a temperature of 35-44⁰ Fahrenheit (1.5-7⁰ Celsius).

If you have to keep your cactus indoors during the winter, keep it in a non-heated area or maintain low temperature to provide them the chilly winter time they need. Holiday cacti like Schlumbergera (Christmas Cactus), Rhipsalis (Mistletoe Cactus) and Hatiora (Dancing Bones Cactus) have different temperature requirements than desert cacti, so keep that in mind!

Fertilizer

Thankfully, cacti don’t need fertilizer, yay! They should be fine if they are exposed to enough sunlight and get an adequate amount of water. But they do consume great amounts of energy to bloom, and feeding them more can help them produce flowers earlier. So, if you’re feeling generous and want to give your cactus a little push towards blooming, it’s fine to opt for fertilizers. 

The best option is a specialty cactus fertilizer. If not available, just go with a regular fertilizer and make sure it’s high in phosphorus and low in nitrogen. 

The ideal time to fertilize your cactus is throughout the growing season, which is in the spring and summer. Your cactus plants will only require fertilization once or twice a year.

Final tip: more is NOT better. You can’t add tons of fertilizer and expect your cactus to bloom faster. You only add it to ensure your cactus receives adequate food and nutrients.

What to Look For in a Cactus When Buying

Cacti are already slow growers, so to make your life much easier, you can buy an already blooming cactus. That way, you’ll ensure it has real potential to bloom. After that, follow all of our tips as mentioned above.

Keep in mind, though, that just because it took a cactus a particular amount of time to bloom once, it doesn’t mean it will take it the same amount of time for it to bloom again. The time it takes for cacti to bloom is determined by how well it is cared for and the quality of its environment.

Aftercare

Nothing is more beautiful than a blooming cactus, but wait, your work isn’t over yet. Now, it’s time to take care of your cactus! 

You want to take care of your cactus after blooming the same way you did before blooming.  If it’s already blooming, just know you’re doing everything right and that your cactus is thriving. 

So from this point keep going, and don’t change your care routine just because you saw your cactus bloom. Keep watering it regularly, don’t relocate it, as there’s no difference between a cactus with blooms and a cactus with no blooms! 

Uh Oh, Nothing’s Working!! 

If you’ve followed all of these steps but you still don’t see any blooms, that’s OK! Since every cactus is unique, not everything that encourages one cactus to bloom will do the same for another. 

To troubleshoot correctly, you’ll need to try only one thing at a time just to make sure where exactly the problem is. We get you, it may take a lot of time and effort, but always keep in mind the beautiful bloom you’ll be rewarded with at the end!

Check The Light

Cacti naturally love light. However, not all cacti react to it the same way. You may want to change up the current lighting if your cactus is thriving but not blooming. Move your cactus a few feet away from the window or place it in a window with less direct sunlight. You can even use an artificial grow light. 

For better results, turn the pot on a regular basis. If you don’t think light is the issue, proceed to the next step.

Overwatering, Underwatering? 

Water is essential for any plant, no surprises here. But don’t overdo it with a cactus; they only need a little bit to stay alive. You need to determine first how often you water your cactus, and you need to ask yourself whether you water it on a schedule or just when you feel it needs water. 

Also, test the soil before watering. If it still isn’t blooming after you water it when the soil is dry, test a deeper part of the soil; it might still be damp there. 

Stick a pencil in the side of the pot to test it for moisture. If the pencil comes out clean, you know it is fully dry and can be watered. If it comes out with dirt on it, then it’s too wet or damp and you need to wait a little longer before watering it. 

What Time of Year Is It? 

Cacti are very sensitive to the time of year. For example, if it’s winter or fall, don’t expect your cactus to bloom at all unless it’s a Christmas cactus. 

Just wait for the prime growing season to come in the spring for best results. This is when your cactus has the maximum potential to bloom. For your cactus to bloom in this period, it has to be in excellent condition and get the adequate amount of light and water.

Watch your cactus during this period, and if you’re doing everything right, you should start to see small buds popping up. 

How to Make Christmas Cactus Bloom

First things first, water! Cut back on the amount of water you give to your Christmas cactus. Before watering, the top inch of soil surrounding should be dry, and then just give your plant just enough water so that the soil is slightly damp.

As for light, you need to place your Christmas cactus in the dark for around 14 hours a day (overnight) in order for it to bloom. And we said dark, where there is the least amount of direct light possible. You can then keep it in light for the rest of the day.

You want to keep the Christmas cactus in a cool place. It should be about 50°-55° Fahrenheit throughout the day. You’ll want to keep doing this until your plant’s buds have developed.

It should take around 6-8 weeks for your Christmas cactus to produce buds with this method, then another 4 weeks for the buds to finally bloom! You’ll need to move your plant to a place with indirect light after the buds have formed. This will prevent the buds from falling off and the plant from looking droopy.

Types of Cactus That Bloom

Because cacti are flowering plants, all grown and healthy cacti have the potential to bloom. However, in order for a mature cactus to bloom, there should be a number of factors. The following is a list of cacti that have the ability to bloom quicker than other kinds:

• Pincushion cactus
• Dwarf cactus
• Easter cactus 
• Christmas cactus 
• Spiny cacti
• Hedgehog cactus varieties
• Notocactus
• Bolivian cactus 

Key Takeaways

If you’re looking for one magical way to get your cactus to bloom, we hate to break it to you, but there’s no such thing! You just have to give it enough care and try different approaches until you find what makes it bloom. If your cactus bloomed before, it’s a good sign that it’s a mature cactus and has the potential to bloom again.

All it really takes is just a combination of light, water, drainage, a lot of patience, and fertilizers (optional) to see your cactus bloom! There is no standard routine for all cacti, so you just have to play around with all of these elements to figure out what works best for your own cactus.

Don’t feel frustrated if your cactus doesn’t bloom from the first try, take your time experimenting with and monitoring your cactus, and eventually, you’ll get to see its beautiful blooms!  

Finally, getting a cactus to bloom can be a lot of work, but it’s not impossible. With dedication, patience, proper care, and monitoring, things should probably work out!