The Lighting Tip That'll Ensure Your Thanksgiving Cactus Blooms On Time

Thanksgiving typically involves lots of planning. You can control the menu, choose your guests, and fit everything into a schedule that you've decided upon. Wouldn't it be the icing on the cake to have your Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera) nodding with festive flowers for all to enjoy, as well? Surprisingly enough, you can have a bit of control over when your holiday cacti bloom.

The process isn't quite as manageable as timing when the turkey will be done, but if you start today, you just may coax your reticent plant into putting on a show just in time for you to host the perfect Thanksgiving.

The key to this trick is limiting light among a few other factors. Moving or covering your Thanksgiving cactus for much of the day for several weeks is the most important step, but cutting down on water and room temperature, and cutting out fertilizing altogether for the same period could bring about buds and blossoms to give your Thanksgiving decor an extra pop this year. Let the plant's soil dry out completely between waterings, and hold off on fertilizing until bloom time has finished and you've noticed some new growth.

Ideally, a Thanksgiving cactus needs six to eight weeks of special treatment to force flowering, but if you have less time, acting quickly might bring you happy results for the holiday. This might seem cruel, but you'll be putting stress on the plant to force it to flower. Although during the day, your Thanksgiving cactus will still need bright, indirect light, it needs at least 13 hours of pure darkness to trigger blooms.

In general, south- or west-facing windows are good daytime spots for Thanksgiving cacti, but cooler temperatures also play a role in getting the plant to flower. If possible, keep the plant in a spot that stays between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit while still soaking up a bit of daytime rays. Many home gardeners cover their plants with a dark blanket or a box while keeping the plants in their usual spots. However, moving them to the coolest part of your home that stays above freezing for the night can give the plant a bit more of the necessary stress to encourage flowering.

Keep in mind that those hours of darkness can't be interrupted, or the plant could shed any incipient blossoms. So, if you stash your plant in a cool closet or basement, cover it as well to prevent any accidental illumination. With any luck, flowers will appear in time to be part of the perfect Thanksgiving centerpiece.