Soil for a Christmas cactus

Soil for a Christmas cactus

1. 01

   Best soil mix

   Use standard cactus mix or a peat-free loam-based potting mix (such as John Innes No. 2) with leaf mold and grit. The aim is a lighter, more open medium than dense garden soil that holds water. Neither mix is required for every hybrid.

   The container should drain freely while the medium holds some moisture. A mix that stays wet in low light raises the risk of disease and root problems, so the pot must not stand in drained water.

2. 02

   Match the mix to the pot and setting

   This advice is for Schlumbergera grown in a pot as an indoor holiday cactus. It is a rainforest cactus that grows on trees in the wild, so do not use a desert-cactus garden mix or leave the pot outdoors all year.

3. 03

   When soil alone is not the problem

   There is no set particle-size blend, pot depth or amendment percentage. Christmas, Thanksgiving and other Schlumbergera hybrids can all use the same mix.