This is the time of year when many of us are on either the giving or receiving end of a Christmas Cactus...the very popular houseplant that produces colorful, tubular flowers. If you have ever had one, you know that there are instructions that must be carefully followed in order to not kill your cactus. I don’t have the “greenest thumb” so I usually panic when I receive a gift that requires my attention to keep it alive. I even need Alexa to remind me daily to feed my son’s pet fish so I don’t get distracted and miss his feeding time.
The Christmas Cactus directions are very clear: “keep it well lit, have the proper amount of humidity, add fertilizer to assist with growth, and water with care.” These suggestions sound like they were written by a Health Coach! It turns out everything your new plant requires is also just what you need to grow, thrive and bloom!
The Christmas Cactus is really quite special and extraordinary because most of the year its appearance is fairly unassuming. It just looks like a regular potted green in the corner of your family room or stashed underneath a tree in the backyard. Then something truly magical happens around Christmas...the very plain looking plant begins to blossom with flowers of red, white, pink, purple or orange. This seasonal and extremely festive blooming process is why the Christmas cactus is a time-honored tradition in many homes during the holidays.
The magic will not happen, however, without proper care. For instance, the Cactus needs light, but not too much or else the heat and light will stunt its growth and burn its leaves. Well that sounds like the same advice our dermatologists give us. If your home lacks humidity, you will need to place a bowl of water next to your cactus in order to combat the dryness in the air...your nasal passages, skin and hair will benefit from the same protocol! Fertilization is important for the cactus in order to keep it in good health...the joints are fragile and the plant can descend into poor health without the proper nutrients...the very same reason we need to eat well and regularly take supplements. If we allow our cactus to get too dry, the flower buds will drop and the plant will wilt...isn’t that what you feel like when you get dehydrated? Yet too much water can cause problems too, white rot can appear on the leaves and cause them to fall off...drinking too much water can put excess demand on our organs so we also need to get just the right amount.
The bottom line of “how to not kill your cactus” seems to be BALANCE and MODERATION. The directions make perfect sense and there is a method to the madness. As you put in the painstaking effort of keeping your cactus alive and well, ponder this question: don’t we deserve to take as much care with ourselves as we do with the green members of our household?
As the year comes to an end and we begin to think about our resolutions for 2019, don’t forget the few, but extremely important, steps you need to take in order to stay in great health. Set up a daily reminder on Alexa or Siri if you have to. Just make sure you take care of yourself!
Like your Christmas Cactus, I want you to bloom each and every year, adding color and warmth to your holiday season!