Question

Christmas Cactus   I have a Christmas Cactus that is absolutely huge! I have had this plant for at least 10 years. I have put it outside on my deck for the summer & fall, however it is time to bring it back inside as it will be snowing soon in my area! I hate to do it, but I have to divide this plant and re-pot it. I can barely move it by myself because it is so large. Right now it is in bloom and loaded with flowers. I don't want to shock it but I really need to get it back inside and I REALLY need to re-pot it into smaller pots. My husband & I installed PERGO flooring in June of this year which is when I moved the cactus outside, my husband does not want this enormous plant back in the family room but this is the only window area I can put houseplants. It is currently in a pot which is approximately 17" deep and 14" wide. I have family members who would like me to share this plant with them which I am more than happy to do but I'm not sure where to start!Any suggestions?

Answer
Christine,

I suggest you go to Menards and get a 17 inch round clear plastic drain tray to put under it. You will kill it if you divide it now. It should have been done in June when you put it out side. Now the days are getting shorter and the roots have stopped growing. Dividing it will destroy a lot of roots and they will not start growing until the days start getting longer in late March so the plant will die before that. The only way you could do it now is if you have an unfinished basement and your husband will let you hang some florescent lights from the ceiling so you can set the plants after you have broken it up on a table within 6 inches of the lights and have the lights on a timer with them on for 14 hours a day and off for 10. That would trick them into thinking it is summer and their roots would grow just fine.

Whether you do it now or after April 1st you will need to remove any buds or blooms from the plant. Buy several 10 inch pots or hanging baskets and a bottle of Rooting Hormone at a garden center such as Lowes or Menards. Also get a large bag of potting soil and 2 or 3 bags of perlite and 2 bags of play sand. Mix 2 pats of potting soil with 1 part of perlite and 11 part of play sand and fill 4 pot with this mix.  Then cut several large sections of the plant off at a joint and dip each into rooting hormone then insert it into a fresh pot of soil until the pot looks nicely full. Repeat with the 4 pots of soil. Do not water the soil for 2 days until the cut edge has had time to heal over.

By then you should have your beginning plant a lot smaller. Remove it from the pot and take a large long knife and cut it into either thirds or quarters. Put each section into a new 10 inch pot and put fresh soil around it. All pot need to go in a bright location under florescent light for at least 14 hours a day or out onto your deck where you kept the original one in the summer. Give all but 1 or 2 away. In the future when you think they need repotted do not move them to a larger pot that you will not be able to handle. Divide them instead so this does not happen again. All plant should only be divided or repotted between April 1st and June 30. That is when the roots are growing best. Any other time you put them in shock and kill them. Good luck!!

Darlene