Schlumbergera truncata

Dreamy Dragons

| Flower Roberts

I am thankful for my Thanksgiving cactus collection.

Just as life outside wanes, they bloom in fiery colors.

This fall they are more important to me than ever.

As I face many changes in my own life, it is a comfort that these are the same.

Their colors are a constant. Their blooms dependable. Holiday cheer as usual during the unusual.

So much else is different now. These blooms are a blessing.

They are the dragons of my dreams.

Flying in to protect my spirit from darkness.

My heart is grateful.

Flower in her lair.

Schlumbergera Sampler

| Flower Roberts

My Schlumbergera collection is blooming a little late this season.

I have various colors.  I will always love the red for Christmas time.

My three favorites are white, gold and salmon.

Both the gold and white blushed pink this year.

I went out of town for Thanksgiving, so I think the temperature dropped in my home.

I have read that getting cooler than 57 degrees Fahrenheit causes an increase in pink and red pigments.

I may experiment with a gold and a white next year to see if this is true.

Many more buds are forming in my workshop. I should have blooms through the New Year.

I so appreciate flowers this time of year.  It’s another dreary, rainy day here.  Bright flowers help my mood.

Hooray Schlumbergera truncata!

Flow

 

Saved by Schlumbergeras

| Flower Roberts

Just as the days get too short and the nights too long

and my garden outside dies from the cold,

my Schlumbergeras come into their glory

and bloom with explosive profusion

to show me that a FLOWER

can survive and thrive

inside in winter

and so shall I.

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FLOWER

The Supreme Schlumbergera

| Flower Roberts

It is so difficult to choose a favorite Schlumbergera bloom.

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How can one possibly pick a favorite among these lovely and vibrant contestants?

It takes an experienced judge to discern which one should be given the honor.

Should it be salmon, orange, fuchsia, red, white or pink?

 

The competition is tough, but not Ruth-less.

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Our wise judge seems to be pointing to the salmon-colored Schlumbergera truncata.

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Such an appropriate and well-thought-through decision.

So the salmon Schlumbergera has been selected Supreme for 2018.

Great call RBG.  Keep up the good work.

FLOWER

 

 

 

How Do They Know?

| Flower Roberts

(Lyrics sung to the tune of “How Will I Know?” by Whitney Houston)

How do they know that it is November?

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They’re making buds on every segment.

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They will be blooming in a few weeks.

I’m asking you what you know about these things

How do they know that it’s time to get lovely?

I brought them in to escape the frost (Halloween)

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Watching them bloom is such a sweet treat.

They won’t bloom long, only several weeks.

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How do they know?

How do they know?

How do they know?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from the Thanksgiving cacti , Schlumbergera truncata

Singing FLOW

 

Blooming Again?

| Flower Roberts

My Schlumbergeras are now blooming for the second time since I brought them inside.

I wondered, it is the daylength that has encouraged them to start blooming again?

I consulted the US Navy’s charts on Duration of Daylight for my area.

My cacti were blooming like crazy between November first and ninth of 2017.

The daylength for those days was between 10 hours and 42 minutes to 10 hours and 28 minutes.

Late January daylength has been just over 10 hours. Hmmm? I expected these to be about the same.

Even my babies that just rooted and pieces in water are blooming.

It could not be a change in temperature, because even the cacti in my cold workshop are budding and blooming.

Just when you think you know a plant, it surprises you.

Nice!

FLOWER

 

Purge after Blooming

| Flower Roberts

Just when you thought you could stash your spent Schlumbergeras in the basement,

you have one more assignment.  You need to purge the excess foliage.

This is NOT the same as taking cuttings to root new plants.

I covered this last winter in the post, https://floweralley.org/2016/12/30/in-with-the-new/

In that case, you twist off healthy pieces that are three or more links long.

Purging is when you read the plant’s foliage to guide you on what should be removed.

I look for the shriveled sections and cut them off.

These plants have a form of triage.

When a shoot has too many branches to be supported, one gets bypassed and begins to die.

Cutting off the shriveled parts accelerates this process.

I cut all these pieces off of this one cactus.

You cannot tell it has been purged,

except that it is less cluttered and healthier in appearance.

before purge

after purge

removed pieces

Do not bother trying to revive and root these pieces unless it is a very special specimen that you only have one of.

I have tried various techniques. None have worked well for me.

You will be rewarded next year by taking this step now.

It is also a good time to shape up those lopsided plants.

If you can’t stand to toss a healthy branch in the compost,

dip it in a rooting hormone

and push the piece down in the soil around the mama plant.

Hey. It’s winter, you’re stuck inside. It’s an excuse to play with your plants indoors.

FLOWER

 

In With The New

| Flower Roberts

I love to share my favorite plants.

Today is the day I pot up the Schlumbergera pieces.

I have taken color requests. I have twisted off pieces with three or more links.

I have let these pieces callus off for several days.  Notice the plates are labeled.

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Now, I dust some rooting hormone on the lower nodes.

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I use craft mesh over the drainage hole for any pots going outside and then inside. It keeps the critters out.

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I use cacti/citrus mix potting soil, but any type will do.  I prefer 3 inch pots, but could not find many.

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Notice the labels for the pots with color and year.  All these babies look the same.

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I let these stand around in their pots for a day and then give them a watering.

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I like to use a weakened mix of Planting/Transplanting solution.

They will be fully rooted and growing nicely when their new parents come in the spring.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

FLOWER

Beauty By the Pot

| Flower Roberts

I misplace things.

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Bright pink

Especially plant tags. (‘Using Chopsticks’ post)

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White white

So here are my Schlumbergeras, by the pot.

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Red red

After they finish blooming.

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White blush mix

I will refer to these photos to take the requested cuttings of the different colors.

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Fuchsia

Without surprising anyone a year later.

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Peach

No one complains, of course.

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Gold blush

Notice they are all on the same tray for size comparison. Also, I put a colored dot on the pot with a Sharpie.  This helps for a while, until the dots fade.

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Pink red

I make up names for color variations. White white has white buds and white blooms. White blush has white buds and blushing blooms, etc..

Happy Thanksgiving

FLOWER