How to Prune a Christmas Cactus — Experts Say All It Takes Is a Little Pinch for Ravishing Blooms

Charming, cheerful, and truly a character to have in the home, the ever-so-abundant Christmas cactus (or Schlumbergera) has become quite a popular bloom over the years, and rightly so. Its bright, colorful petals, ranging from ravishing reds to pretty pinks, certainly illuminate a space with their festive foliage.

But if you want to see this beauty continue to grow, you should follow its Christmas cactus care needs, including regular pruning. Regular pruning will help maintain your cacti's size while promoting healthy growth, fuller branches, and beautiful blooms.

So, how exactly do you prune a Christmas cactus, and is there a certain time when this should be done? A plant and gardening expert explains everything you need to know.

How to Prune a Christmas Cactus

Knowing how to prune plants correctly is the key to healthy blooms in the future. Plant expert and Horticulturist Justin Hancock from Costa Farms says there are a few pruning steps you should follow to get a Christmas cactus to flower successfully.

"First, identify how much you want to prune it as you’ll approach things a little differently if you want to control its size vs. just taking a few clippings for friends or family," explains Justin. "Then identify the branches you want to trim. I think this is important so you don’t accidentally take too much off…it’s like a haircut — pruning too hard usually won’t hurt the plant, but you may not like the way it looks, and it can take a while to grow back out."

Then, on those branches, Justin says you should "note where a segment grows out of another segment. Gently pinch or twist it off at that junction. They generally break off pretty easily."

The expert says you can also use sharp scissors or pruning shears (we love these Fiskars Micro-Tip Rose Pruning Shears from Amazon) to cut your bloom if you don’t want to break the plant with your bare hands.

Why Is It Important to Prune a Christmas Cactus?

Well, if you want to fix a limp Christmas cactus, finding the problem and solution is the key. According to Justin, there are three main reasons to prune these precious flowers.

"The first is that it can help it to bloom better." The expert says this flower can produce petals a the tip of their pads and when it is pruned, "you encourage it to make more branches — which means that there may be more pads from which it can produce flowers."

Justin continues: "The second is that you may want or need to control its size. An old plant (the plants can live for decades) can trail more than two feet."

Lastly, you may want to prune and propagate your Christmas cactus and share its cutting with family and friends. Looking for the best pruning tools to cut back your bloom? We're currently loving Okatsune 103 Bypass Pruners prices at $27 on Amazon.

When Should You Cut Back a Christmas Cactus?

Wondering when to cut back on this winter indoor plant?

Justin says it's ideal to cut back when it's done blooming, "usually January or February. But if you want to share with friends or family, you can prune it at any time of the year without harming the plant."

"The main consideration with pruning in summer or fall is that you may reduce the amount of blossoms it," Justin adds.

What Are the Common Pruning Mistakes?

According to Justin "When you prune, you don’t remove more than about 25 percent of the plant’s pads at one time. Doing so can stress the plant."

"If you want to do an intense pruning — where you cut it back by more than about a quarter of the total plant size — it’s better to give it two light pruning's spaced a few weeks apart than one heavy pruning," the expert adds.

If you've noticed your Christmas cactus buds falling off, it may be due to due to stress factors as the expert states. So before pruning, make sure you're aware of how much you're cutting off.

FAQs

How Do You Rejuvenate an Old Christmas Cactus?

"Deadheading is a gardening term that means removing old, faded flowers. On some plants, you might do this to prevent it from going to seed," explains Justin. "But on Holiday Cactus, it’s more about the plant’s appearance so you don’t have to look at old, dried-up flowers hanging off your plant."

To deadhead, Justin says you should "gently grasp a faded flower at its base (where it comes out of the pad) and gently pull or twist it off. I’ve always found faded flowers snap off pretty easily."