How to Propagate a Christmas Cactus

You have this adorable Christmas cactus, but then your inquisitive toddler gets into your plant, and suddenly, that houseplant got a haircut it didn’t need.

Sigh.

Don’t throw away those bits and pieces of Christmas cactus! You can easily propagate them into new baby plants. Now, to find a place where said toddler can’t reach them…

Before we get into how to propagate houseplants, a quick disclaimer: yes, my Christmas cactus is actually a Thanksgiving Cactus. I’m just calling it that because that’s what the general public knows them as. Click here to read more about telling the difference.

Okay, on to making the best of toddler shenanigans–I mean, propagating my Thanksgiving cactus.

STEPS FOR PROPAGATING A CHRISTMAS CACTUS

1. Find the Roots, if any

Chances are, your Thanksgiving cactus broke off between two leaf segments (called phylloclades, if you were wondering). If not, break off the broken segments, so you’re left with a piece of plant with its segments intact.

If you’re really lucky, those leaf segments might have a root starting to develop. And if that’s the case, plop it in some cactus soil and call it a day. If not, don’t worry. We’re going to encourage the plant to make some.

2. Place the Leaf Segments in Water

Grab a small glass or bowl and fill it with water. Put your Thanksgiving cactus clipping in the water and wait anywhere from 2 weeks to a month and roots should develop. You don’t need to do anything special or add any fertilizers. Just be patient.

In these photos, my Thanksgiving Cactus had probably been in the water for 2 or 3 months, waiting for me to remember/find the time to actually put it in a pot. So don’t worry if your roots don’t look as thick or plentiful as in the photos. Once your cutting has a few roots (don’t stress about how many) it’s on to the next step.

3. Re-pot the Christmas Cactus

Next, find a small pot and put your clipping in cactus soil. Regular potting soil will do, but cactus soil is much better and is not that hard to find. Thanksgiving cacti like to be a bit root-bound, so it’s important not to plant it in a giant pot. Find a cool spot with low light for your cactus, and wait for it to grow and bloom!

To learn more about Christmas cacti, read this post next!

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