Surprise! A Christmas cactus in bloom at Christmas!

This is the time of the year I hear from gardeners who wonder why their Christmas cactus has become a Thanksgiving or Easter cactus.

It's all about the amount of hours of light they get.

For the past two seasons, my Christmas cactus has bloomed at the appropriate time. It's kept in an unheated greenhouse with nature determining how many hours of daylight and darkness are provided. When it gets to about 12 hours for each, that makes the plants bud.

A bright, south facing window should produce the same results. Putting the plant under lights with a timer would also work.

If those options won't work for you, enjoy the blooms when they happen. It's wonderful to have something flowering inside any time of the year.

A Christmas cactus makes a great holiday gift. They aren't really a cactus, but can take lot of abuse. They are most often killed with kindness in the form of too much water and/or fertilizer. Months of complete neglect will do the trick too.

When the gift of a Christmas cactus blooms, the recipient will think of you. The plants can live for centuries too.

This story recounts a family's love for a Christmas cactus dating back to 1914.

Enjoy the blooms of the Christmas cactus whenever they decide to appear.