Are You Watering Your Christmas Cactus Enough or Way Too Much? What to Know

The vibrant Christmas cactus is a favorite of houseplant enthusiasts for its colorful blooms that cascade like a waterfall of pink and green. It brings color to the home from November to January when other plants have gone dormant for the season.

While it's a member of the Cactaceae family, which is often thought of as desert-loving plants that thrive in dry weather, the Christmas cactus is actually native to the Brazilian rain forest. But despite its rain forest origins, the Christmas cactus doesn't need abundant water to thrive. It's actually a bit of a goldilocks when it comes to watering—too much or too little water is the quickest way to damage your plant.

Want to make sure your Christmas cactus blooms throughout the holiday season? Here's what you need to know about how often to water Christmas cactus.

How Often Should I Water a Christmas Cactus?

There's not a one size fits all answer to how often to water a Christmas cactus. The amount of water necessary for the plant to thrive will vary by time of year, planting conditions, and location.

If you're in a non-blooming season, you can water your Christmas cactus every two weeks, letting the soil dry out completely before you water again. When you reach October, just before the bloom season and just as buds have formed, water the cacti weekly. Once the Christmas cactus begins blooming, keep the soil moist, watering it as soon as the top inch of the soil begins to feel dry to the touch.

The biweekly water schedule assumes that the Christmas cactus has been planted in ideal conditions. Christmas cactus thrives when it's planted in either a sandy cactus mix or potting soil mixed with perlite for drainage.

The soil should be able to drain effectively—if it doesn't you should water it less often (though, ideally, you should replant it in well-draining, sandy soil). Additionally, Christmas cactus prefers partial sun and temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

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What Does an Underwatered Christmas Cactus Look Like?

While you'll ideally find the perfect balance of watering a Christmas cactus just enough, if you're going to miss the mark, it's better to underwater a Christmas cactus than overwater it. You'll know a Christmas cactus is underwatered when its leaves start to look dehydrated. It will begin to wrinkle, with shriveled leaves, looking like a raisin rather than a plump grape. Dark brown spots may begin to develop.

What Does an Overwatered Christmas Cactus Look Like?

Overwatering is potentially more damaging to a Christmas cactus than underwatering. The easiest way to determine whether a Christmas cactus is overwatered is, of course, to look at the soil. If it's soggy or there is standing water present, then the plant has probably been overwatered. Other signs include limp leaves, as well as discoloration, including black spots on the leaves.

Tips for Caring for a Christmas Cactus

Christmas cactus is a generally easygoing houseplant, but it has a few finicky preferences to keep in mind.

• Plant Christmas cactus in well-draining, sandy soil or potting soil with perlite. Add peat moss to encourage acidity in the soil.
• Make sure you prioritize longer and lower light over bright light. When it's exposed to full, direct sun, the leaves of a Christmas cactus can burn. Meanwhile, partial sun will encourage more blooms.
• You can use a 20-20-20 balanced fertilizer but dilute it to 50% strength. Fertilize your Christmas cactus in spring and early summer.
• Keep your Christmas cactus in 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. If you treat your Christmas cactus as an outdoor plant in summer and indoor plant in the cooler months, bring it in starting in September.
• Because it's a rainforest native, Christmas cactus prefers a humid environment. Place a humidifier near it indoors to mimic its natural environment.
• After the Christmas cactus is finished blooming in January, you can prune it to encourage it to branch out. Simply twist it or cut it before a segment—it should remove easily. You can remove up to a third of the plant without damaging it.
• If a Christmas cactus becomes too waterlogged, the best path forward is to repot it. Choose a planter just slightly bigger than the roots (Christmas cactus likes to be rootbound!), cut off any rotted areas, and repot it in dry soil.