How to Grow a Christmas Cactus in Warm Climates

Keep the Christmas cactus in a 3- to 5-gallon pot with drainage holes. Choose a heavy clay or ceramic pot to balance the plant's heavy, spreading foliage. Don't use large pots, as these plants prefer to be root bound.

Fill the pot three-fourths full of a mixture of 1 part potting soil, 1 part organic compost, and 1 part peat moss. A Christmas cactus requires moist, nutritious, and loose soil, and fails in dry sand or gravel.

Plant the Christmas cactus deeply enough to cover the root system. Keep the cactus indoors or in dappled shade in spring and summer. Christmas cacti do best with temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. They fail in temperatures over 90 F. If you have the cactus outside in hot weather, move the plant to an appropriate indoor location for protection.

Water the Christmas cactus once a week, or when the soil dries to the touch. Christmas cacti prefer slightly dry soil to muddy foundations. Check the soil more often during the summer season, and water as necessary.

Fertilize the Christmas cactus with water-soluble, 20-20-20 fertilizer. Mix the fertilizer at one-fourth the manufacturer-recommended rate, and apply the mixture once a month from spring to fall. Feed the cactus once or twice during the winter.