How to Get Disocactus Ackermannii to Bloom

Provide a potting mix designed for epiphytic plants such as 3 parts sterile potting soil to 1 part very coarse Perlite that is 1/8 to 1/2 inch in diameter. Add in a few tbsp. of coarse orchid bark and 2 tbsp. bone meal to provide some soil fertility. The potting medium should drain water quickly within 15 seconds then you know it is aerated enough.

Position your orchid cactus to receive filtered sunlight for a minimum of eight hours daily. Tree canopies, lath-house structures and shade cloth all provide good light regulation. Shade is not acceptable though, as this will thwart flowering and cause leggy growth. When using shade cloth, you will want 50 percent light permeability in cooler and more humid coastal climes and 70 percent permeability in hotter, drier inland climes.

Water your orchid cactus frequently enough to keep the potting medium neither wet nor completely dry. Supplement irrigation with misting during hot weather or when ambient humidity is not high. Allow the medium to dry out slightly between watering but not so much that the stems wilt or begin to shrivel. Scale back watering very slightly in November to help stimulate bud development and blooming.

Provide ambient temperatures that remain above 40 degrees Fahrenheit at night to prevent frost damage that may impact bloom performance.

Fertilize your plant lightly with a low nitrogen, slow release bloom-boosting granular product with a guaranteed analysis of 2-10-10 or 0-10-10 in the winter until early spring. Apply a 10-10-10 or a 5-5-5 formulation from after bloom in the later spring through the fall. Use one/third to half of the label recommended dose and apply once per month.