How to Prune a Thanksgiving Cactus

Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) flowers during late fall and winter. The flowering period overlaps the Thanksgiving and winter holiday season, so it is sometimes mistakenly referred to as a Christmas cactus. True, Thanksgiving cacti have pointed leaf sections while true Christmas cacti feature rounded leaf sections. Both types of tropical cacti grow well in the home, providing up to four months of flowers. The cacti benefit from light pruning in mid-spring to control their size and shape.

Shears
Fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Inspect the stems of the cactus. Locate overgrown stems or those that stick up further than the main mound of the plant.
- 2
  Cut off each overgrown stem at the joint between leaf segments. Cut the stems back to a joint within the main mound of the cactus foliage, shaping the plant as you prune. Remove no more than one-third of each stem's length.
- 3
  Prune off shriveled, discolored or damaged leaf segments. Make each cut at a joint between segments.
- 4
  Apply a water-soluble, balanced fertilizer after pruning. Water after fertilizing. Fertilizing and watering after pruning encourages new growth so the cactus heals quickly from pruning wounds.

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