In this case, we are cutting back an old Holiday (or Christmas) Cactus. Many of us have these old plants, but seldom do we know what to do. Instead of periodically snipping here and there, we neglect the care of this heirloom plant until we just don’t know what to do. And, who wants to make a mistake or throw away your aunt’s 50-year-old plant?
Here is a step-by-step process of pruning this long-lived plant, ensuring continued longevity, a better looking plant, improved blooms, and (best of all) a smaller plant! By the way, this process can be followed for many other houseplants.
The timing of this task should be done in spring or summer for most houseplants. I tackled this project at the end of July, still an acceptable time for holiday cactus, but a better time would have been in May or June.
One final note…always fertilize after pruning a plant (indoors or out in the yard). Pruning is stressful and the best thing you can do is help it along with a dose of liquid fertilizer. We recommend Fertilome Blooming and Rooting, as it is high in phosphorus, a necessary nutrient for roots (to recover), and blooms (the ultimate end goal).