Hello everyone. We are still around, but staying inside most of the time to prevent exposure to the virus. I guess I never realized how much my blog posts depended on me visiting local merchants for materials for one project or another. Without the ability to move about freely and unencumbered the number of projects has rather dwindled over the past few weeks. I made a chicken, broccoli and rice casserole last weekend that, ... well, ... needs some work. So I cannot share that with you just yet. I will need to rewrite that recipe before sharing it with you. One day recently I decided to re-pot the Christmas Cactus, so I thought that would be a good post to share with you. So here goes.
This little Christmas Cactus sits on the corner of my desk in front of a north facing window. It seems to like it here. Just prior to taking this picture, I removed the spent blooms that it put forth over the past couple weeks. I thought it best to wait until after the blooms faded to re-pot.
I cannot remember where I got this plant. I do not think it was a gift. I most likely picked it up in the garden center at Lowe's. I've had it for a while and it continues to get larger and larger. I decided it was time to remove it from this little handwoven basket planter and move it to a larger vessel.
The first thing I did was to cover the table where I would be re-potting with some brown kraft paper. I cannot emphasize enough how important this step is, especially if you are re-potting indoors, like I am in the apartment. The paper makes for very easy clean up.
I do know where I got this white planter and it was at Lowe's Garden Center. I visited the outside garden center during the late winter months. I was looking for a container to put cut flowers in and I really liked this pot. I thought it would work well for cut flowers, and I still think it would, but I decided to use it for the cactus.
As usual with all of my houseplants, I use Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. It is the best. The label says that this blend is suitable for a wide variety of container plants and I agree with that statement. I have never had issues with houseplants potted in Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. If they did not make it, it was not the fault of the potting mix but rather with the "potter".
I filled the planter with potting mix but not all the way to the top. You want to leave plenty of room for the root ball of whatever you are planting. Also, as I have learned over the years, it is not necessary to fill the container all the way to the rim with soil after you get your plant secured in the soil. Leave a little room to water so that the water will stay inside the pot and make its way to the roots. You don't want water splashing over the side of the pot and making a mess and not getting where it needs to be.
I removed the cactus from the smaller container and used my hands to break up the root ball. You only need to loosen it up a little. By doing so it will encourage the roots to take hold and grow stronger inside the new pot.
Finally, the cactus replanted and in its new porcelain white pot. The new planter is too large to sit on my desk next to my computer screen, so I moved it to the kitchen. I thought it looked particularly nice here on top of the refrigerator next to my basket of spirits. Everyone needs a basket of spirits. It will continue to get the north light and it is in the right sized pot now for it's continued growth. These cacti can get quite large - two to three feet at full maturity. We will certainly have to revisit its location once that happens, but for now, I think it is in just the right spot.
This little Christmas Cactus sits on the corner of my desk in front of a north facing window. It seems to like it here. Just prior to taking this picture, I removed the spent blooms that it put forth over the past couple weeks. I thought it best to wait until after the blooms faded to re-pot.
I cannot remember where I got this plant. I do not think it was a gift. I most likely picked it up in the garden center at Lowe's. I've had it for a while and it continues to get larger and larger. I decided it was time to remove it from this little handwoven basket planter and move it to a larger vessel.
The first thing I did was to cover the table where I would be re-potting with some brown kraft paper. I cannot emphasize enough how important this step is, especially if you are re-potting indoors, like I am in the apartment. The paper makes for very easy clean up.
 |
| As always, add some stones or a shard of broken pottery in the bottom of the planter over the drainage hole. |
As usual with all of my houseplants, I use Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. It is the best. The label says that this blend is suitable for a wide variety of container plants and I agree with that statement. I have never had issues with houseplants potted in Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. If they did not make it, it was not the fault of the potting mix but rather with the "potter".
I filled the planter with potting mix but not all the way to the top. You want to leave plenty of room for the root ball of whatever you are planting. Also, as I have learned over the years, it is not necessary to fill the container all the way to the rim with soil after you get your plant secured in the soil. Leave a little room to water so that the water will stay inside the pot and make its way to the roots. You don't want water splashing over the side of the pot and making a mess and not getting where it needs to be.
I removed the cactus from the smaller container and used my hands to break up the root ball. You only need to loosen it up a little. By doing so it will encourage the roots to take hold and grow stronger inside the new pot.
Finally, the cactus replanted and in its new porcelain white pot. The new planter is too large to sit on my desk next to my computer screen, so I moved it to the kitchen. I thought it looked particularly nice here on top of the refrigerator next to my basket of spirits. Everyone needs a basket of spirits. It will continue to get the north light and it is in the right sized pot now for it's continued growth. These cacti can get quite large - two to three feet at full maturity. We will certainly have to revisit its location once that happens, but for now, I think it is in just the right spot.
No comments
Post a Comment