Thanksgiving Cactus Care for November: Their Time to Bud & Bloom! + Reasons They Don't Bloom. 

I wish I would have found this video of yours first! I've come across a couple more of your videos over the past couple weeks (older videos) and I've been bouncing all over the place on how often to water and fertilize my Thanksgiving cactus. We nearly lost our cactus a few years back after repotting with some normal potting mix (before I knew any better). It developed root rot and I saved a couple dozen cuttings and rooted them in just water. I took the best 10 that I had and placed in two different pots. It has not bloomed since but otherwise looks very healthy. Living in Western Illinois, I have placed our CC in a four seasons room. It's getting much colder at night so I've now placed it on a heating mat set to 52 degrees. Tomorrow I will provide the supplemental lighting you suggested with this video. I thought that that week of 70 degree weather had delayed the budding. But it sounds as though you had similar weather. But to be honest, I cannot remember the last year that we've had a flowering. I remember sharing a photo of it on facebook years ago and have determined that to be 2016. Though the plant is a fraction of what it used to be. I've had it since we were married (wedding gift from my wife's aunt) and that will be 19 years tomorrow.

Hi Amy, I followed your guidance for October care, and my beautiful white Christmas cactus has budded out and has 4 blooms open!! I had no success last year when I first purchased my cactus. Informative and instructive videos! Sending thanks from Canada 🇨🇦

Amy, you don’t have a green thumb, you have an emerald green thumb. Everything plant under your care is show room worthy. Thanks so much for tips on growing thanksgiving cactus, which I adore just as much as my orchids. Unfortunately, my plants are charity cases in comparison to yours. But I’m learning slowly but surely. Have a great day and thanks for your appreciated blessings. Amy

I have a white with pink throat and a young red one. They are both in bud! I’m so excited! Thank you for your great info. God bless you too!

Perfect timing for this! Yesterday I just HAD to water mine, as they looked a bit dehydrated. One of my three is in full bud (red) the other two just beginning (white and pink). Creative idea for getting water out of the drip plate - love it! Thank you, as always, Amy. Blessed day!

I'm luck to have some old plant but have not been able to bloom them they are pink. A couple of years ago I order a yellow and it just grows and blooms Beautifully for me it's amazing. Now if I could just get the others the pink ones to do the same I would be doing good. Last year I picked up a riot and it is just it's just a light blooming 8 blooming but I have high hopes for next year. So I have a yellow and a red that have faithfully Bloom for me the pinks I have yet to get the handle on but they are my my bigger plants I have 3 and in hanging baskets one of them a large wire Basket but I will get it and I keep watching you.

Hi Amy my cacti 🌵 is budding and I in S. CA. Thank you for sharing your care tips on these beautiful plants. Have a wonderful day stay safe and happy growing 🥰 Reah

Hello all from Illinois! My white Thanksgiving cactus has buds and one bloom already!! And! I had many branches fall from my Thanksgiving and Christmas cactuses and couldn't bear to throw away that potential so I rooted then put into a seedling tray. The tiny white baby Thanksgiving branches have buds right now. So adorable. Thanks for this great advice. I so want to be as successful with these as my orchids. I also have magenta red and lavender colors.

One of mine is in massive bud and the one I grew outside is not growing as well. Next year I am keeping them inside 😊 I have a red and a pink one. I keep them in a south western facing window 🪟 and the one that was outside has been looking much better than when in the porch facing east. Thank you for your guidance this growing season with these cacti. I attribute the success of the pink (?) one. With massive growth and bud explosion! Be blessed Amy❤

♥️ Thanks Amy! I appreciate the shout out. I do have many colors. 😂 All were purchased locally except my beautiful yellow 💛 one. I've just increased the light on all of mine. Thanks for that tip. My scarlet ♥️ one has only one bud. She's the size of your snow white in an 8" pot (my largest) I'm sure it's gonna be awhile yet for me to see blooms since I am so far south. Blessings 😇

Hello Amy Greetings from Arkansas! Thank you so much for all of your excellent advice on taking care of Christmas cactus. For the first time, I have so many buds on my Christmas cactus including my variegated and other rares. I have 27 Christmas cactus. Keeping them happy has been a challenge at times but the rewards of beautiful blooms is worth it. I have been well rewarded this year because of your help. Thank you again. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

🤗🤗Hi Amy, ☺️well you know the story about mine😅….the cuttings I took are not doing that well so perhaps I will call it a day with them. I have only ever seen, white, red, pink coloured blooms available here. Occasionally I see an Easter Cactus in white, red or pink too, the flowers on these are stunning. From here on, rather than inflict pain on more plants through my care, I shall just enjoy watching you grow Big Red and Snow White. Have a wonderful week🥰🌼🌸💕

Mine are in full bloom. The mother plant and the babies! The mother plant belonged to my late aunt Sylvia. Lovely lady and the lovely plant is a great reminder of her.

Here in Western Pennsylvania…My oldest TC is a white one with a pink throat and he’s full of buds, I also have a few Christmas cacti that I’ve only found one small bud on. I have a few smaller TCs in a wide variety of colors that I acquired this year that are budding up as well… I can’t wait to see them all!

Hello! My goodness this has been a video full of great information! Thank you so much!! I have cuttings from my Aunts Thanksgiving cactus and I have a pink & orangish/whiteish idk what color it is, lol. But I can’t wait until my cuttings get as large as you beautiful plant! ❤

Lord bless u too. God bless

Hi, Amy--I've brought my 3 Thanksgiving cacti inside about the end of Sept. (we live in zone 5 in IL) and placed them in a spare bedroom that is cooler and has the darkness that's needed. I'm so excited that one of mine has started to put buds on it for the first time since I got it, but I'm sad that it's back in the spare bedroom where I won't get to enjoy it! I'm afraid to move it to our kitchen or living room with my other houseplants now for fear the buds will fall off of it. The other 2 plants haven't started budding yet, so I'm wondering if I should move them out to the main part of the house soon and maybe just cover them every night.

Mine is white I purchased two yrs ago I water wirh goldfish water Only transferred it this summer ….. zone 3 Alberta Canada

Hi Amy, I'm back --- Well as previously mentioned, I just got 5 new Thanksgiving cactus, had them a few days and the ones that arrived in bud .....are now dropping their buds. :( I am so very disappointed in seeing this . I'm goiing to have to find out what the heck is going on here... Patrick

Hi Amy. I have a white and a red cactus. They are in an east window. The white cactus is loaded with flower buds, but not the red one. They sit side by side. The red one is larger. The red one might be lagging behind because I repotted it in the spring. They get fertilizer using my left over orchid water. Thanks for sharing howto care for them. Jesus loves you and so do I.🤗❤️🙏🏻

Do you have any true Christmas Cactus? And if you do would you consider making a video of the Thanksgiving Cactus & Christmas Cactus side by side? Lots of channels describe the differences,but I would like to actually see it. I just a Holiday Cactus,it was supposed to be a Christmas Cactus but I honestly think it’s a Thanksgiving, it’s so hard to tell when you’re a beginner! But it’s beautiful,had it 5 days,so far the blooms are still on,many actually opened after I got it. If they fall off it’s okay,I’m enjoying it now!

Thank you for sharing, have a great and save day with many Blessings!!!

I have a peach one that is full of buds. It was outside during the summer months. And I have an old one that is red that I perked up. Plus a few smaller ones.

Are your cactus double potted? Plastic pots inside decorative pots? According to the Orchid Supply Store; the largest, plastic pot they have available is 6.5". Is that all the larger a pot you're using for these large cactus? Maybe mine is in too large of a pot? I have (5) base plants in a 10" pot.

My white Thanksgiving cactus are budding ... the red one no buds yes

Your video does not show the Glacier Gold potting mix but the New Zealand Bark Orchiata Pinus Rafiata Medium bag. Can you actually provide a link to the actual potting soil used? The only Glacier Gold product I can find is a compost. Thank you.

Hi, I just started watching some of your videos. I was amazed at the Big Red. I thought you recommended using miracle grow potting soil. Also fertilizing the plants all year round with your fertilizer with seaweed, cal mag and some other ingredients. A little confused as to what changed. I have 3 Thanksgiving cactus and was going to switch out the soil from a cactus soil to potting soil. Now I’m concerned. Should I not do what you recommend. I live in Michigan. Please advise me.

I'm in Iowa

I got my first Thanksgiving cacti last November, so it was small. Enjoyed taking care of it all year and now after following your instructions it is full of buds!! They will be pink. So for November just water normally? No fertilizer till done blooming, right?

I am having a difficult time with the small Thanksgiving cactus that I bought in the summer. It is potted in a 4 inch clay pot. The tips are red tinged, and now the tips are shriveling. I am not sure if I am overwatering. I might try to repot.

Can I transfer my plant to a new room once they start blooming? They’ve been in a dark and cold room for 2 months now, but now I want to bring them into a room that’s warm and bright to enjoy them. Will they tolerate the transfer?

What is the name of the orchid beside big red I have one too

Mine is budding. It's a red one. 😊

Hi! Amy, I am also am Amy. I'm from SE Louisiana. I have 2 Thanksgiving cactuses. I have had them for 3 yrs. When I first got them they were in full bloom and bloomed well past Christmas. Last yr they refused to bloom but that was partly my fault, I was not giving them their 12 hours of darkness. This year I did and they began blooming beautifully. But, suddenly they have stopped. They are were they have been since I got them so that hasn't changed. I only water them when needed so I'm not over watering. I have a florescent light above them on the window where they are and they recieve indirect sunlight. Any ideas as to why they are no longer blooming.

I have made mistakes with my red Thanksgiving cactus. I bought it about two years ago at Aldi and it was not in top condition. I repotted in a very heavily compost rich soil. I packed the soil too. It has done surprizingly well considering and is currently budding profusely. My question is- now that its adapted to its conditions, how should I handle changing its soil? I will wait until Spring but should I slowly add a different mix? or do it all at once?

No buds on mine Mid-Nov.

I have hot pink!

What kind of fertilizer do you use

Hi Amy 🌸, I really appreciate this video! I didn’t know that the lighting helps produce & increase budding. I was only thinking of increased darkness this time of year. Most of my windows are north facing...I ordered some extra lighting, hope it’s not too late. I have red, white, yellow, dark pink, salmon & beautiful samba Brazil which is my profile pic. God bless you Amy for these helpful videos!! Chrissy 🤠