It’s almost Easter and that means it’s time to check in on your Easter cactus care routine. This is the prime time for blooms, but these tropical cacti will only flower if they’re provided with the proper conditions.

Whether this is your first year caring for an Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) or you’ve been growing the same plant for decades, it’s worth doing a quick survey of your cactus and what it needs at this time of year. These tropical flowering houseplants can survive for many years, as long as they receive the right tending.

To help your plant bloom profusely just in time for the holiday, here are the four tasks you must do with your Easter cactus in April. Check these items off your to-do list this month to make sure you have a colorful cactus this spring and for many springs to come.

1. Water Sparingly

Water is vital for tropical holiday cacti like the Easter cactus. These plants originated on the coasts of Brazil, so they are adapted to wet, humid conditions. However, they don’t like to sit in wet soil.

Easter cacti are epiphytes, which means they grow on the trunks of trees in their native tropical habitat. In this environment they receive frequent watering from rain showers, but because they don’t grow out of soil in the ground the water washes away quickly.

To help plants thrive indoors, we have to try to imitate this watering pattern. Water Easter cacti every week or two – or whenever the top inch or two (2.5-5 cm) of soil is dry – and give them a thorough soaking. Let the water drain out, so your plant roots don’t sit in wet soil. Overwatering can cause root rot, so it’s always better to underwater rather than give Easter cacti too much to drink.

Especially as plants begin to set buds and flower, cutting back on watering is important. Shocking them with too much water can cause holiday cacti buds to fall off, so be mindful when watering in spring.

Using a potting mix made specifically for Easter cacti, like this one from Amazon, can also help prevent overwatering because it drains faster than traditional potting mix.

2. Humidify Your Home

Because Easter cacti come from a tropical environment, they need high humidity to do their best blooming. Most homes have dry air that is not well-suited to many houseplants, including the Easter cactus.

These tropical plants need between 40-60% humidity in order to grow and bloom well. You can raise the humidity in your home by grouping houseplants together. This increases the relative humidity in the immediate area a little bit. Another way to give your Easter cactus a small boost of humidity is to place the pot on a dish or shallow tray full of pebbles and water.

The best way to raise the humidity in your home, though, is to invest in a humidifier. This will benefit any other tropical houseplants and may even make your home more comfortable for you, especially during the dry winter months when the heat is running. This humidifier from Levoit is a great option.

3. Keep Your Cactus Cool

In addition to humidity, air temperature is a key factor in good Easter cactus care. These plants thrive in temperatures between 60-75°F (16-24°C).

Placing them right next to a cold, drafty window or door is not ideal. If you live somewhere that is still experiencing freezing or near-freezing temperatures in April, keep this in mind.

Easter cacti don’t like too much heat either. So if your heater is still blowing hot, dry air in your home in April, be sure to keep plants away from heating vents. Fluctuations in temperatures from either hot to cold or vice versa can spell trouble for tender buds.

Flowers may drop off before they fully open if your plant experiences wild temperature swings. Instead aim for a cool and comfortable 70°F (20°C) for more blooms on your Easter cactus.

4. Provide Filtered Light

Don’t blast your Easter cactus with full sun or you run the risk of giving your plant a sunburn. As the sunlight strengthens and days lengthen in April, it may be time to readjust your Easter cactus’s location. If the leaves start to turn purple or red, your plant may be getting too much light.

Place your plant in a spot that receives filtered sunlight, like near a window with sheer curtains or a few feet away from a sunny windowsill. If possible, find an east or north-facing window that has less direct sun exposure and put your cactus there. Don’t have enough light in your home? Use a simple LED grow light, like this one from Amazon, to give plants a boost.

Getting an Easter cactus to flower is a similar process to making a Christmas cactus rebloom. These plants require short days and long nights to force flowering. This mimics the natural light patterns in their native habitat. Growing Easter cacti indoors, however, often disturbs this natural rhythm because most of our homes are filled with artificial light even at night.

You have to start putting your cactus in a dark room for 12 hours each night 6 to 8 weeks before you want them to bloom. Most gardeners do this in winter so their plants will flower for Easter. By April, your cactus should have buds that are ready to bloom. When buds appear, move plants back to an area with indirect light to enjoy the flowers.

5. Leave Plants Alone

Ultimately, a hands-off approach is best when it comes to caring for Easter cacti in April. They don’t need much and coddling them can actually do more harm than good. Keep growing conditions consistent – that means providing regular watering, filtered light, cool temperatures, and high humidity – as long as plants look happy.

If something is wrong with your Easter cactus, your plants will start to show signs of distress. But by April, your plant should be ready to bloom and shouldn’t need much extra fuss from you. Don’t bother fertilizing holiday cacti until after they bloom. This helps them replenish the energy they spent putting out flowers.

Don’t prune or repot Easter cacti when they’re about to bloom or are currently flowering either. This will shock them and cause a whole host of issues. They like to be root bound anyways, so they rarely need repotting. Plus, they grow slowly over the course of many years. So besides a little deadheading after blooming, you should never need to prune.

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