Will Buds Fall Off My Christmas Cactus If I Move It? Dan Gill's Mailbag

Home » Why Christmas Cactus Drop Buds » Will Buds Fall Off My Christmas Cactus If I Move It? Dan Gill's Mailbag

Maybe your like

Skip to main content You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close site-logo Baton Rouge New Orleans Acadiana Shreveport Lake Charles Gambit Log in Subscribe Log out Site search Search News
  • Business
  • Crime/Police
  • Courts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Gulf Coast
  • Jefferson Parish
  • St. Tammany
  • Local Politics
  • State Politics
  • Hurricane Center
  • Weather
  • Meet Investigative Team
  • Weekly Editions
Sports
  • Rod Walker
  • Betting
  • Saints
  • LSU
  • Pelicans
  • Tulane
  • UNO
  • High School Sports
  • Horse Racing
  • Jeff Duncan
  • Colleges
Entertainment
  • Arts
  • Books
  • Calendar
  • Comics
  • Curious Louisiana
  • Festivals
  • Forward 64
  • Games
  • Louisiana Health
  • Home/Garden
  • Ian McNulty
  • Keith Spera
  • Louisiana Inspired
  • Mardi Gras
  • Arthur Hardy - Mardi Gras Guide
  • Movies/TV
  • Music
  • Society
  • Where NOLA Eats
  • Your Best Life
Games Opinions
  • Clancy DuBos
  • Stephanie Grace
  • Ron Faucheux
  • Walt Handelsman
  • Quin Hillyer
  • Faimon Roberts
  • Will Sutton
  • Our Columnists
  • Our Views
  • Guest Columns
  • Letters
Obits Jobs Homes Store Public Notices
  • Jefferson Parish
E-Edition Newsletters site-logo
    • Log out
    • Log in
    • Subscribe
    • My account
  • 42°
Will buds fall off my Christmas cactus if I move it? Dan Gill's mailbag Share this
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • SMS
  • Email
  • Print
  • Copy article link
  • Save
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • SMS
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • SMS
  • Email
  • Print
  • Copy article link
  • Save

Christmas cactus

Christmas cactus

(Photo courtesy of the LSU AgCenter)

QUESTION: I have a Christmas cactus that I keep in my backyard under trees in filtered light during the spring, summer and fall. It's full of buds now, and I would like to bring it on my deck or in my house where I can enjoy it. In the past few years, when I've moved it to my deck, it started dropping buds. Could my automatic outdoor lights shining at night be causing the problem? The deck gets bright light at this time of year, but not direct sun.  -- Janet Fouert

ANSWER: Bud drop is common with Christmas cactus plants when they are moved from location to another. This is not related to the light at night. (Although light at night will prevent bud set and flowering, it will not cause buds to fall off.)

When you move the plant from the backyard to the deck or inside the house, the change in growing conditions causes buds to drop. Bud drop also is a common problem when Christmas cactuses are brought home for display at this time of year.

The trick is to move your Christmas cactus onto the deck or inside when the buds are still quite small -- about one-quarter of an inch long. If you wait until the buds are larger and showing color, many (not all) of the buds may drop.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • SMS
  • Email
  • Print
  • Copy article link
  • Save
© Copyright 2025 NOLA.com 840 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Tag » Why Christmas Cactus Drop Buds