How to Grow a New Christmas Cactus from Cuttings

Key Takeaways

Christmas cactus plants can be propagated using both water and soil methods, each with its own benefits.
Propagation is best done when the plants are actively growing new leaves in late spring, avoiding periods of flowering.
For successful propagation in water, use clear containers, and wait until roots are about 1 inch long before planting in soil.

These low-maintenance beauties can be propagated in either soil or water, offering flexibility for a beginner or experienced home gardener. These festive holiday plants root easily from cuttings, whether you're expanding your collection, sharing with friends, or salvaging a damaged stem. With clear, step-by-step guidance, you'll learn how to successfully propagate Christmas cactus plants and enjoy their blooms.

Several plants are referred to as Christmas or holiday cacti, but they are all succulents with leaf-like pads and bright, tubular flowers that bloom around the holidays. Whatever type of Christmas cactus you have, they're easy to propagate and have similar care needs.

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Better Homes & Gardens

When to Propagate Christmas Cactus

You'll get the best results by starting with healthy Christmas cactus cuttings and propagating the plants at the right time of year.

Cuttings usually root best if they’re taken when the plants are actively growing new leaves in late spring.
Avoid propagating plants when they’re actively flowering in winter because blooming plants have less energy for root development.

How to Propagate Christmas Cactus in Water

The benefit to propagating Christmas Cactus in water is that you can see how the roots of your cuttings. Choose clear plant propagation jars, vases, or bottles, and sterilize the containers with a 10% bleach solution to keep your cuttings healthy.

Step 1: Take several stem cuttings from a healthy Christmas cactus plant using clean shears or scissors, or gently break off the cuttings with your fingers. Long stem cuttings are often too top-heavy to stay upright in plant propagation jars, so take cuttings that are only 2 to 5 leaf segments long.

Some stem cuttings may not root properly, so taking a few more cuttings than you think you need is a good idea.

Step 2: Place the stems in a clear glass jar or vase filled with about 1 inch of fresh water. Add some clean gravel or small stones to the propagation jars to keep the cuttings upright if needed. Make sure that the bottom tip of each stem cutting is submerged in the water, and then move the container with cuttings onto a windowsill or other sunny location that receives bright, indirect light.

Step 3: Be patient. Christmas cactus cuttings take 6 to 8 weeks to develop roots. During this time, check the cuttings often and refresh the water when it runs low or becomes cloudy.

Step 4: After several weeks, the cuttings should develop small, thread-like, white roots. Once those roots are about 1 inch long, plant the cuttings about 1 inch deep in a pot filled with a well-draining potting mix intended for succulents and cacti. Gently firm the soil around the cuttings to keep them upright and water them in. Move your new Christmas cactus plants into bright, indirect light, and care for them as usual.

For a fuller plant look, pot several Christmas cactus cuttings together in a single pot, making sure to space the cuttings at least 1 inch apart.

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How to Propagate Christmas Cactus in Soil

The main benefit of soil propagation is that you won’t need to repot the cuttings later if you root them in an appropriately sized pot.

Step 1: Take several healthy stem cuttings from established Christmas cactus plants. Each cutting should have 2 to 5 leaf segments and be clipped off with clean shears or scissors or gently broken off with your fingers between two leaf segments.

Breaking off Christmas cactus cuttings where two leaf segments meet tends to work best since it causes less damage to individual leaf segments.

Step 2: Place the cuttings in a warm, dark place overnight to allow the cut ends of the Christmas cactus stems to form a callus, which reduces the chances that the cuttings will rot when they’re planted in soil.

Step 3: Plant the cuttings in pots with plenty of drainage holes. Use a well-draining potting mix intended for succulents and cacti and bury each cutting so the bottom half with the lowest one or two leaf segments is buried in the soil. If you don’t want to repot the cuttings later on, use a large enough pot to accommodate all the cuttings and space them at least 1 inch apart.

Cuttings can also be rooted in perlite or coarse sand and then repotted into individual pots once they’ve developed roots. This approach can be more cost-effective than rooting cuttings in a succulent potting mix.

Step 4: Move the potted cuttings to a windowsill that receives bright, indirect light, and water the cuttings sparingly so that the soil stays moist but not soggy. Christmas cactus cuttings take about 6 to 8 weeks to root in soil. It's ok if cuttings look a bit limp after a few days (though shriveling is a problem); resist the impulse to over water as that can just result in root rot.

Step 5: When the cuttings have developed sturdy roots, keep them in their original growing pot or repot them into individual containers. If you repot the cuttings, choose pots with drainage holes and use a potting mix for succulents and cacti. Plant cuttings about 1 inch deep and water them well to help the plants settle into their new pots.

Although Christmas cacti hate to be overwatered in soil, they'll happily propagate in a glass of water. That's because oxygen is readily available to the plant in water, whereas bacteria and fungi deplete the oxygen in soggy soil, which can lead to root rot.

Caring for Your New Christmas Cactus Plants

After repotting your new Christmas cactus plants in soil, care for the new plants as you care for more established Christmas cactus plants.

Place the plants in bright, indirect light.
Provide plants with about 1 inch of water per week during the growing season and reduce the watering in winter.
Fertilize plants with an organic, liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength during the growing season.
Boost humidity with a humidifier, especially in winter. Or set up a pebble tray: Place the plant on top of a tray lined with pebbles, adding a bit of water periodically so it evaporates around the plant.
To encourage re-blooming during the holiday season, start giving your Christmas cactus extra periods of darkness 6-8 weeks before Christmas: Keep your plant in bright, indirect light during the day, and in a dark spot (one without even indoor lights) for 12 hours each night.
As your Christmas cactus grows over the years, you may need to repot it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Both are equally effective, so it's a matter of personal preference. Rooting cuttings in water involves less care at the onset, but then requires transplanting cuttings to soil. Starting plants in soil requires you to watch and water cuttings more carefully, but if you choose the right size pot, it means you don't need to transplant later.
If you notice any cuttings shriveling, pull them out and compost them since they aren’t rooting correctly.
While it may be tempting to pot Christmas cacti in a standard soil, a succulent mix is critical to the plant's health. Because it contains sand along with perlite or pumice, a succulent soil provides the excellent drainage that Christmas cacti need.
Yes! These types of epyphytic cacti are closely related to Christmas cactus and can be propagated using the same methods. Note, however, that the propagation method is slightly different for desert cacti and other succulents.