How and when to water blooming holiday cacti

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Watering holiday blooming cacti is a bit tricky –they should be well watered but then allowed to dry out somewhat. Water slowly and thoroughly, then wait until the soil is dry about an inch down. They are grown in a porous medium, some people use potting soil with a good bit of perlite mixed in – orchid medium is mostly bark and not suitable. Don’t fertilize when in bloom --wait until you have taken them outside in late spring, hang them from a tree in a partly shady spot. You might have to move them around some; again, these plants are somewhat finicky and it’s hard for us to mimic a tropical rainforest. The new hybrids are relatively inexpensive, so like poinsettias, it might be easier to just get new ones each year.