I'm a no-fuss kind of gardener with an even less-fuss kind of life. Therefore I try to make everything easier, including coaxing my Christmas cactus into bloom.
As summer nights turn cooler with the promise of autumn just around the corner, set your cactus outside. Pick a relatively protected place (mine sits on a north-facing porch) so that the plant doesn't sunburn. Be sure to place your container out of reach of hungry rabbits who believe that your cactus is his buffet. Water the container only when the soil is completely dry. I use a weak Miracle Grow solution every-other watering.
Before cold weather sets in, you will see buds forming. Check the plant, soil, and container well for creepy-crawlies that would love to join you in your abode, and then take the plant back into the house. Be sure to set it in indirect sunlight, away from the furnace ducts. Remember that over-watering is the cactus plant's biggest enemy!
If all else fails, buy a plant each year from the local "mart" type store, or, better yet, from your florist or greenhouse. Consider the purchase as you doing your part to stimulate the economy. (That's what I tell myself every time that I buy a new plant. How can hubby be angry with me if I'm just being a good citizen?)
Happy gardening!
shel
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