Twist off a piece with two to four segments, let the end dry for a day or two, and push it about 2 cm into a gritty, barely damp mix. It roots in three to six weeks. Late spring and early summer are the best months, and one plant can supply cuttings for several pots.
Why propagate
A Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) gets leggy and thin with age, and trimming it back keeps it full. The pieces you remove become new plants, which is handy for filling a pot or giving one away. It costs nothing.
If you’re new to this plant, our Christmas cactus care guide covers the basics, and Christmas cactus bloom explains how to get flowers.
Timing
The best window is after the plant has finished flowering and started growing again, usually late spring through early summer. Warmth and long days help cuttings root faster.
You can take cuttings at other times of year, but not while the plant has buds. Handling a plant in bloom can make it drop flowers, and a cutting with buds puts its energy into the bloom instead of roots.
What you need
- A healthy, plump Christmas cactus
- A small pot (8 to 10 cm) with drainage holes
- A gritty mix that drains fast
- A pencil or your finger for making holes
- A bright spot out of direct sun
Step 1: Take the cuttings
Choose a healthy stem with firm, bright green segments. Hold the stem, grip the segment you want to remove, and twist gently until it separates at the joint. You can also cut cleanly with a sharp blade, but twisting leaves a neat break and is what most growers do.
Take a piece with two to four segments. A Y-shaped section with a branch works too. Each cutting roots from the bottom, so keep track of which end is which.
Take several cuttings, since not every one will root and a pot with three or four looks fuller.
Step 2: Let the ends dry
Lay the cuttings on a paper towel out of direct light for one to two days, or up to three in a humid room. The cut ends form a thin dry callus, which helps prevent rot when you plant them.
Fresh, wet cut ends pushed into damp soil are the main reason Christmas cactus cuttings fail.
Step 3: Plant them
Fill a small pot with a free-draining mix. Christmas cactus is a tropical cactus that grows on tree branches in Brazilian forests, so it likes a mix lighter and airier than regular potting soil, though it doesn’t need the grit a desert cactus does. Our Succulent & Cactus Mix is a good fit, and the Christmas cactus soil guide explains why. Ordinary potting soil also works if you stir in about one third perlite.
Dampen the mix lightly. Make a hole about 2 cm deep with a pencil, set the cutting in with the dried end down, and press the soil gently around it so it stands up on its own. Three or four cuttings fit around the edge of one pot.
Step 4: Light, warmth and water
Put the pot in bright indirect light. Direct sun can scorch cuttings, which have no roots to replace lost moisture. A temperature of 18 to 24°C is ideal.
Water sparingly. The mix should be slightly damp, never wet. A light watering every week or so is usually enough, and less if the pot stays damp. In a very dry room, a loose clear bag over the pot for the first few weeks holds humidity, but take it off for an hour or two each day to let air in.
Resist pulling on the cutting to check for roots. Wait for signs of growth instead.
When will it root
Roots form in about three to six weeks. A rooted cutting stays firm and bright green, and within a couple of months tiny new segments appear at the tip.
Cuttings that go limp, wrinkled or translucent have usually rotted. If the base is mushy, cut off the damaged part, let it dry again, and restart.
Aftercare
Once the cuttings are growing, treat them like a small plant. Keep them in bright light and water when the top few centimetres of mix feel dry. After a year or so, when roots fill the container, they’re ready for a larger pot. Our general how to repot a plant post has the steps.
Fertilizer is optional. If you use one, a diluted houseplant fertilizer once a month during the growing season is plenty, and the label has the details. Our mixes contain no fertilizer.
Water rooting: should you?
Many people root Christmas cactus in a glass of water. It can work, since the plant is forgiving, but water-grown roots are thin and weak and often struggle after potting. Soil is the surer route. If you do try water, change it often and move the cutting into mix as soon as roots appear.
Common problems
- Segments wrinkling: too dry, or no roots yet. Check the soil and give the cutting a bit more time.
- Black or soft base: rot from wet soil, or from planting before the end dried. Trim and try again.
- No growth after two months: too cool or too dark. Move it somewhere warmer and brighter.
- Drooping leaves with red edges: strong sun or cold. Move the pot away from the window glass.
For the broader set of leaf problems, see Christmas cactus leaves problems.
