How to propagate an Easter cactus

Love your holiday cactus? Here’s how to propagate an Easter cactus in water, soil, or via division!

Can you even go to a grocery store in March without being confronted with a display of Easter cacti?

These plants are so cool in their unique leaf shape, beautiful flowers, and easy to grow disposition.

Another thing easy about Easter cactus? Propagating it!

Today I want to talk about how easy it is to root cuttings from an Easter cactus.

To show you, I swiped a handful of cuttings from my mom’s 20+ year old plant. Let’s see how it did!

Types of holiday cacti

There are 3 main popular types of holiday cacti:

• Thanksgiving Cactus – Schlumbergera truncata
• Christmas Cactus – Schlumbergera bridgesii
• Easter Cactus – Hatiora gaertneri

They all propagate the exact same way. So, I’m going to show my Easter cactus. But, if you have a Thanksgiving Cactus or an Easter Cactus, this exact method will work too!

Can you root a Thanksgiving cactus?

Yes, you can root cuttings from a holiday cactus! These plants root easily in soil or water.

When is the best time to propagate a holiday cactus?

The best time to propagate is during growing season – spring or summer. May-June is ideal in the northern hemisphere. However, you can take cuttings indoors year round successfully.

Here’s what to do if your holiday cactus is dropping leaves!

How do you root an Easter cactus?

It’s easy to propagate cacti in water, soil, or through division.

My tip is to do a few cuttings at once – just one single cutting isn’t that impressive on it’s own!

How to propagate an Easter cactus in water

My top choice for propagating holiday cacti is in water.

Select a segment of the parent plant – preferably one with new growth – and cut it off. Choose a pieces that’s at least 3 inches long.

Place so the cut end of the plant is in water in a jar or vase. I used my test tube propagation station.

Place in bright indirect light.

Refill the water as needed and change the water weekly or as it gets foggy.

I find that these cactus plants root really quickly! If they are looking wilted or mushy, they are likely rotten and won’t root.

Once the plant grows roots 2-3 inches long, plant it in soil. Choose a succulent potting soil and a pot with a drainage hole!

How to propagate an Easter cactus in soil

You can also propagate your holiday cactus directly in soil. I did this successfully, but you do have to keep the soil slightly moist or the cutting with get wrinkled and withered.

Use a sharp knife or scissors to take a cutting as described above. Let the cutting sit on the counter for 24-48 hours for the cut end to callous over.

Wet the bottom 1-2 inches of the cutting and dip in rooting hormone.

Stick into soil mix and place in bright indirect light.

Water weekly.

Since you are rooting directly in water, you don’t have to transplant the cutting – just let it grow straight into that pot!

How to propagate Easter cactus via division

One final option for propagating these plants is division. This is especially handy if your plant gets root bound or too big for its pot.

Simply remove your plant from the pot and gently separate it at the base. Divide into pieces and plant in separate pots.

Use a potting mix for cactuses or orchids and make sure the pot has a drainage hole.

Where do you cut an Easter cactus plant to propagate?

These plants don’t have nodes like some other plants. Instead the fleshy leaves have cladodes – the little sections. Cut at a break between 2 sections for best results.

I like to get at least 2-3 inches for a nice healthy cutting!

Thanks for reading!

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