Hi, Linda, Bloom drop is common on Christmas cactus. Change—in temperature (think drafts, hot or cold), moisture (too much or too little), and light (these plants bloom after a relatively long period of darkness)—can interfere with its bloom. These plants do best in a cool environment (around 61°F) where they get at least 8 days of darkness for about 16 hours per day (this means the absence of artificial/lamp light as well as sunlight). That’s why it blooms in fall: the days are getting shorter. For repeat blooms, you have to replicate similar conditions. Sometimes we may do this without realizing it; we think it’s customary for the plant to rebloom on its own, but it’s more likely that you helped it along, perhaps by putting it in a darker, cooler spot and watered it just right.
Hi, Linda, Bloom drop is common on Christmas cactus. Change—in temperature (think drafts, hot or cold), moisture (too much or too little), and light (these plants bloom after a relatively long period of darkness)—can interfere with its bloom. These plants do best in a cool environment (around 61°F) where they get at least 8 days of darkness for about 16 hours per day (this means the absence of artificial/lamp light as well as sunlight). That’s why it blooms in fall: the days are getting shorter. For repeat blooms, you have to replicate similar conditions. Sometimes we may do this without realizing it; we think it’s customary for the plant to rebloom on its own, but it’s more likely that you helped it along, perhaps by putting it in a darker, cooler spot and watered it just right.