by Denise Levine, U. C. Master Gardener

My grandmother tended a Christmas cactus in her screened tiled porch. Covered in dangling, lipstick-pink flowers, it cascaded out of a jade-green ceramic pot held aloft in a plain black wrought-iron stand. It bloomed every year.

Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) usually bloom between late December and February. With blossoms about 2-1/2 inches tall and ranging in colors from coral and salmon to strawberry and cherry, Christmas cactus are not difficult to grow and make lovely presents during the holiday season. Look for them this week at the nursery or grocery store.

Christmas cactus perform best in bright indirect or curtain-filtered sunlight. To ensure that last year's Christmas cactus will flower, place plants outdoors from early autumn until just before frost. During that period, do not give them any light at night and limit their daylight exposure to eight to nine hours daily until buds appear. This usually takes four to five weeks.

Once the buds set, Christmas cactus like nighttime temperatures of 60ºF to 70ºF and daytime temperatures of 70ºF or warmer. They are happiest in a mixture of two parts peat moss and one part sharp sand or perlite. During the growing season, feed monthly with a high-phosphorous fertilizer such as 15-30-15 at the recommended strength. After the plants bloom and go dormant, water just enough to prevent that shriveled, puckered look and do not fertilize.

Christmas cactus can be propagated anytime except when buds are setting. Just break off pieces at the natural joints and root them.

Another wonderful gift for housebound friends or anyone who loves flowers are dishes or pots with forced bulbs. I visited one local nursery recently and was relieved to find that it still had a wonderful selection of tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, crocus and more.

For Christmas and New Year's blooms, you probably should have planted a few pots already. But if you plant this weekend, they might surprise you with a holiday show. Even if you miss Christmas or the New Year, a bowl of fragrant white freesias or a potted scarlet tuberous begonia would be welcome anytime.

Select the largest, healthiest bulbs you can find. Soak them in water for 24 hours.  Rootone or other rooting hormone will promote active rooting and give your bulbs an extra boost.

Plant in moist potting soil, spacing bulbs more closely than you would outside. Five- or six-inch pots give better results than very small pots, and can hold six tulips, three hyacinths, three daffodils or 15 crocus or grape hyacinth. 

Place bulbs so their necks are even with the top of the soil. If you plant tulip bulbs with the flat side facing the outer edge of the pot, the leaves will fall gracefully over the edge. Allow a half inch of space between the lip of the pot and the top of the soil for watering. Water twice to settle the soil around the bulbs. Use a good potting soil and you won't need to add additional fertilizer. If you like to formulate your own potting mix, try a blend of equal parts sphagnum moss, perlite and sandy soil.

Set watered pots in a cool, dark place until the bulbs begin to root. An unheated garage or shed is usually about the right temperature.

Even if your pots are out of sight for a few weeks, keep them in mind. Water carefully to prevent them from drying out. You can reduce evaporation by placing the pots in larger pots and filling the space between the pots with compost, peat moss or sand. When you start to see green leaves (it usually takes eight to ten weeks for the roots to become established), bring the pots inside.

Put the pots in a cool room (50ºF to 70ºF) with lots of light. The cooler the room, the longer the flowers will last. Water regularly for good flower development.

After the flowers fade, move the pots outside and give the bulbs a rest. The leaves should gradually turn yellow and dry.  Recycle by planting outside for future flowers.

You can bring your pots in all at once for a massive display, or ration your winter flowers by bringing in a pot or two a week through the darkest months. Whether you brighten your own home or share your colorful results with friends, forcing bulbs is a satisfying project.

Remember, too, that there is still time to plant bulbs outside. While most sources recommend chilling bulbs five to six weeks before planting, Sunset magazine and University of California Master Gardeners cooperated on tests in Northern California that showed pre-chilling bulbs in our Bay Area climate made little difference.