Not sure if it's more appropriate to post this in the succulent forum but maybe this is more of a houseplant question
My Schlumbergera looks like its going to flower soon - been keeping it in a cool closet for about 14-16 hours a night than under a grow light in a humid space for the rest of the day - now it has buds all over, some small some look like they will open soon...Do I still need to keep it in darkness for 14+ hours? Or can I leave it in the light longer now (I got my lights on from 9am to 1am-ish)?

This pic is from a day ago now some of the buds look much bigger, I'm excited to see the flowers:

Nice! Keep doing what you have been doing until the flowers start to open. A change in conditions now could cause the buds to fall off before opening.

@purpleinopp Thanks! I'll keep it in the long night cycle then.
The biggest bud looks like it will open soon now:

Once the buds are close to opening, you no longer need to maintain the short day routine. However, the buds are subject to falling off if the plant is moved around too much or even rotated.

My pleasure, Tilderjones. ;)

So just as an addition, I have done nothing different to my Schlumbergera and it is full of buds. Which is interesting, because 1) isn't this considered blooming early? And 2) I wonder why Tilderjones is blooming at the same time as mine but with completely different treatment.

This is my first year for having a Schlumbergera bloom so it's a learning curve. Maybe it goes by change of season?

And- very pretty flowers on the way, Tilderjones! Good work! Your stems are more upright than mine, BTW. Perhaps that's due to the treatment? Just curious if anyone has had cactus bloom using both tactics and compared results.

It's not considered early- the Christmas name is a misnomer, really. I get mine to set by leaving them outside in where not artificially lit at night, until just before frost.

I was surprised to see fairly big buds on one of mine. And yesterday I saw where a 2nd one is starting to develop some buds. Maybe this year I'll remember to label all of them so I'll remember the colors of each.

I know that the buds are prone to fall off if the plant is moved around. I recently read somewhere that it's good to rotate (turn) them so they get even light on all sides. Is that not true?

Wherever this info came from also said to rotate them at least twice or more a day. That's when I started to laugh. Even if it were true, there's no way I'd remember to spin them around so often.

Yes, the amount of daylight hours is what causes buds to form, or more specifically, a drop in the number of hours below a certain amount, and cooling off below 90°. One can manipulate them into making buds @ any time of year with this knowledge.

https://hgic.clemson.edu/facts...

Oh thanks Tiffany...you just validated my feeling about the lack of light- it's been so overcast it's like we are in a dark closet.

It's sunny today! Thought I'd share a pic of my Schlumbergera- more flowers on the way!

How pretty! I love the color. Other than white ones I rarely see pale colored ones in the stores.

@AlyssaBlue: they do seem to start blooming simply because days are shorter, here it's completely dark at 5:30pm nowdays
Mine started forming tiny hints buds on its own and that's when I started putting it in the closet - simply because I keep my plant lights on quite late and I didn't want that to discourage the cactus. It still knew its winter though, they're smart

BTW, it's not the first time I got a comment on the "uprightness" of this cactus, I like it a lot too. I kept it well watered through the summer and in very bright light - South windowsill, it was a bit floppy and bone dry when I bought it but with more watering, it got the more upright position and grew nicely too. When I noticed a hint of buds I started letting it dry out before watering - but moved it to a room with a grow lamp and a humidifier (due to winter). I don't know if any of that mattered but it seems to be doing very well so far.

I have moved and rotated this thing so many times I can't count, also repotted it twice, once to a much larger pot for it to grow and soil not to dry as fast, and then again to a bit smaller terracotta pot for it to be dryer for flowering. The only thing I don't do when repotting is messing with the rootball and the soil in it. It's a pretty hardy plant once it has its water and light to its liking, one of my favorites!

@AlyssaBlue - those are gorgeous flowers...I want to collect all the colors now

I think mine will be fuschia-red, looking quite festive now, like Christmas balls, or Rudolf noses

I think the buds look like lightbulbs.

Nice TC blooming

Yes! A few buds have opened on my white one. Hope the other buds don't drop off after they had to suffer through my moving the plant here, there and everywhere trying to get a good picture. Plus I didn't get the shot I was going for because a good friend came over and carted me off to her house. (not complaining)

I'd really like to go to Lowes and HD to see if they accidentally have any pale colored 'holiday cactus'. Trying to tell myself that it's safe to go to either of those stores while the whole Black Friday trip is going on.

I hate black Friday shopping but have gone out afternoon of the Saturday and found it tolerable, lot of people burned out by then.

I have never gone to Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping.
Just thinking that the Lowes near me ( 2 miles or less) is relatively small as is the garden area. Wouldn't be hard to drive there and if the parking lot is full I could just turn around and go back home. The hardest part for me is having to get dressed. I love to lounge around the house in my jammies.

me too, tx_flower_child

So when IS it safe to move the budding Schlumbergeras?

Alyssa, the pale pink is very pretty. I've only rarely seen an orange/peach one and been tempted, but haven't got one.