Jo,
No problem...questions are good...if I do not have the answers I am sure someone here does. Everyone is so eager to help it is wonderful being among people like that.
According to some things I have read, you should not move the plants or transplant them once you see signs of buds. I have shipped these hybrids when almost in bloom and fortunately they held their blooms. I do not recommend doing that unless it is an emergency and in my case it was a wedding and they needed them but ordered them after the buds were set. I did a lot of praying because moving and shipping stresses these plants big time if they are getting ready to bloom. I always wonder how people keep them blooming when they buy them in stores and they are in full bloom. Others say this is an old wives tale, so you must use your own judgement.
I would personally wait until they were done blooming, repot them, feed them and let them rest all Spring and Summer, bring them in when the temps. go down below 45 deg.at night. I bring mine in sooner, but that is because it is more convenient. They will actually tolerate below freezing temps for a short period but no sense pushing your luck. They will not tolerate frost.
You can resume feeding them after they bloom. I use regular houseplant liquid or African Violet liquid diluted to feed about once a month.
When you do transplant them, disturb as few roots as possible and press the soil firmly around the plant. Do not plant the plant too deep into the pot. I leave about 1/2 inch at the top of the pot for watering area. The plants in my house are in temps year round at about 69 or 70 deg.
The GH plants get much higher due to the suns heat. They bleach out even with the shade cloth on, but they are all fine and the temps range sometimes from 58 deg. to over 100 some days.
Last night it went down to 43 in the GH and they are fine today.
I've told you this before , but I want others to know also, this may not be the way everyone cares for their holiday cactus but this is what works for me and I am passing it on for you to try and see if it works for you. Hope this helps and I am here if you need me.
