How to repot a Christmas cactus: easy tips from the experts | Homes & Gardens

A larger container and fresh potting soil can give these festive plants a boost

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

There are lots of reasons to repot indoor plants. This simple task refreshes the soil and gives them more space to grow, plus it allows you to inspect the roots and remove any rotten ones. It also prevents healthy roots from becoming congested, so they can absorb nutrients and water easily.

When caring for a Christmas cactus, repotting isn’t an activity you’ll need to tick off super often. But, it’s definitely worth doing when the time is right, as it will help these popular tropical plants stay looking fabulous for years to come.

Below, plant-care experts share their tips for success. Combine this advice with our guide on getting a Christmas cactus to bloom and you’ll have a good chance of enjoying plenty of vibrant flowers during the festive season.

Repotting your plant can help keep it healthy

It takes just four steps to give these flowering houseplants a new home. Here's how to repot a Christmas cactus successfully.

Highly rated

This fast-draining mix from Miracle-Go is perfect for repotting your Christmas cacti, as well as other succulents in your home.

Kiersten Rankel is a certified Louisiana Master Naturalist and regularly volunteers with local community gardens and nonprofits to help restore critical ecosystems along the Gulf Coast. She earned her master's degree from Tulane University in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology after her undergraduate degree in Environmental Biology, also from Tulane. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking and tending to her 150+ houseplants and vegetable garden.

Be sure to use a well-draining potting soil for your Christmas cactus

It’s important to know when to repot houseplants to avoid stressing them. An ideal time to repot Christmas cacti is soon after they've finished flowering, which is usually in late winter or early spring.

‘Never repot your Christmas cactus when it’s about to start blooming,’ warns Nastya Vasylchyshyna, a resident botany expert at Plantum. ‘Otherwise, the plant may shed its flower buds.’

Nastya is a professional botany expert for the Plantum app that helps identify plants and plant diseases and provides care recommendations. Her specialization is plant morphology, phytopathology, and plant physiology.

'Christmas cacti prefer to be slightly pot-bound, so no rush to repot them,' says Kiersten Rankel, an expert from plant-care app Greg. Once every two or three years is ideal.

There are other houseplants that like being pot-bound, too – a good attribute to look for if you’d like to cut down on maintenance.

Repotting is a perfect time to propagate your Christmas cactus by division. Use a sharp, sanitized tool to separate the cactus into two or three parts. Do it in such a way that each part has plenty of strong roots. These sections can then be re-potted individually into fresh soil.

While repotting is a great way to help these succulents thrive, there are other important factors to bear in mind, such as knowing how often to water Christmas cactuses. There are also some common Christmas cactus mistakes you’ll want to steer clear of.

Design expertise in your inbox – from inspiring decorating ideas and beautiful celebrity homes to practical gardening advice and shopping round-ups.

Ruth Doherty is an experienced digital writer and editor specializing in interiors, travel and lifestyle. With 20 years of writing for national sites under her belt, she’s worked for the likes of Livingetc.com, Standard, Ideal Home, Stylist and Marie Claire as well as Homes & Gardens.

The designer's Chinoiserie collection with Addison Ross will be in style for years to come – he exclusively tells H&G what makes the look so special

By Sophie EdwardsPublished 26 October 24

Not all perennials need cutting back in fall, but these do to keep plants healthy over winter

By Drew SwainstonPublished 26 October 24