TAKE CHRISTMAS CACTUS CUTTINGS

Christmas cacti, or schlumbergera, can live for a long time – they’re like an old friend on the windowsill, celebrating the festive season by producing silky pink or red blooms. They’re easy to maintain and unfussy, so why not propagate yours? Remove one or two sections of cactus stem, twisting and pulling off carefully. Plant in a pot of cuttings compost, inserted half way in with the pointy edges facing upwards. Water in sparingly and place in a warm spot at around 20C (68F) with indirect sunlight. Leave them for a month or so and if they’ve rooted, pot each cutting up individually.