Fishbone Cactus: How to Make It Bloom Beautifully

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Fishbone Cactus: How to Make It Bloom Beautifully

The Fishbone Cactus (Epiphyllum anguliger), also known as the Zig-Zag Cactus or Ric Rac Cactus, is famous for its stunning red, pink, or white night-blooming flowers. But getting it to bloom like the impressive plant in the picture requires the right conditions at the right time. This tropical cactus doesn’t behave like a desert cactus—it prefers humidity, indirect light, and strategic feeding. With the proper care, it can produce large, dramatic blooms every year.

Below is the complete blooming guide, perfect for indoor gardening lovers and home plant collectors.

1. Give It Bright, Indirect Light

The Fishbone Cactus needs more light than people think. Low light will grow leaves, but it will never bloom.

Ideal light conditions:

  • Near an east-facing or west-facing window
  • Bright room with filtered sunlight
  • Outside under partial shade in summer

Avoid direct midday sun—it can scorch the leaves.

Good lighting triggers the cactus to produce flower buds during its active growing season.

2. A Night Temperature Drop Is Required

This plant blooms when it senses a shift in temperature, just like orchids and Christmas cactus.

To encourage blooms:

  • Provide slightly cooler nights around 15–18°C
  • Keep warmer days around 22–26°C

This day-night temperature difference tells the plant it’s time to form flowers.

3. Use a Bloom-Boosting Fertilizer

During spring and summer, feed the cactus with a fertilizer high in phosphorus.

Use:

  • 1 dose of bloom fertilizer (like 10-30-20) every 2–4 weeks
  • Or organic options like:
    • banana peel water
    • seaweed extract
    • worm castings tea

Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers—they grow leaves, not flowers.

This step is important for anyone looking for advanced houseplant care and improved blooming results.

4. Let the Soil Almost Dry Before Watering

Too much water prevents blooming and can cause root damage.

Correct watering method:

  • Water when the top half of the soil is dry
  • Use well-draining soil (orchid mix + cactus mix)
  • Empty the saucer after watering

The Fishbone Cactus behaves like an epiphyte, so it prefers airy soil and hates being waterlogged.

5. Give It More Humidity

Blooming is more successful when humidity is above 50%.

Ways to increase humidity:

  • Humidifier
  • Pebble tray
  • Grouping plants together

This tropical cactus comes from rainforest canopies, so dry air slows bloom development.

6. Do Not Move the Plant After Buds Form

Once buds appear, never rotate, move, or repot the plant.

Buds are sensitive to:

  • light changes
  • temperature shifts
  • drafts

Any disturbance can cause buds to drop before they open.

7. Provide a “Rest Period” in Fall

This is the secret most people don’t know.

In autumn, stop fertilizing and reduce watering for 4–6 weeks. Keep the plant slightly cooler.
This rest period signals the cactus to bloom next season.

8. Repot Only When Necessary

The Fishbone Cactus blooms best when slightly root-bound.
Repot only every 2–3 years, and only in spring.

Blooming Season

Fishbone Cactus typically blooms:

  • Late summer
  • Early fall
  • At night (flowers open for just a day or two)

But with correct care, it can bloom more than once a year.

Final Thought

Getting a Fishbone Cactus to bloom is all about recreating its tropical forest environment. Give it bright filtered light, cooler nights, high humidity, and phosphorus-rich feeding—and it will reward you with spectacular flowers.

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