Christmas Cactus
CHRISTMAS CACTUS
One of the more popular flowering plants around the holidays is the Schlumbergera bridgesii better known as the Christmas cactus. It offers a profusion of tubular flowers that bloom for two to four weeks around Christmas time.
Originating from Brazil, this jungle cactus is an epiphyte that lives on trees and is different from the desert cactus in that it is the trailing type and does not require direct sunlight. At times there can be confusion as to which type of Schlumbergera you have.
Christmas cacti have flattened leaves with scallop-edged margins that are smooth and spineless with tubular 3 inch flowers, as opposed to the Thanksgiving cactus (Zygocactus truncates)(S. truncatus) crab cactus, which has sharply toothed edges with two large teeth at the end of the last joint on each branch and shorter tubular flowers with spreading pointed petals.
The Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) grows more upright, has fibrous hairs at the joints and produces different flowers. It is the more difficult one to grow. All bloom close to their respective holidays under normal growing conditions.
Christmas cactus care
Not only are these cacti so popular because of their spectacular blooming habit but also because they are relatively easy to care for. They require a rich, well drained soil, bright indirect light and a daytime temperature of 70 degrees and night temperature of 60-65. Feed it with a balanced houseplant fertilizer between April and October. Christmas cactus is not drought tolerant. Water the plants thoroughly and let them dry out between watering. Do not ignore it or kill it with kindness. The leaves will wrinkle if the soil is too dry and when over watered which can lead to root rot. Water less in the winter. Prune the plants in the summer to encourage more branching by pinching off at the joints.
When the flower buds begin to show, place the plant in bright light and temperatures (60-70F). The plant will no longer require long nights and cooler temperatures. Once the flower buds are formed, try not to move the plant to a different location as it may cause the buds to drop.
When in bloom keep the plant moderately moist (not too wet). If the leaves get limp and flabby you may be overwatering the plant. Too much light can fade the flowers. Do not expose them to direct heat, cold drafts. Fertilize lightly with a high potassium fertilizer when the buds form and continue until the flowers fade. When the plant is finished blooming withhold water for 6 weeks allowing it to rest. In early spring, when new growth starts to show, resume feeding and watering.
Reblooming
With a little effort and understanding, one can repeat the flowering process year after year. There are two important factors that encourage bud formation 1. Long nights – Christmas cactus requires at least 14 hours of darkness for 5-6 weeks. 2. Prolonged cool temperatures of 50-55 degrees for 6 weeks. If kept at 55F, some Christmas cacti will bloom regardless of daylength. Bud formation will not happen if temperatures are above 70 degrees. Keep the plant on the dry side until you see buds form, then resume normal watering and light feeding.
Give your Christmas cactus a little love and care and it will flourish for years. Some do so well that they have been known to be passed down in families for generations.
The stem cuttings can be rooted and started as new plants.
No related posts.
Rooting from cuttings
need advise on how to start new ones from mine.
How do you root a christmas Cactus?
From the healthy plant, take a stem cutting of two to three joined segments.
Allow them to dry out for a few hours to a day and plant in a 3″ pot in a soil mix of 50 peat and 50 sand or 70% perlite and 30%peat. Place in a plastic bag and keep moist (not wet) in a warm shaded spot. In 4-6 wks you should have new roots and there should be signs of new shoot growth. Once the roots develop plant in a well drained potting soil mix. Cuttings root best when taken in spring and summer.
paula
will it be ok to take cuttings now (Sept) from my Christmas catcus to start a new plant, or will it interfere with the blooming process?
Lou Laning ( mrlou3@ptd.net / )
I loved the info shared in this site and found it answered my questions. I do however have one more question. I intend to start new plant from my cactus, from reading your responses I gather the best time to do this is early spring. I will pinch off two sections and plant them in a potting soil mix as described. My question is, How deeply should the “cutting” be planted in the mix?
I have a Christmas Cactus that has gotten wood like on the stems. How can this be fixed? is my poor plant a gonner? Help I really like my plant
My christmas cactus has wrinkled leaves.How do I know if it’s too dry or over watered???
My Christmas cactus, started from my grandmother’s, has been spectacular. 4 ft. stems with hundreds of blossoms twice per year like clockwork. But now the stems are dying at an alarming rate and few stems are longer than 18 in. I don’t know what is wrong. They start turning yellow green and purple and then die. HELP!
Can I delay the blooming of my cactus by placing it in a dark closet. The buds have already formed. Am I too late?
BUD DROP & LEAF DROP
HELP!!! My christmas cactus was full of buds and now after moving it inside the sections are dropping off. #-4 joint sections with clean breaks at the joints. Can this be from not enough light?
Fruit/seed of Christmas cactus
Hi, I have a Christmas cactus that has formed fruits, I’ve had it for ten years and this is the first time I have seen this. The plant was a clipping from a freinds that was passed down to her from several generations. Is the fruit edible?
Can a christmas cactus be planted in a self watering pot. I just bought one a couple of weeks ogo. the leaves are looking a little wilted in the self watering pot?
My Christmas Catcus has bloomed every year since I have had it but it does not look healthy because the leaves have turned reddish. Is there some way to correct this or should I just not worry?
EDEMA (OEDEMA)
My christmas cactus is heathy looking and still blooms. I have been getting these purplish blister/bumps on the leaves lately, and then they scab up when they age. What is this? A bug I hope not… Help!!!
Xmas cactus not blooming
I rescued a christmas cactus about 4 years ago. I had no idea how to care for it and I am still having problems with it. I have my house temp set around 65F all day long. The plant is sitting in indirect sunlight on the south side of the house. It gets watered only when it’s soil is very dry. 4-5 months ago one of my cats tipped it off the shelf and fell 4-5 ft to the floor. 2-3 segements were broken off close to the roots and now from those spots there is 2-3 in of new growth starting. I am really happy about this but I just can’t seem to get this plant to bloom no matter what I do. I have also subjected it to closet life for weeks and let it dry out too. What can I do?
how do i transplant chrismas catus
Purple leaves
Hi – thank goodness someone seems to be a Christmas Cactus expert. I too have one of sentimental value. It is about 10 years old – has been repotted a few times over the years. Always been indoors. This summer, I put outside under a porch umbrella. After a month or two, I noticed the ends very flat and starting to turn purple. I repotted – brought back indoors to it’s regular spot and clipped off some of the purple brackets. Now more are purple/green and it doesn’t seem to be firming up. Tell me what I need to do and what I did wrong.
How long should a christmas cactus be kept in the dark to help it bloom? I have it in a totally dark closet where it is cool. Its been in the closet about a month and a half. I don’t take it out of the closet at all.
Are these plants safe if pets or small children eat them?
My christmas cactus is in full bud…how long do these buds take to burst open for a full bloom? It seems like I have seen these buds with color peaking out for 2 weeks…I’m anxious for the full bloom!
Thanks, Eileen
Mealy bug
My Christmas Cactus was started by my mother to me as a wedding gift over 28 years ago. It has developed a white substance at every joint and looks very unhappy. Can I save it? It is also spreading to other cactus.
INSECT PROBLEM
I have a very huge old (10 years?) Christmas Cactus that has had something eating SLOWLY at a few select leaves. I’ve tried a number of insecticides without success. It now has white flies I can’t get rid of. It appears to be loosing leaves and did not bloom this year. I replant it regularly as necessary. HELP! I love this plant
COLD DAMAGE
Several days ago my Christmas Cactus got left on the porch and was exposed to temps in the low 30s. It is usually kepy between 50-60 degrees. Over the last several days, the smaller leaves and some of the newer growth has begun to wilt. Some of the leaves look ok. Is there a chance for the rest of the plant, or will the wilting spread? Is there anything I can do for the parts that still appear healty?
Cynthia Clark
I had my cactus on my front porch and I was away visiting a sick friend in the hospital I had told my husband to bring it inside because there was going to be a cool snap. When I got home it was 21 degrees and he had forgot my cactus, it now has got real droopy and looks dark green I suppose it froze is there anything I can do to save it. It was in full bloom.
We have an easter cactus that has developed a tan coating on the bottom section of each branch. It doesn’t look woody, and it doesn’t look like the pictures we have seen of edema. We have not seen any bugs either. (It has lost some branches lately too, but we changed our watering schedule and that has seemed to help as far as branches falling off.) What could this tan near the base be? Is there something we need to do about it?
I recieved a part of my husbands Great Grandmother’s Christmas Cactus. His mother told me that she has not been able to get it to bloom for the past couple of years. Every since I recieved my part of the cactus I cannot get it to grow. At first she had it potted in a huge pot, I was told to repot into a smaller pot. I did and I still cannot get the plant to grow. It now has a woody look to the steam area. I have read that you’re supposed to have sand or moss in the mixture. I never did that. I have had this plant for almost 2 years. I am afarid that it’s going to be to late for it. Can I still save it? What can I do to get it to grow and bloom?!
I have an old (20+ years) Christmas cactus. It is large, 3 foot diameter, and has woody stems and is very full. It has been happy, growing and flowering well. I usually put it outside in the rain once in the summer so the leaves can get cleaned from dust and dirt. I put it out this summer and about 2 weeks later the leaves started to fall off in huge sections. It had not been repotted in 10 years, so I repotted it in the recommened soil into a larger pot. It was extremely root bound. It seems happier in the new pot but it is still loosing leaves. The leaves appear green and healthy. I am afraid I will end up with woody stems and no green leaves. Is this just stress or is my cactus just old and dying?
Was curious how you can pollinate a Christmas cactus flower to so that you can produce seeds.
Flower color change
I inherited my mother in laws Christmas cactus plant 3 years ago. A piece fell off about two years ago and I rerooted it, later another piece fell off and I rerooted that one. The original one has red blooms and the other two , one has white blooms and the other has pink blooms. They are both from the red one. All are doing beautiful. My question is, why did the other two bloom a white and a pink?
Sincerely, Brenda Southall
I started a cutting from a yellow Christmas cactus. It has done well and now the blooms are coming in pink. Where did the yellow go
Stems-Purplish color
I have light purplish-red growth on my Christmas Cactus. I have repotted it and checked the roots for root rot – Everything checked out ok. The plant seems healthy and bloomed like crazy this past season. I am wondering if it might be due to too much or lack of insufficient light.
White and limp stems
some of The leaves on my Christmas Cactus have turned a almost white color and get very limp. It got buds but they did not bloom just fell off. Hope you can help me.
Thanks
I have my grandmother’s Christmas Catus. It is 50+ years old. I’ve had it for about 3 years – it has neither flowered or shown any growth. This Spring I put it outside for the first time – the leaves turned yellow and branches fell off. I believe that was from too much sun. I moved the plant into my screened in porch – repotted it and now it’s “stable” but not doing anything. What’s left is very woody branches about 6-8 inches long. It used to be huge. Is there anyway to save this plant – it means so much to me.
Pruning Christmas cactus
We can’t remember how many years ago we re-potted our huge 50+ yr old Christmas Cactus. It looks a little limp. It is already in a large pot and we would prefer not to go larger as it is already a challenge to move inside or out as the seasons change.
Do you have any pruning advice or advice that would help prevent the plant from getting root bound in it’s current size pot? Can you prune roots? Would you control the branch length by pruning them by say half their length?
Thanks for your advice!
Laura
Rootlets in leaf stems
It appears I have a unique issue with my Christmas cactus. It has roots growing from each “joint” between sections all the way up the leaf branches. There are no distinguished “stems”. The leaves have become even more purple than they were. I just purchased the plant this year so it’s young, I potted it with potting soil, however the pot may have been too small. I put mulch in the bottom for drainage. I just re-potted now. The soil was very loose and damp, not soggy. There didn’t seem to be any roots to this plant under the soil. They didn’t appear to be overcrowded at all. Very odd, it’s almost as if I planted this plant upside down!
Bloom in July
I have a Christmas Cactus that I transplanted to larger pot in May outside; live in Southern Cal. It is now blooming in July. Why? I thought they bloomed in December.
Propagating Christmas cactus cuttings
My moms Christmas cactus is dying… I transplanted to help but nothing has improved. Mom passed away in April and no one tended to the plants so thinking lack of sunshine and ?1st I burned it in the direct sun, and since it was too dry to quick fix.. I overwatered it in the non-draining pot. So I thought transplant and do it right but it might be too late I’m afraid. I’m thinking it got root rot. Is it possible to take a cutting although they don’t look to good and possibly save it? The pic above shows a Y cutting with 3 segments. I’m sorry for being so stupid about this; but I have to ask… am I cutting this into 3 separate cuttings on the one side and another cutting for the other side of the Y? My reasoning…. how would that cutting stand up for rooting in 1 1/2″ soil? I wanted to try water rooting; how much of the leaf is submersed in water? (to prevent rotting)
I managed to save the one plant that had the drainage hole and its recovering from the sunburn nicely. But I would really like to help the other as well..
Any help is greatly appreciated!!!
Thank You Anna
Actually, I think I have a Thanksgiving Cactus as it is already blooming.
My question is: What do I do about the blooms? Do they fall off on their own or do I have to pinch them off when they are finished?
Also, my cactus seems to do quite well so far by being very dry? Should I water more to make sure it continues to thrive?
Thanks.
Christmas cactus success
I have had 2 cacti for years with no problems. They spend the summers on the front porch with a southern exposure – bright light and little sun. In order to get mine to bloom, I leave them outside until a freeze is predicted, then bring them into the cooler part of the house. By then they have flower buds forming. The longer they stay cool, the longer the bloom lasts. I don’t worry about extended hours of darkness. It seems that by leaving them outside as long as possible, and then bringing them inside, it creates a ‘hothouse-type’ environment which forces it to eventually bloom. Mine have never failed to bloom. I guess I’m pretty lucky with this after reading everyone else’s misfortunes. Mine are 10+ years old. I’ve taken numerous cuttings through the years for friends.
Hello, me again
Its been about over a week or so since I posted about the pink bumps on my cactus. They haven’t grown any bigger. I put the plant on a brighter location and spray it every morning, just the foliage.
Is it normal for it them to take long to start developing into large buds, or am i doing something wrong,or is it too late to fix them. Please answer my question, I don’t want to lose the buds
Moving a blooming Christmas cactus
Hi, Kris! I have been following your site for awhile now and today just confused me. Not that you are wrong because I do not know anything about the “Zygos” but last year I was given what must be a Thanksgiving cactus because it is now budding and blooming all over. My quandary is that I did not do anything special with it. I do live up in the mountains and it never gets very hot so that was a plus. I have used regular house plant fertilizer but other wise just kinda left it alone. IIt has blossoms about 2/12″ long in a white (I was told it would be (cream) but I like the white much better I think. Tomorrow I was going to move it into the living room for the center piece at noon meal. I am afraid now that if I take it in there it will drop all its buds and blossoms. What is your advice in this unusual circumstance. It was a novelty to see this article today. You may have saved my little pretty.
TYIA and I will be looking forward for your reply.
Gayle
Crown rot
My mom has a Christmas cactus that is about 15 years old. I have read the other posts and cannot tell which problem (or which combination) affects my plant. I would appreciate any advice you could provide.
For the past three years, my mom’s plant was in a small pot that was about 3 inches wide and about 4 inches deep. This summer, it looked great. A few months later, it is not the same plant. Althought it is a pretty green, it is quite pitiful otherwise. The leaves/stems are wilting and soft. The leaves keep falling off at the joints or simply breaking off at the base of the plant. Thinking it was root bound, I reported it in a much bigger pot. Instead of improving, it has continuously gotten worse. The base of the plant had started getting a little woodsy but now it looks like it is turning into dead wood. We use to be able to stick the pieces that broke off back in the dirt and they would grow roots, becoming new plants. Now they simply die off. I repotted in Scott’s Miracle Grow Moisture Control potting soil. The soil is not dry; nor is it too wet. How can I help my mom’s plant? (Lighting has not changed.)
Nutrient deficiency
Please help! My Christmas cactus has reddish/purplish margins around all the leaves and blotchy red/purple patches on the leaf surfaces. I think I overwatered it for a while last summer. One post made it sound like this is a virus and there is no hope to save the plant. Is that true? Is there any way to get the leaves green again? The plant is several years old and all but the first and second segment nearest the root have the red rims.
HI Debbie
It may not be a virus, but a nutrient deficiency(Phosphorous) or a combination of several problems. You don’t mention if you fertilized during the growing season. You may have some root rot from overwatering and the plant needs time to recover. I’m not sure your plant can be saved but what I would do is transplant it into fresh soil,(eventhough spring is a better time to transplant) water it and then let it go dormant by keeping it on the dry side, but not letting the soil dry out completely. In late winter,when it shows signs of new growth start watering again.
hi, i have a christmas cactus which is now 6yrs old, it`s been placed in direct sunlight and gets a cold draft and it blooms from late november through to february with anything from 4 to 5 full blooms, looks like someone forgot to tell my plant it shouldn`t like it
COLD DAMAGE
My christmas Cactus was doing great in low 30s temperature, but last night, I think it froze. The plant is still green, but droopy. Is there any hope that I can save it? I thawed it out and put it in a window.
Rachel ( afeigle@yahoo.com / )
Several days ago my Christmas Cactus got left on the porch and was exposed to temps in the low 30s. It is usually kepy between 50-60 degrees. Over the last several days, the smaller leaves and some of the newer growth has begun to wilt. Some of the leaves look ok. Is there a chance for the rest of the plant, or will the wilting spread? Is there anything I can do for the parts that still appear healty?
Cynthia Clark
I had my Christmas cactus on my front porch and I was away visiting a sick friend in the hospital I had told my husband to bring it inside because there was going to be a cool snap. When I got home it was 21 degrees and he had forgot my cactus, it now has got real droopy and looks dark green I suppose it froze is there anything I can do to save it. It was in full bloom.
Edema (Odema)
I have a 3 year old plant. It now has buds but the leaves have places that i can only describe as looking like someone used their fingernail to scratch into the leave. It is not edema as it is not brown..just part of the top layer is gone. this is all over the plant. I do not see any signs of pests that are visible. Any idea what this could be?
HI Dandy
Is it possible that the plant was exposed to too much direct sun at some point?
Sandy ( fainc@ipa.net / )
In response to question on my 3 yr old plant…it has been on my dining table which gets light from a SE facing window. Has not had direct sunlight to receive a burn. Do not even put them out on the patio in the summer anymore as i had one totally eaten by something a few years back! Is there anyway to post a picture?
I have had a Christmas Cactus for awhile now in the same window and its been doing quite well,,, it had just started to bloom again, when it got a draft from the window and the leaves went very droopy, and soft…. in the middle there are a few pieces that still seem healthy. Is there anything I can do to save it?
Hi. My Christmas Cactus (over 10 years old) which had been thriving has suddenly started acting weird. The branches of the plant have fallen completely off. One is only holding on by a thread, but has still managed to produce a large bud while in this condition. The ends of these branches turned a brown which seemed to be spreading up from the bottom. We have tried loosening the soil, cleaning the pot, and tried propagating some of the plant (maybe we did it wrong, as they did not make it), but nothing has helped. Is my cactus doomed, or is there hope? I don’t want the poor thing to die!
Hi again,
The stems are not soft, they are hard, with no sunken discolored bits… it is all just brown. I had reduced then stopped watering it in hopes it would help, (the soil is now dry). The segments are all wilty (And all of the branches are affected it seems) I don’t know if it would even be possible to propagate them…. If we removed all of the branches is it even possible it could re-grow just from roots? It might be time for a new cactus.
If I manage to find one, what is the first thing I should do for it?
I recently received a Christmas Cactus as a Christmas gift and want to be sure I am taking care of it properly. I live in Central Florida and need to know if this plant can be kept outside. Currently it is cool at night between 50-60s, 70-80s during the day. As spring and summer approach it will become much warmer. Will I do any harm to the plant if I keep it on the lanai and out of the direct sunlight?
Red edges on stems
I inherited a Christmas (Thanksgiving) Cactus from a coworker, and due to the placement of my office, it gets NO sun. At all. Just office lights. It bloomed fine last year and this year, but I don’t think it’s grown at all, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a new leaf on there. Some of the end sections have a red hue to them, as well, or red edges. How can I get this to grow bigger and lose that red, if it’s a problem?
Replanting cuttings
My Christmas Cactus has flowered beautifully around Thanksgiving, and is now starting to bud and flower again. My problem is 1 of the larger budding stems broke off. I found on this site to let it dry a couple of hours, then repot. After a few hours I just placed it into the same pot about and 1-2″ and no water…My question is is there anything else I need to do? Also found your polination tip, and look forward trying it…thanks.
Fungus gnats
Question on Christmas Cactus: Saw you comment about “White Flies” but the insect on mine is tiny black flies – what can I do?
I need help. I have a Christmas cactus (or part of one) that has been passed from generation to generation.
The one I have has not grown or flowered since we got it about two years ago. In fact I think we are killing it…HELP!
We water it about once a week, and use Jobe fertilizer spikes for flower plants every time we water…What are we doing wrong.
Color change
I have a white Christmas cactus that has turned pink. Is there a way to get it to bloom white again?
I have my grandmother’s Christmas cactus which I assume to be 60 to 80 years old. It has been in the same NW facing window for over 8 years. It has not been repotted in at least 10 years. Stems are woody and about an inch thick. Growth is over three feet all the way around. It blooms twice every year, around Christmas and around Easter. New growth appears in late spring or early summer. Occasionally there are dead sections but they are localized.
In the colder months, the house is kept in the low to mid 60’s. I give it a pot of water every two weeks and a dropper full of fertilizer each time. Every once in a while I turn the plant.
Obviously, the plant seems to be doing consistently well. My question is, should I mess with a good thing? Should I cut back on the watering in the fall and winter? Should I not be fertilizing it every time I water, all year long? Should I repot it even though it is likely I will break some parts of the plant in the process?
Hello. I just received about 10 separate segments from my mother in law and She told me to go home and put them in moist dirt. How many segments can go in pot? Do I possibly have ten individual plants? They all have 3 to 4 segments each. I hope this make sense.
Stems turn white
My very old Christmas cactus has just started to have it “leaves” turn white. Any sugestions as to what is causing this and a possable cure? Thanks.
Sun scald
By reading through the posts I have come to the conclusion that I sunburned my 10 year old Christmas cactus today. I would say about 1/4th of the leaves are white. Some are translucent. I put it outside 2 days ago, thinking cactus = desert, which I have now learned is completely wrong. It was wilting and the sunlight did seem to help it perk up. But the temperature reached 96 degrees today, and I wasn’t home to bring it inside. When I got home I saw the white leaves and immediately searched for what I did to it. I did soak the soil until water drained out the bottom of the pot. What can I do now?
Thank you for any help!
I inherited a very large old Christmas Cactus from my mother 35 years ago. It was about twenty years old at the time. I have repotted it successfully twice and it has thrived and bloomed faithfully at Christmas and Easter every year until last year. I yearly withhold all water during the month of October after which time the plant has always budded beautifully for Christmas.
A blight or fungus that produces white spots that can be rubbed off suddenly began to appear on the leaves last year. First on only a couple of branches and then spread to one entire side. Since leaves were dying I sadly amputated all the large branches on one side and began spraying with a fungus liquid and wiping the white spots off with a rag dipped in the liquid. This helps for awhile but the spots are contining to come back.
What can I do to get rid the plant of this disease once and for all?
Thank you,
Paul Martin
I have a beautiful Christmas Cactus but I was away for 5 weeks and left it in the care of my neighbor. It’s looks a bit pale and has some wilty leaves. She left it out under a pineapple palm and I think maybe it got too much sun and water. Can I pinch off the wilty leaves, feed it and hope that it revives itself? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also thought about repotting it….do you think it will help.
Thanks!
Soil mix for Christmas cactus
Hi can you tell me what ready made store brand potting soil you recommend. I would not be good at trying to mix it myself.
I have a 30 year old christmac cactus that is looking reeat except it looks like something is taking bites out of it. I almost exspect a mouse or something. Any suggestions?……Kathy E.
Color change
i have a pot of red thanksgiving cactus that i bought in 07. he was red, he was red in 08, he is now melony pink! i live in NW ohio and had all my cactus outside and they loved it. we got a very cool end of august and beginning of september and they set bud. i didnt discover that until i was several days into acclimating them to the house (so far no bud drop) so i continued. well now we have 80s days and nearly 70s nights. i have seen cool temps turn my white to pastel pink, could the warmth turn my red to the melon color? they were fertilized 1-2 times a month alternating between standard houseplant formula and root/bloom booster. do growers somehow chemically manipulate colors that fade later?
thank you
i needed someone to remind me to test the soil ph. it was 7, no wonder theyre turning pink. i had assumed (shame on me) that i had fertilized enough and that the rain water was replenishing the soil. lol, i love my cactus no matter what color it is but red is my favorite and im glad to know that with my attention on it now that the red will be back. thank you again and i love this site.
Help! I have a cactus I rescued 5 years ago and it is finally starting to look healthy this year. Now I have noticed it has a few holes in some of its leafs. I don’t see any insects. Do you know what is causing this and if I should be alarmed? I have become attached to this plant.
Thank you for any help you can offer!
I have a Christmas cactus that belonged to my mother. It is probably over 30 years old. I leave it outside on a water system when we go out of town in warm weather. This time, I returned to find the entire plant gone. There are a few leaves in the pot, but all of the rest are gone down to the woody stems. There are nibbled-looking spots on the stems. A few tiny leaves are sprouting, and a couple of the ones that fell into the pot have taken root.
I suspect the deer ate it. We never had deer here before, but I have seen some come over since they cleared land nearby.
I’ve brought the plant inside now that I’m home to water it. Do you think I should fertilize it to help it recover?
Fungus gnats
Hi,
I have a Christmas Cactus and it looks really healthy apart from it’s covered in little black flies. They look like fruit flies and are driving me bonkers…. Any suggestions?
Many Thanks
Sophie
Wilted, wrinkled,soft stems
My christmas cactus looks terrible, was doing great and full of flowers. Now the stems have wilted, drooped and have turned a dark color and wrinkled and soft. Can I save it, and how. Why did this happen? Would like to know so it doesnt happen again.
Thank you for any help you can give me. Cheryl
I recently received a Christmas cactus as a gift. I keep the soil moist, watering every other day or so. The plan does not receive direct natural sunlight but does get plenty of full darkness at night.The majority of the plant has already bloomed.
How long should the flowers typically last? Mine stay fresh for a couple of days and then start to wilt.
Is this normal? If so, is it recommended to pinch off the dead, wilting flowers or should I leave them be? Thank you so much for your help!
Multiple bloom
I have 3 Christmas Cactus -1 white, 1 pink and 1 deep pink flowers. I live in the midwest. In the early summer I place the cactus outside under our patio awning on a table where they get indirect light. This summer all three bloomed around late July or early August. When the weather started turning cold I brought them in the house and thought there were bud flower buds, but decided I was seeing things. Well, about 2 weeks ago all 3 burst into flower blooms again. I was very surprised as I thought one flowering a year was normal. Believe me I sure didn’t do anything special to them outside. Guess conditions were just right so we
could enjoy the flowers twice in a short period of time – once out
side and once inside! These cactus are about 3 years old.
Hi, I have a christmas cactus that has been doing really well and is already blooming this yr. but only half of it. The half of the plant that is blooming is very healthy looking. The other half is wilted and the leaves have purple streaks in them close to the edges and are wrinkled in places. The centre of the plant has brown papery covering over the stems. There are no bugs noticeable on the plant.I am not very diligent with watering/fertilizing but this has never hindered the plant in the past. Last yr. the entire plant bloomed for 6 continual months.
Brown dried tips
I was gifted a cactus recently…repotted, seemed happy…when I got it just the tip of every stalk was dead, brown, dried up. I pinched off every dead bract, now the ones that were not pinched off are in bud, but the tips are still starting to brown. Never had this happen before. Any thoughts?
Cold damage
About a third my christmas cactus was frozen by an open window. The other half looks undamaged.Will the undamaged parts survive and What should I do with the drooping parts. Thank You
Cold damage
my father was given a large blooming Christmas cactus its over 20yrs old. It is 25″ wide and hangs 20″. It was to large for my grandma to be moving around. The question I have is the plant was out in the cold for a period of time and got some extensive cold damage and has slowly been getting better but 80% of the plant is still doing very poor and has wilted looking soft droopy leaves. What do we need to do to get this plant back to good health.. as far as temps, water, sunlight, fertilization? Thanks Jerry
Cold damage
I have a very old Christmas cactus. It has been a very reliable bloomer for the twenty years I have owned it. I bought it at a garden sale and it hs lived in several homes with our family. We were recently away for the holidays and came home to find that our furnace had gone out and our inside temperature was 31 degrees. Not all of our houseplants survived. The Christmas cactus looks untouched by the cold, but I notice that most of the segments are speckled with a rusty-colored scale that brushes of easily. What is this ansd how do I treat it?
Stem canker
I have a christmas cactus that is about 30 yrs old and several smaller plants that were originally cuttings from the first plant. They have all been doing well. The plants are all in the same places they have been for years, under the front and rear porch overhangs of my home. Both plants in front and rear of house are developing woody looking growths at the junctions of the leaves. These are not solid but lots of small pieces. I took it to the local nursery and he thought it might be some type of “cancer”. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Like so many others, these plants have a lot of sentimental value and I hate to loose them.
Cold damage
I have two 20+ year old Christmas cacti that were inadvertently left outside last night when the temp dipped to 22 degrees. I’m heartsick over it, and after reading several similar entries in this site feel like there is nothing I can do. Is that correct? Should I bring them inside to a sunny window? clip the soft, drooping leaves? do anything at all other than just watch to see if they might survive? Or is that not even a possibility?
Not blooming
I have a Christmas Cactus that I inherited from my Grandmother. She had it for as long as I can remember (20+ years). When she passed away, I repotted it and it started growing even larger. That was nearly 3 years ago. The plant has been growning and the leaves all look good, but it has not bloomed since it has been repotted. Them stems appear to be very mature (have the bark liked stems on each one coming out of the pot), but recently my christmas cactus has started to look droopy (and still hasn’t bloomed). Why hasn’t it bloomed in 3 years? Also, I had my cactus sitting next to a orchid which I just discovered had mealy bugs (adults I think). My cactus had a few joints that had a “cotton” looking substance on them. I wiped them off with rubbing alcohol wipes, but should I spray my whole plant?? Will that kill it? This plant is very important to me, please help.
Keeps blooming
I have a christmas about 16 years old. it is very healthy and has been transplanted several times,it started to budding in late November then flowered in time for Christmas and has been continualy budding and flowering going on 3 months. It is located so that it gets the early AM and PM sun. Is this normal and how long should I allow this to continue?
my christmas cactus never leaves my table. am i suppose to put it in a dark cool place at some time and stop watering altogether??
it is starting to get buds right now (march 7th) at times it looks wrinkled and limp, so, i give it a drink, then it perks up. my mother in law put hers in the basement after it bloomed around christmas time, but i dont. it blooms a few times a year. any suggestions?
thanks noreen vreebairn
How long does it take before christmas cactus bear flowers? I am planning on getting on one.
My cactus is dying from root rot due to over watering.(I over loved it) I salvaged what could but it wasnt in the best shape. I took some clippings let then dry out for an hour replanted them and gave them a good dose of water. That was a week ago and I havent watered them since. There indoors, have indirect light and a avg temp of 68 degrees. When I cut them, they were thin and had purple around the edges with little dark spots. They had strange little hairs on the ends of the stems and roots growing in between the segments. They have perked up a little but there still pretty thin. I believe only time will tell. In the mean time is there anything more I can do to save my plants little life? Pease HELP me, my brown thumb and my little cactus. It has so much sentimental value.
Thank You, Morgan
my christmas cactus has ONE bloom (march10) . the rest of the plant is somewhat firm in places, then somewhat limp in others. also when do you stop watering altogether, and store it in a cool dark place(and for how long)? also, would it be a good idea to mist it every day?
noreen
Hey there! We have a beautiful Christmas cactus that we inherited about 9 years ago. It is kept year round in an eastern exposure. We live in South Carolina, so the “change” in seasonal temperatures aren’t very grand. However, as soon as the temps in the fall start to turn cooler, I place the plant outside, on the covered porch, until close to the beginning of December, when the leaves are budding. Every Christmas, we enjoy beautiful blooms. However, this year, right now exactly (March 14, 2010), the cactus (which has been inside since Christmas) is blooming again!!! We are certain it is a Christmas cactus because it has the prickly sharp leaves. It has never done this before. We have never cross pollinated (or any kind of pollinated, though we would like to learn), and it is the only cactus that we have. Is this common? I can’t find where it has happened before. Thank you for your comments in advance. I enjoy reading what the others have written.
Waiting for new growth
Hello,
I purchased a Christmas Cactus right before Christmas and all of the flowers fell off. I think that was due to the change in temperature and humidity. Since then I have fertilized it with a 10-10-10 mix in February and now I am waiting for new growth. Can you tell me the first signs of new growth on the plant? I have not seen any new segments yet. I water it only when the top inch or so of the soil is dry, I am trying not to over water it yet trying not to let it dry out, which is quite tricky! Anyways, when can I expect new segments to grow? or do I need to snip off segments and repropagate them?
Purplish-red color stems
Hi There, I have a large, usually beautiful, often flowering, approximately 15 yr old cactus that is about 3′ in diameter. I live on a boat and it has always been happy and growing in many different climates until just last week when it began drooping and the leaves turning a purplish-red color. I am tempted to cut it back. I love this plant and can’t stand to see it droopy.
Hi, I have been caring for an inherited chrismas cactus for about 2 yrs now. After reading this post, I’m better informed and remember seeing a reddish rim around the leaves when we had in direct sun. The plant did bloom last year, not this year, it had wilted leaves (which I suspect I had overwatered) now the leaves are green, sections do fall off at times, it has firm woody stems. New growth started, but today I noticed very tiny white bugs, there is no cotton like appearance of anyting. I’m confused about the woody stems, new growth and bugs…is it healthy? Or a goner? Thank you!
Stem rot
Last year I babysat two of my mom’s christmas cacti. She said their leaves were just falling off w/ no signs of illness or infestation, so I kept them away from my plants. One day my husband (in a misguided attempt at helpfulness) put them with my plants! Three of mine died from the same problem. One, which we got when my son was a baby (and is now 18yrs old) started growing new leaves–I was thrilled it had not died! But now the leaves are simply falling off again. I do not overwater it. What could the problem be and how can I save this special plant!
Insect problem
Thanks, the bugs do not fly and are in the soil, barely visable. I just noticed in my spider plant as well. I’m a little freaked about the bugs in the house/infecting other plants. Sadly, do I disgard the plants and start over, or how do I kill these bugs?
Divide an old Christmas cactus
I have a 50+ year-old Christmas Cactus. The stems are woody. Can you actually break up the root ball and transplant them into several pots or must one just take cuttings and repot?
Kathy
Hello. I have a small Christmas cactus that I purchases last year. The plant was in full bloom when I purchased it. I have kept it in the bathroom for over a year. Minimal waterings, indirect sunlight. I was caring for all my plants at the same time yesterday and accidently placed it outside with others. Don’t ask….I wasn’t thinking. Got home from work today and went outside to check on things. The top leaves are white, lime green from over exposure. What should I do? For now, I put it in a back closet in total darkness. Should I put it back in the bathroom? I don’t want it to die! Thanks.
i live in loveland oh. i have a christmas cactus sitting in front of a sliding glass door so it dont get no manipulation from me as far as lighting goes and it blooms constantly i was wondering if anyone could tell me why its doing this
Hello – I have had my Christmas cactus for over 15 year. I have been able to successfully start new plants from my plant and now have been enjoying several plants in my home. However, we live in Minnesota and two winters ago, I had my “original” plant in my bay window too late in the season and I think it got too cold. I also had the plant in a ceramic pot, which may have kept the soil cooler than I realized. The plant did flower this last year, but had white spots in the leaves which I thought was due to the cold. The spots slowly went away. This year in early April I replanted it into a larger non-ceramic pot as it was pretty root bound and in need of repotting. I had noticed lots of new growth in the last few weeks which I was happy with. But now am noticing the leaves all over the plant are falling off, sometimes in large segments of 4+. Also over the entire plant the leaves are starting to turn white – from the outsides first. On parts of the plant the leaves have small brown spots in the middle. A few leaves appear to be almost shriveling or drying out and those leaves are sort of brown in color. The plant sits in a east facing bay window in the spring, summer and fall. It gets a good amount of light and this is where it has been every year. Usually in the winter it is moved out of the bay window and either sits in the same room on a plant stand or on our dining room table.
I am not sure what is happening. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Easter Cactus Help!!
I was given an Easter cactus earlier this year which bloomed wonderfully, I kept it on the windowsill. Now the temperatures where I live have rocketed (a dry 28-35°c) and every day I find two or three leaves have fallen off the plant. I have moved the plant away from the windowsill but still find leaves dropping off. The soil is moderately moist and the stems are all upright? Is this ok? should I move the plant to a shady spot on the terrace? Do I need to mist to increase humidity?
Thanks
Hi,
I’m hoping you can help me- I’ve been entrusted to save a 100+ yr old zygo. Apparently it was doing really well, then the owner decided to repot to a larger container and at the same time divide the stems. Since then it has been going downhill. As I didn’t see plant prior to getting it, I’m working blind.
I’m good with plants, but not too familiar with zygo’s. Would you please take a look and let me know if there’s anything else I can be doing?
First off, it has fungus gnats, which I know how to get rid of. Second, it seems overly wet, but the stems don’t feel mushy so I think it’s caught in time and needs to dry out a bit. Third, it seemed to be planted to deep- the top 2″ of soil was really loose & seemed high up on the stems, so I removed the extra soil (just started to get to the roots). As I was removing the loose soil, I picked out several dead stems- they weren’t mushy, just kind of hard and woody. I think that will help the fungus gnats and wet soil. Fourth, the leaves are droopy & wilty (which seems to be from overwatering), but the stems seem to be pretty good.
How deep should zygo’s be planted?
I’m debating on repotting to a smaller pot, carefully removing the excess soil around the perimeter, but I’m not sure if that will do more harm than good. A smaller pot will keep it root bound and decrease the amount of water-retaining soil (it was planted in regular potting soil), but I don’t want to stress it any more than needed. I’m thiking about including SuperThrive in the next watering (not a fertilizer, a vitamin-hormone additive) and holding off on fertilizer for awhile as the leaves are still a dark green.
At this point, I’m kind of just waiting to see how it goes, but wanted your opinion on what I’ve done so far.
I appreciate any feedback you can give.
Thank you!
I received a cut off from a Christmas Cactus as a gift, the original plant having been given to my aunt from my great-grandmother before she died. I was afraid that the plant was not getting enough sunlight, so I took it outside, meaning to only leave it there for a couple of hours in the morning. I accidentally left it out there for almost two days in the heat, and now most of it is yellow and thin. There is still a very little green on some of the leaves. Is there anything I can do to save it?!!!
I have been watering it this morning and some green has returned, but I don’t know if I just keep watering it, how much, or if I should give it any fertilizer. It is about two to three months old.
Help, I fertilized my christmas catcus and now the leaves are limp and white. I used a different fertilizer than I had in the past. What can I do? Can I save the cactus?
Recently I noticed my cactus has a light peach round growth on the end of one leaf. It’s not oblong like its flower blooms. I have never seen this before! What is it, and should I leave it alone? I’ve had my cactus for 4 years and it’s happy by its window and blooms beautifully 2-3 times a year.
Yes, but how to I post it?
Watering
I have a Christmas Cactus that I bought this past Christmas and it “came with” the start of many blooms. When I brought it home the buds died off within a few days. I suppose I put it into shock since it was a very cold winter day here in NY. My fault! Now it is summer and it has been placed in my kitchen and relocated a few times, but the temp. has been consistent (pretty warm) and the lighting moderate as it is hot here and the blinds and curtains are down. I recently read that I should have fertilized the poor thing and I may be overwatering, too. So, here are my problems: stems are rapidly falling off (however, I have re-rooted some in another pot with another one root xmas cactus and they are establishing); leaves are becoming wrinkled, wilted and falling off; the soil is moist, yet dense; base roots look brownish and feel a little mushy to the touch. I know nothing about a Christmas Cactus and today is the day that I decided to educate myself. It took me a very long time to finally find one of these plants (in Lowes in a hanging basket!) and I want to keep it. Please help me try and save my pink beauty. Thank you very much.