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.
This jungle cactus is an epiphyte lives on trees and is different from the desert cactus in that it is the trailing type and does not require direct sunlight.
Which type of Schlumbergera you have?
Christmas cactus has flattened leaves with scallop-edged margins that are smooth and spineless with tubular 3 inch flowers.
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.
Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) grows more upright, has fibrous hairs at the joints and produces different flowers. It is the more difficult 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. The leaves will wrinkle if the soil is too dry or when over watered which can lead to root rot. Water less in the winter.
Bloom care
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.
Keep the blooming plant moderately moist (not too wet). If the leaves get limp and flabby you may be overwatering. 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. After bloom or in spring/summer, prune the plant by pinching off sections at the joints to promote branching. Pruned sections can be easily rooted. In early spring, when new growth starts to show, resume feeding and watering. Move the plant outdoors in a shady spot for the summer.
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 in potting soil mix and started as new plants.
more info…. http://hortchat.com/info/propagate-christmas-cactus
more info.. http://hortchat.com/info/repotting-christmas-cactus
From the reader archive
Useful reader questions
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…
Read Christie V. discussionCrown 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…
Read Terrie discussionNot 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…
Read Jenni discussionCOLD 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…
Read Sherrel discussion
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???
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?
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?
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.
Non-toxic
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.
Basal stem rot
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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?
Soil mix
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.
Watering cactus
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.
Long bloom time
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?
Stem rot
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?
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?
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?
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
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.
Deer problem
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.
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
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.
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 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.
Blooming constantly
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
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 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.
Limp & white leaves
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?
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.
Seed pod
Okay, so my cactus has a seed pod. What do I do with it? I read that it dries up and falls off on its own and then you plant the seeds. Is that how it goes?
Christmas cactus from seed
Okay one more question…I desperately do not want to mess this up, as my cactus is the first to produce a seed pod in its family and everyone is pretty excited about it. The seed pod fell off, I let the seeds dry on a paper towel. I bought seedling mix. Do I just plant all the seeds in the same pot or is there a better way to do this? I just want to make sure I do this the right way. Thanks!
I have had a Christmas Cactus in an 8-inch pot for over 20 years – it was doing fine until a couple of years ago. At that time, it started a cycle of dropping all it’s leaves and then just when I thought it was dead, it would develop new growth. It is in a cycle of regrowth right now. The plant consists of three woody stems (4 to 6-inches in length and firm) and a couple of new stem shoots coming out of the soil (1 to 2-inch) with 3 to ten new leaves (healthy looking) sprouting out of each stem/branch.
I recently found tiny flies on the plant which I have been treating with Safer Houseplant Insect Killing Soap, which kills on contact. I am not sure if this has been the problem all along, as I never suspected or looked for insects. This plant has a lot of sentimental value and I want to do everything I can to keep it alive. I am worried it will start losing leaves again. Any advice?
Also, it’s never been more than a foot or so in diameter. Does it need to be re-potted? Is that risky? If you recommend that, when would be the best time to do it, considering this plant’s history?
Thank you.
Second bloom
I have a big red and pink (yes, the store must have planted two different plants in one pot) Christmas cactus from 10 years ago. It often will have a number of blooms a month or two after its initial full bloom. Should I keep the plant a little more moist after the first bloom and maybe feed it once to see if I can get more blooms the second time? Or is that not recommended? Thanks for your help, these posts have been more informative. I keep the plant outside in the shade all summer and take it in after the buds have come out, but before frost. It blooms like crazy just before Thanksgiving.
i have a thanksgiving cactus,i brought in the house this fall,i keep it out in the summer.now we have fungus gnats in the house from it,how can i safely get rid of this problem?
Repotting
I need help with a newly aquired Christmas Cactus. My mom just gave me her MUCH beloved Christmas Cactus – I’m not sure of age, but it is average sized with tons of flowers. My issues are these – the plant at her house was SO healhty – now they are turning a lighter color green (not all of them) and seem wilty. The soil it is in and has BEEN in is just dirt from outside and it is really hard! But, it must like it as it has been doing well for years. My mom has “city” water, we have well water (tested it is wonderful water!) and my mom’s house is a constant temp. She kept it outside under shelter all summer and brought it inside to bloom. It travelled over an hour by car (with buds and blooms!) and I have moved it several times trying to find a spot for it! I had it on my dining table, but we have a woodstove and temps go from HOT to chilly, nothing steady (can get up to 80!) and the sun was shining on it one afternoon and i noticed it did not look happy, so moved it over out of direct sun. Then i read it needs cooler temps, so i have it in a window that gets very early morning sun only and a steady day temp of around 66 and night temp around 64.
Should i repot after the holidays? or should i let it stay in its soil since it does not seem to mind? Did it start to wilt because of the sun and will just take time to recover? Should i keep it where it is now in the window without direct hot sun and cooler temps?Thanks so much!!
Eventhough, they are called Christmas cactus, most will bloom around Thanksgiving. Good luck with your new plant.
Edema (Oedema)
i have an easter cactus that has amazingly survived over 8 years of neglect, too much care, and more neglect. it was a gift for when my husband and i opened our retail store, and stayed at the store for until we closed it in april. for about 4 months, it lived in our warehouse, and then home, where it didn’t get much care, or light, cos we’re never home.
i brought it to work about 3 weeks ago to try to save the sorry thing. it had been been doing OK, and i looked up proper care for the plant. i’ve been watering it only when the soil was pretty dry. watered it till water came out of the pot, and let it drain out. been keeping it under the fluorescent lights of my desk. i live in denver, and it’s extremely dry here, and no humidity, so i’ve kept to a weekly schedule. but, i do check to make sure the top inch or so is dry.
it hadn’t grown any new leaves yet, but at least it started to look healthier. now, i noticed today that it’s got these little depressions in the leaves. they don’t go all the way through, and they’re really tiny, like the head of a pin, or smaller. some aren’t any different color than the leaves, some are kinda brownish.
am i over-watering it? am i killing it? help! as much as i’ve neglected it, the plant means a lot to me.
Hello:
I would love some advice on timing after the holiday blooming season. Do I withhold water entirely for 6 weeks or just water lightly? Also, my plant sometimes blooms twice. Should I wait for the second bloom before the dry period? Last, when do I pinch? Before the dry period? Immediately after? A few weeks after?
Thanks so much for all the helpful information on this site!
I have a large Christmas cactus which has just bloomed. I live in Pennsylvania from June to January then go south to Naples, Florida from the beginning of January til June. I would like to take the cactus to Florida and hang it outside in the shade of a tree. I’m concerned about the heat as it gets into the high 80s come March/April. Will that hurt it?
One of my cacti got a bit dried out, my fault and I am sick about it. It continues to be limp and sad looking. Anything I should be doing but watering it normally?
My Mom passed away in Feb. 2010. She had a huge Christmas cactus that she had nurtured. I didn’t have room for the plant but I snipped a piece off and planted it. It was just a single stem….no Y section. It has grown another long section in almost a year…..not much. How do I get it to spread into more than that one stem? Thank you.
Christmas cactus plant tip
I thought I would share that I have a 10 year old plant that is very happy. It was a branch from my mom’s plant. It is on a stand in front of a east-facing window and I live in Michigan.
It blooms nearly every 2 months throughout the year. It always blooms 1 week before Thanksgiving and before Christmas. It ocasionally blooms in January, but it usually blooms in February, near Valentine’s Day, then again in April for Easter. It tends to go dormant for the summer. I give it a “big drink” where the entire pot is filled, once or twice a year (in the spring and end of summer). Since it is over 3′ across I have to do this outside when the weather is nice so the water does not drain all over the house. The rest of the year I just give it a daily glass of water and about 4x a year, it gets fertilizer. I also repot it once a year, although I do not plan to repot it for the next few years, because I got a very large pot last year for it to grow into. I am not sure I will be able to find a pot any bigger than the one it is in now. Plus, it is so heavy.
I hope this helps other people with their plants.
Leaf drop
We are getting leaf drop from our Christmas Cactus, not bud drop. They either shrivel up at the base or just separate at the base. What could be possible problems causing this to happen?
My cactus used to be really healthy, then I moved & it was replanted by my rather let me say careless brother, but regardless of that, I think it has some kind of infection or something, because it doesn’t look right. It used to have fully green leaves & roots. Now its leaves have spots in certain areas and certain roots have these brownish, greyish looking stripe-type formations along them. The poor plant looks rough compared to how it used to. If you didn’t know better it would look fine. But upon closer inspection it just looks “off”. I wish I could find some pictures to compare it with so that I could find the exact infection & proper treatment. Do you know of any such sources?
my christmas cactus plant -one of the branches is laying down .
Dried up blooms
Once the blooms start to die can I pinch them off? Or should I just leave them alone? The plant doesn’t look very good with the dying blooms on it. Thanks for any help!
Not blooming
I have a Christmas Cactus for many years its the size of a busloomshell basket, but since I have moved 6 years ago it has never bloomed! I use to get about 50 flowers but now none. Whats up????
Multiple bloom
grow Citrus plants indoors
I have two questions. Why has my Christmas cactus bloomed three times. First at Thanksgiving, again at Christmas and now it is blooming again?I also have two citrus plants that are growing tall. Do I prune them and how do I do it? What is the best place for them? They are in a north facing window.
Repotting
My mother has had a little christmas cactus for many years, but the poor thing’s been a bit neglected. It’s dry looking, the soil is hard, and hasn’t bloomed in quite a while. My mother thinks we should move it to a larger pot, but what I’ve been reading about is unclear on how/why to do such. Any tips on how to get this poor thing lively again? Thank you!
Initiate bloom time
My Christmas cactus always blooms just before Easter, in fact it is blooming now. I a put it outside in the summer, bring it in before a frost and put it in my basement. If I bring it upstairs and put it in an East facing window it still wont bloom until Easter. It looks like the Christmas cactus not the Easter cactus.
Should I put it in a different window to make it bloom sooner?
purple leaves
my Christmas cactus leaves has turned a dark purple.
It is probably 6 years old.
Scale
My zygo cactus has leaves at the base of the plant that are covered with a scale-like covering that is tan in color and can be removed by running my thumb nail under it.The leaf under the scale is still green, but I’m afraid it will die soon if the scale isn’t removed. It’s much too large for me to remove all the scale leaf by leaf. Please help me determine what has caused the scaling and how to get rid of it. Thanks very much!
Stem rot
I HAVE A YELLOW BLOOMING CHRISTMAS CACTUS THAT THE LEAVES HAVE STARTED BECOMING LIMP AND ARE BREAKING OF AT THE SOIL LINE. MY QUESTION IS…WHAT IS CAUSING THIS AND HOW DO I FIX THE PROBLEM?
I am so glad I found this web site-have Christmas cactus 3rd generation off an original plant that was 105 years old.have been passing down generation to generation.
Was concerned about the woody stems and you answered my question..Thank you so much!!!!
Just found your website and enjoyed reading all the questions and answers. I’m wondering what type of container is best for growing my Thanksgiving/Christmas cactus. I have some pieces in a plastic pot and the leaves appear dark green and shiny. The other sections are in a clay pot and are paler and not shiny, but have produced some flowers this past season. I don’t water until the soil appears dry and have used a potting soil for cactus. I never fertilized them, but will do so this summer. I live in Louisiana and I’m not sure if it would help to put them outside during the summer. Thanks for your help.
I have several Christmas cactus, and they recent have all developed the same symptoms – the buds form, but dry up and die before they are fully formed buds. The plants look healthy enough – and they DO bloom. But there may be 2 or 3 blooms, and the rest of the buds die.
I’ve got one that’s 20 years old and would hate to lose it! Help please!!
Hi Teri
What time of year does this happen?
my christmas cactus has made a fruit at the back of the flower and kinda looks like a prickly pear without the prickels,, since the CC is not a cactus is the fruit a fruit >
My Christmas Cactus’ shoots are brown near the soil but green on the ends and a bit limp. What do I need to do?
If the shoots are soft then the plant has a stem rot.
I have had this cactus for quite some time. have moved to a new home. Put my cactus out on the lenai. It has grown and new growth but the stock and stems are suddenly covered with a white scale. What causes this never had before – ever. How can I ride myself of this? Should zi cut it back and destroy the old root nd start a new planting? ZPlease advise if you can. Thanking you in advance, I remain. Truly yours, ANN
Hi Ann
I’m not familiar with white scale. Could it be mealy bug?
Longevity
I have a Christmas cactus in great health. I’ve had it about ten years and it came from a small cutting reputed to be in existence in one family since 1860. Do you think these plants can live 150 years?
Repotting old Christmas cactus
My christmas cactus ( 50 years old plant just replanted a couple months ago) loses severals 2- 3 inch pieces – everyday I find new pieces the floor.
Repot Christmas cactus
I found a very old Christmas cactus at my local resale shop. The owner told me the cactus came in an estate sale and has been neglected. Perhaps no water for long perioids of time. also the soil has salt build up and altogether looks crappy. This is a fairly large plant. Should I venture to repot back into same pot with fresh soil ? The sections closest to the soil are like woody and then thin to the green sections about 2″ out begin. Ideas anyone ? I’d like to save this plant.
Before repotting, I suggest a baby-steps approach. Begin with a new watering schedule. See how it responds. Then add a fertilizer and add a small amount of soil on top (if there is room in the pot for that). Once the plant is healthy, then transplant it. If you shock the plant too much, all at once, the results could be disastrous. Just moving the plant may prove to be a hardship for this unhappy plant. Good luck!
Coaxing to bloom
I have had a Christmas cactus for several years, and while the plant looks “okay” it has never bloomed, except once at Easter. I keep it in the house to protect it. I have tried putting it in darkness for six weeks, but that hasn’t helped. How can I convince it to bloom?
How do you root the fallen pieces??
I have an issue with all 4 of my mature cacti. All are dramatially losing leaves. They previously flourished in the same locations for about 1.5 yrs. Now they seem to all be dying. I have tried different watering techniques (tried on the different plants separately). Nothing seems to work. They have lost over half of their foilage. Any suggestions?
Stunted growth
I have a christmas cactus that I got as a gift from my daughter when she was in kindergarten back in 1996. In all the years I have had it, It has not grown much. It seems to be stunted. I really want to save this plant. It has been barely hanging on for years. I live in Alaska and usually have it on my kitchen counter. Please help with any suggestions to give it a boost of life. And if I’m lucky a little growth 🙂
Thank You
Wilted, limp leaves
Hi, I have unfortunately overwatered my Christmas Cactus. The leaves are wilted and limp, but still green. I am letting the soil dry out, but was wondering what to do with the wilted leaves? Should I prune them back or just leave them as is with hopes that they will plump up again?
Thank you!
Many of my cactus’ leaves are shriveling up and then fallng off. The cactus was repotted and then kept outside this summer until it got too hot. I have never had this problem before. I’m not sure if I am over watering, underwatering or what. The soil seems dry now and the bases of the plant stems are not mushy. There are a bunch of new growth shoots coming out, but a couple of leaves with shoots are now shriveling up as well. Help please!!!
Easter cactus
My mother used to grow Christmas Cactus that round leaves, not ones that are pointed. Is this a different species of cactus. They seem imposible to find.
My leaves are getting thin and weak. Its blooming but I’m afraid its going to die. This summer they were thick and really healthy looking. What do I need to do?
Cold damage
my mom has a christmas cactus, which has great sentimental value to her. but while i was cleaning i left the cactus outside, in winter. brought it back in, in the morning and sadly it’s limp. what can i do to rescue it?
Do Christmas Cactus flower on new growth or branches that have no new growth?
Christmas cactus fruit
you did not reply about the fruit on the christmas cactus, it appears to be a epiphyllum cross as they too bear fruit like the dragon fruit, prickly and like the kiwi inside
See comments under propagate Christmas cactus re: cactus fruit.
Hi. I have a very old and huge Christmas cactus. It has been pot bound to the extreme for two years now and time to get it repotted.
It is living in a container that is 13″ wide and about the same tall.
I want to put it in a container that is 19″ wide but only 7 ” tall. Does it have a chance in such a container?
Thank you
Forgot plant outside
Hello, I have a pretty embarrassing question. I have had my CC for about 6 years. It has always been in the same pot. While cleaning on a warm spring day I placed my CC outside on my deck for some sun.. And forgot about it for several days. It gets worse. It got cold and SNOWED on my poor cactus. I finally rembered and brought t in.. It is horrible. Everything is mushy and wet and a lot of the stems have turned yellow, mostly the top layer. Some are still green. Is there any hope? It has been inside and ‘drying’ for a week or so. It isnt as mushy, but still limp. Please help!
I have a 7 year old christmas cactus that is the same size as it was 7 years ago. It does bloom but very few blossoms. Some buds just fail to form and harden up. I have repotted it once about 5 years ago. How can I encourage this thing to grow?
Fertilize Christmas cactus
I have a newly bought baby christmas cactus that I put in a planter. It looks like it was grown from cuttings. The old leaves look fine and healthy but the new growth is very pale with pink tints especially around the edges. I am fertilizing with an african violet liquid fertilizer when I water it which is about twice a week (the directions say to use daily but that is overwatering). It’s an 8-14-9 liquid. I also have regular old Miracle-gro (24-8-16) “all purpose”, but have not been using it on the CC. What am I doing wrong? Should I switch to the Miracle-gro?
Also, I am not sure if it’s a Christmas cactus or one of the other varieties…it does have spiny hairs at the leaf joints and I read somewhere that that means it’s one of the others. Is that true?
Hi I have a Christmas Cactus that I purchased whilst in bloom last winter. Recently it has become limp and almost burgundy in colour but has sprouted extra segments recently. I moved it into the bathroom for the humidity and It sprouted roots from most of the segment joins. What should I do? It is no longer in the bathroom and I tend to let it dry out a little before standing in water for a couple of mins (rather than pouring it on). Someone told me to pull the root sprouts off, should I do this? Thanks!
Hi Jennifer,
I have a 12 year old Easter Cactus. As strange as this may sound, it blooms 4-5 “major” times a year, but always tends to have continuous flowers at all times (there are a dozen flowers which have just dropped this week).
Where the blooms once were, new growth is generated. I find that when the new leaves emerge, they begin as purplish-pink tinged. As the leaves grow larger, they change to light leaf green, then darken to a mature deep green. I don’t think it necessarily has anything to do with fertilizing. Hope this helps.
Sue
Some of my Christmas Cacti have leaves with brown edges which eventually fall off. Is this from overwatering? Root rot? Or some other disease?
thanks.
Propagate from cuttings
You mention often to replant sections of fallen pieces, or some pinched from plant. Do you just put the piece in dirt or do you put in glass of water for rooting? Thanks.
My large Christmas cactus was left in a cold, unheated room for approximately 8 weeks. When we returned home, It was weighed down with hundred of blooms and the leaves have all gone to a green/brown color. I have taken it into a heated room but wonder if there is something else I should do.
I just got a Christmas cactus and ive fertilized some of the flowers by hand. the base that’s originally green is now turning pink with a little bit of tan mixed in. Does that mean ive succeded? And from the same flowers theres a sort of pink vein going down the leaf its on. What does that mean?
I have a Thanksgiving cactus that is about 25 years old. This last two months, for the first time, white powdery build up is forming at every joint. I’ve tried putting it in the sink and rinsing it but that does nothing. It has bloomed faithfully, usually two bloom sessions for many years. I have not moved it, I have not changed the once-a-week watering.
Any suggestions for the white powdery stuff at the joints? Thank you!
Hi, I have two schlumbergera – sol brazil and novembre brasil. when I got them they were in flower last November. They seem to have really tiny buds now. How do I tell the difference between new leaf growth and flower buds?
Hi
I need some tips to permanently get rid of fungus gnats please.
Hi,
I have a CC getting back to it’s healthy point. Anyways I had a piece brake off, so I have stuck it into a cup of water. It is rooting now but there are these brownish liquid (sticky) spots on the cup (not on the plant) What would this be and is it normal?
I have a Christmas cactus that seems to have root rot. Leaves are wilted but it is flowering profusely. Should I wait to repot it after its done flowering or can I do it now. I’m afraid it’s going to die if I wait much longer.
Hi. I have a CC that I’ve had for years. I noticed my mother in law puts hers outside so I tried it. It was direct sweltering sun, thinking it was a cactus, would thrive. Much to my chagrin, most of the plant turned brown with many leaves shriveling and falling off. I stuck many back into the soil but am afraid to water or fertilize. I fertilized for the first time earlier this year with foam cactus fertilizer. Should I let it be or water and fertilize? Help! Mary
If you ‘fertilize’ the flowers yourself and / or mix crosses, these plants make fruit. These fruit can take quite a while to ripen though (12-15 months). Wait for it to ripen and then you can squeeze the seeds out and grow plants from seeds. Best of luck!
I’m planning on fertilizing my plants blooms this Fall also. If possible, a pink NOID plant and the Samba Brazil cultivar. It will be interesting to see what color they make.
I’d also fertilize with a good, balanced fertilizer. Just be sure to dilute it to about 1/4 strength. I’m sure Alaska isn’t exactly warm and sunny, so a weak grow light might be a good idea. After these plants bloom, they appreciate a good trim or ‘haircut’, just trim one cladode or phylloclade off all over the plant. This will stimulate growth and/or make for a fuller plant.
Get a good insecticide. I really like Ronsenthal’s Zero tolerance and I believe it covers white scale. I believe you can also use rubbing alcohol but not certain. Best of luck!
A teaspoon of Epsom salt per gallon of water also serves these plants well.
Help! My Xmas cactus is 40 yrs old, never been transplanted, and has only bloomed once! It grows new leaves and some die at times too, requires a lot of water, goes limp once a week after watering!
Do I dare transplant? What does it need? It sits in same spot I house all the time too. I cannot lose this, it was given to me and means so much to me! Help please!
I have been in Florida for 5 years and my XMAS cactus’s did great until this year, 2019!! They look awful! The intense heat this summer, I don’t think they liked the heat. They were in a covered screen porch and brought in for 3 months if it got cold, like now. I water them with rainwater. 2 were my grandmoms and are at least 75 years old! I hope they recover!
as a true Christmas cactus but a different species, has leaves with curved, pointed “teeth,” whereas the Christmas cactus has rounder leaves.