christmas catcus

Question

Hello, We were leaving from up north and my Christmas Catus was put in an enclosed trailer and froze the leaves. When we got here I have tried warming the leaves and I have it in the sun right now. Can I do anything to get this plant back to the beautiful way it was?

Answer 1

First, I would not put the plant in the sun. It is already under a lot of stress and even when in good shape, it doesn’t like full sun. Your leaves are likely to turn a reddish-purple color, at a minimum. They may fall off but this doesn’t mean the plant is dead. After holiday flowering, there is a natural dormant period. Don’t give up hope as I think you will start to see new leaves emerge in late February, if not sooner. Water gently – it doesn’t need much while dormant. Fertilize when new growth starts but I would go easy and just use half the recommended amount until full recovery. If it was below freezing for over 24 hours, consider repotting the plant. This way you can look for dead roots and prune them out. They will be flaccid or mushy and a different color. If there are any intact leaves, consider taking a cutting to start a new plant in case this one doesn’t pull through.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/christmas-cactus/how-to-propagate-and-plant-christmas-cactus.htm