Sign Up
Click on links below to jump to that question.
- Q.Why Does My Christmas Cactus Bloom For People I Share Starts With But Not The Ones I Keep? - I put my cactus in the dark for 14 hours a night and withheld water for a month, but still ...
- Q.What Is Wrong With My Christmas Cactus??! - I bought several segments from a Christmas cactus online hoping I would be successful in propagating them. I was able ...
- Q.Is My Christmas Cactus Overwatered? How Do I Save It? - Hello! I got a Christmas cactus a few months ago, and it's been doing fine until recently. A couple of ...
- Q.I’m Crying. A Friend Over Watered My Old Christmas Cactus. What To Do? When I Tried To Get It Out Of The Pot, The Roots Broke Of - f. It is quite big. How can I save it? It was mom's
- Q.Brown Hard Lines Looks Like Bark On The Underside Of My Christmas Cactus Down By The Roots. What Is It? - Want to know what this is. Plz
- Q.What Is Wrong With My Christmas Cactus? - My Cactus has woody steems yet it is very small. It has very few green leaves. Is it dying? What ...
- Q.Xmas Cactus Not Producing New Shoots - on’t work I was considering pulling or cutting the existing leaf a little where it has moisture.
Asked by
Anonymous on
January 17, 2021Q.Why Does My Christmas Cactus Bloom For People I Share Starts With But Not The Ones I Keep?
I put my cactus in the dark for 14 hours a night and withheld water for a month, but still no blooms. Can it be because it the nighttime temp. is not cool enough??
Answered by
GKH_Susan on
January 18, 2021
Certified ExpertA.They need to be in a room that gets 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness about a month before you want it to bloom. This means a room you aren't in at night with a light on. Or, you can cover the plants at night, but remove the cover during the day. Also reduce watering, you don't have to withhold it completely. And if the room is cool, all the better, but the 12 hours of darkness is more important.
Also, they like to be slightly potbound to bloom, so you don't need to repot very often.
Do you summer your plant outside? Mine bloomed the best when it was on a shady patio during the summer. When temperatures cooled down in the fall and the days got shorter mine would inevitably bud out. I would bring it inside to the warmth and it would soon bloom. I made sure I brought it in before we had a freeze.
Follow these additional tips and see if you can get it to bloom. It isn't too late.
Was this answer useful?00
Join Us -
Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips!
- Asked by
Dialing911 on
January 20, 2021
42078Q.What Is Wrong With My Christmas Cactus??!
I bought several segments from a Christmas cactus online hoping I would be successful in propagating them. I was able to get two out of the five to root. I have the two planted together in the same pot and have for probably 6 or 7 months. Recently, one of the rooted cuttings began to get what seems to be a white film on it and even some brown places. A segment even broke off on its own. The other rooted cutting appears to be doing better however it seems to be slowly discolored also. I would love to be able to save at least one of these as it is the first Christmas cactus I have cared for! Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!
- Answered by
BushDoctor on
January 20, 2021
Certified ExpertA.I am seeing signs of rot. These succulents are capable of withstanding long periods of dry, and will recover from overly dry conditions.
They will have a lot of trouble recovering from overwatering, however.
Using a fungicide will help, but it will be important to provide the correct soil and environmental conditions to support this succulent's needs.
Here are some articles that will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/using-fungicides-in-garden.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/christmas-cactus
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
echeveria on
February 23, 2021
Saint Paul, MinnesotaQ.Is My Christmas Cactus Overwatered? How Do I Save It?
Hello! I got a Christmas cactus a few months ago, and it's been doing fine until recently. A couple of weeks ago I noticed that it's looking a bit limp, and it's dropped a few of the outermost leaves. I've been watering it sparingly, but the limpness makes me worried that I've overwatered it. I pulled it out of its pot this afternoon to look at the roots, but honestly I'm not sure if I would recognize root rot if I saw it. I noticed the limp leaves not too long after I brought it to Colorado from Minnesota, so I suppose the change in environment could have been stressful for it, but I don't know what the specific problem is and I'm afraid that either I'm overwatering or not watering enough in my attempt to correct for overwatering. I've only had it for a couple of months and I don't want it to die, so any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!
- Answered by
BushDoctor on
February 24, 2021
Certified ExpertA.This is underwatering, actually! Let the soil dry out, but don't let it stay dry for more than a day or so. They are tropical succulents, and will require more water than a, true, desert succulent.
Here is an article that will help you to care for the plant:
Was this answer useful?10 - Asked by
Anonymous on
March 23, 2021Q.I’m Crying. A Friend Over Watered My Old Christmas Cactus. What To Do? When I Tried To Get It Out Of The Pot, The Roots Broke Of
f. It is quite big. How can I save it? It was mom's
- Answered by
GKH_Susan on
March 23, 2021
Certified ExpertA.Even with broken roots, this plant may come back even healthier than before. You may also need to divide it into more than one plant. I would also pinch off some of the segments and start a new plant. Here are articles that should help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/christmas-cactus/overwatered-christmas-cactus.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/christmas-cactus/how-to-propagate-and-plant-christmas-cactus.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/how-to-fix-waterlogged-plant-soil.htmWas this answer useful?00 - Asked by
Anonymous on
April 11, 2021Q.Brown Hard Lines Looks Like Bark On The Underside Of My Christmas Cactus Down By The Roots. What Is It?
Want to know what this is. Plz
- Answered by
GKH_Susan on
April 12, 2021
Certified ExpertA.It is bark forming. This article explains:
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
Anonymous on
April 18, 2021Q.What Is Wrong With My Christmas Cactus?
My Cactus has woody steems yet it is very small. It has very few green leaves. Is it dying? What should I do to save it?
- Answered by
GKH_Susan on
April 20, 2021
Certified ExpertA.Woody stems at the base are normal for an older plant, but it shouldn't have white leaves. It could be botrytis blight. Since there are so few leaves to start another one, I think I would retire this plant and start fresh with a new one.
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
Madfratt on
May 8, 2021
15237Q.Xmas Cactus Not Producing New Shoots
on’t work I was considering pulling or cutting the existing leaf a little where it has moisture.
- Answered by
BushDoctor on
May 10, 2021
Certified ExpertA.It looks a little crowded in that container. Give it a, slightly, bigger one with epyphitic soil mix, and it will start shotting new growth.
Here is an article that will help you to care for the plant:
Here is an article to help you to repot the plant:
Was this answer useful?00
Do you know a lot about gardening?
Become a GKH Gardening Expert
X
Join Us -
Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips!