Christmas cactus

While I'm waiting for my african violets to recover, I have a question about one of my Christmas cactus. Some are green, fleshy and blooming, but this one looks very pale, the stems are more shriveled looking, but it did put out a few blooms. It's getting sun on the patio. What can I do for it?

Can you post a picture of it? It could be it's getting too much sun, or else it could be a watering issue (more likely too much water, but could be too little as well)

Have been growing the same Christmas cactus for 6 or 7 years....I wished I would have taken a photo in November as it was loaded with blooms.

I had it in a south facing window for 2 years. It grew so big I transplanted into a bigger pot(in the fall??) No longer able to fit the plant in my bay window. I placed it in a west facing window(indirect light) and it was beautiful!! I believe it was getting too much sun in the window.

I water only once per week. I realize you have your plant outside, so I think it is getting too much sun. Add some sand to your soil. I know it is hard but, pinch off your plant every year so new growth will fill out your plant good luck

Don't put your Christmas Cactis outdoors. Leave it in the house and in indirect sunlight. Just like wendy did. Now what you are going to have to do is climate your plant. You can't just bring it in the house and leave it there because it will start to die on you. Put it near a window and open the window for a while each day then slowly start to close the window more, or take the in for a while then put it back out. Do that for a few days just to get it used to the inside. When you put any plant outside, your stressing it out and drying it out too fast.

They can be perfectly happy outdoors, just with a bit less sun than they're probably getting now.

I take mine out every spring also but i have a lot of fairly deep shade for them. I've just started fertilizing them with light liquid fertilizer. I had one of mine come up with the light colored shriviled leaves and discovered it had been missed when i watered my others and needed water badly. Poor thing was in a corner unseen.

I have mine on a covered patio so it only gets filtered light. I think I've had it about four or five years now and it blooms every year. I divided it this year and gave a potted up plant to a friend and she raved on the blooms she got around Christmas time. I've always kept mine outside on the patio.

Please will someone help me save these christmas cati. I have tried every friends advise with no results. I stopped watering as often, although I didn't feel I was over watering, It has been in the same location for 4 years and done great until about Dec. than it started looking wilted petals turned purple colored and very wilted. Although it bloomed very nice and even has a few blooms on it now, I just feel I am loosing it and don't know what to do. Oh yes it also has little white spots on the petals. I will put a couple of photos on here to if I can.

Margie

Hi Margie

My suggestion would be to repot now in some sandy soil. Pinch off 2 leaves from each branch. What have you been using for fertilizer? Place in a west window. Not sure what the white spots could be? My guess it has something 2 do with what your are feeding it/or not feeding it. good luck!

Keep us updated on your CC if it does'nt improve soon maybe we can think of something else to try.

Thank you for your quick responses. You know come to think of it it started acting this way after the last feeding and I'm really not sure what I fed it because I have is all ready mixed,(marked plant food) but it isn't what I usually used. Usually I put some Osmocote slow released pellets. Maybe that was the culprit. It has always been in a west window. I must say you are the first to suggest repoting it. I wanted to do that since I didn't feel I had much to loose but wasn't sure when to do it. It is at this time got a few bloomsd on it, would it be better to do the change when these blooms are done or just go ahead now. when I re pot it should I give it some food and a little water? could you give me a formula for the soil or should I just buy some potting soil meant for cactus?
Again Thank you and I will keep you informed.

margie

After last frost they can go out in a bright, indirect sun spot. In the fall keep them outside until you are close to getting the first frost. By then they should be budding up nicely! Feed every other week in the growing season at half the recommended rate.

Tom

Margie

My suggestion is 2 repot now, I use miracle grow potting soil on any plant in the house cause I don't plan 2 eat them...lol you could wait until it finishes blooming but I think you may loose the plant, good luck. Keep me posted..

Another thing Christmas Cactis likes is coolness. They are not crazy about heat. And you really don't want to do any kind of transplanting until it is complately done with flowers because you will hurt it that way. It has to be done blooming.

After pinching off the the segments, can these be started as new plants?

Yep! I usually put them into the same pot as the "Mom" to make it fuller.

Ooo, good idea.

Margie did you clip some of your CC so if you do loose it you will have a new one started? I have one that I have been fighting with for a long time. It has peach colored blossoms when it does give in and live. I have had to restart it several times. The last time I decided to try a little bleach in the water and dipped the root end in it. It seems to have cleared up what ever has been wrong with it. I notice to there is a lot of build up on the pot you have it in. I would transplant start fresh give that pot a good bleach bath and a rest.
Good Luck
Robin

Robin,

No I didn't clip any from my cactus. I did re pot them in new soil and pots, gave them a little water & food. I did notice when I took all the old soil off that the stem was very soft I cleared off the soft area than just put them in the soil. Kinda worried because they didn't seem to have much real root. both just sorta broke off at the base of the stem. Though about putting one in some root starter but everyone seem to just stick a section in the dirt. It still looks very droopy but it seems moist so I'm just leaving it alone and hoping. Thanks for you help.

margie

i save a few cuttings from my trouble child and even rooting it was a fight tried rooting powder and washed it off eventually in a lite bleachwater put the two cutting I have left in water and the roots are good right now. Be ready to plant in a couple of weeks.
Good Luck

If yours doesn't make it, I can send you some cuttings. Jennifer