Loosing its leaves or limbs is always a sign that something is "troubling" the Christmas cactus. We'll tell you why.
The Christmas cactus is a very popular houseplant in this country, which attracts attention in winter with beautiful flowers in red, pink, white or orange and thus visually underlines the Christmas season. The cactus, originally from the rainforest of Brazil, is available in many subspecies, some of which are very rare and endangered. However, the species available here turn out to be very easy to care for, with which even beginners can hardly do anything wrong. Nevertheless, it happens from time to time that the Christmas cactus loses parts of its leaves or limbs, or that its buds droop unsightly and look anything but he althy. What can be the reason - and more importantly, what can you do about it?Facts about the Christmas Cactus
Even without any laborious care, most Christmas cacti manage to spread, grow well and impress with their attractive flowers in winter. As far as watering is concerned, calcareous water is not so well tolerated - which is often the reason for a not so he althy appearance. The plant hardly needs fertilizer because it originally comes from nutrient-poor areas. Otherwise, the exciting plant is quite easy to care for and rewards its owner with a true bloom for several weeks in optimal conditions. Repotting is not necessary that often, nor is cutting - even beginners can't really do anything wrong with the Christmas cactus. Still, an unhe althy look does happen from time to time.
The flowers hang down or fall off - why?
A common problem is that the buds or flowers of the cactus droop and look far from ready to flower. This can either be due to hard water, or - much more likely - because the plant has been moved and moved too often. The Christmas cactus depends on the sunlight with its flowers and growth. If you then move it in the opposite direction or even completely rearrange it, it just tolerates itmoderate.
The result: Leaves or limbs look limp, the bud ends hang down a bit and you don't expect any flowers visually - which is because the cactus first adapts to the new one has to get used to the direction and should strengthen himself accordingly with his limbs in order to realign them. Either you prevent it by moving as little as possible, or you give the plant back its old place. Otherwise, it is important to offer her a little time to recover. Best done by placing her in a slightly cooler, darker room until she recovers - which usually includes a profusion of flowers.
The leaves are falling off - what is the reason?
If whole limbs of the Christmas cactus fall off and they appear slightly woody at the beginning, the plant is usually not doing too well. Several factors can be responsible for the shedding of the links:
- wrong watering
- a root damage
- wrong room temperature
In this case, to save the cactus, it is important to examine all options and adapt the care to all requirements - otherwise large parts of the plant may soon die off.
Check Root Ball
First of all, carefully inspect the root ball of the plant. This is usually compact and stocky, so it does not necessarily mean that the plant is in a pot that is too small if the root ball is smaller than the cactus itself. If the root ball looks musty, rotten or is infested with mold, it has possibly caused waterlogging to create this. The only thing that helps is to carefully and as little as possible remove the affected root parts and place the root ball in fresh, well-drained soil. Watering can then be waited until the soil seems a little drier. Clay granules can also be inserted into the new soil to better avoid waterlogging.
Check watering behavior
If the roots look perfectly fine, however, you should rule out that the limbs are being thrown off by incorrect watering. Always use only lime-free water that has been boiled or comes from the rain barrel. Slight dampness is fine, wetness should be avoided. In general, it is important to water a little less when it's cool - when it's warm it can be a little more. It should be noted that after flowering the cactus needs rest in a dark, cool place - avoid watering during this period, as well as fertilizing.
WrongLocation
It is also possible that the cactus is too close to a sunny window and is easily burned by the heat, which leads to the loss of limbs. In this case, the cactus should be placed in a north or south-facing window, where it gets indirect light and does not develop heat. The roots, however, like it a little warmer, so they can be placed over a heater. It may also be that the shedding took place because the temperature in the root area was too cold.
Perhaps the plant is rejuvenating?
If the Christmas cactus sheds its leaves or limbs, this can also be because it rejuvenates itself. Although this is quite rare, it is already known to some owners of the plant. The plant may have grown too quickly and can no longer take care of long shoots or widely spread parts, so that "unimportant" things are disposed of first. Some plants may seem puny during this process, but don't panic - most cacti will recover. The cactus may also be taking a break, so it is best to take it to a darker room with cooler temperatures above 10 degrees during this time - this will stimulate its flowering, so that it may recover more quickly.
Part shedding in the Christmas cactus - all options at a glance
- Rejuvenation of the plant because of too fast growth
- wrong watering with calcareous water or too much moisture in the soil
- Root damage caused by waterlogging or too much moisture, such as water in the saucer
- too much heat at the window from the midday sun
- the cactus takes a break after flowering
- The cactus has been moved and rearranged too many times, causing it to realign with the sun and become weakened in the process
- cold temperature around root