Inherited from my deceased great-aunt two years ago. The plant was so big it broke the plastic pot and is now in a clay one. I'm not so much concerned with the lack of blooms, and I have done extensive research on the care and keeping of Christmas cactus. I would propagate it but the plant itself isn't big enough to harvest cuttings.
The fronds broke off about 6 months ago and all that is left is a 6in 'Y' stem with one segment. The stem is woody and firm; a piece broke off the other day and I saw that it was green on the plant, but the piece was dried out so I discarded it.
The root ball is firm, the roots themselves are not soggy and have a yellow-brownish color.... turgor is good.
I have been overly zealous with watering so today I rinsed off the root ball and it is on a plate in a warm area so it can dry out a bit. The soil is extremely wet also.
Are the roots still viable and does the plant sound as if it's still alive?
2007-12-23 06:03:45 · 4 answers · asked by NotThatGirl 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Letting the soil dry out is a good first step. Once it is dry, re-pot it in a pot that has drainage holes. I have a friend who (literally) only waters his cacti when there is rain in Tucson, AZ, and it works beautifully (distilled water is best). NEVER let the plant sit in water - never never never NEVER! Other than that, it should be planted in a comparatively sandy soil mix (most garden centers have it in bags) so that it drains well. Remember, you're essentially trying to replicate a desert environment. If you can put it in a place where the temperature drops a good bit at night, that's even better. Feed it with plant food formulated for cacti; if you can't find that, then stick with ordinary balanced houseplant fertilizer intended for foliage plants.
Good luck - I hope you can salvage your Christmas cactus! :-)
2007-12-23 06:36:29 · answer #1 · answered by crazeecatlady 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A Christmas cactus, schlumberga, is not a desert cactus, instead it is a rain forest plant, so sandy soil is not the best for it. It needs a well-drained potting soil, and in the wintertime, only watered sparingly. In the spring and summer growing season, it needs regular watering and fertilizing just like any other houseplant.
It sound like yours has been overwatered, and that can cause root rot. I would remove all the soil you can, rinse it off, and repot it in good potting soil, slightly moistened, but don't water it right away. After a week or so, water it sparingly, just enough to keep the soil from completely drying out. Hope it is not too late and you can save it.
Don't put it in a pot that is too big for it, a pot that it just fits in is about right for now. You can repot it into a bigger pot later when it recovers and has grown for a while. And do not fertilize it until it shows some signs of growth, you should never fertilize a sick plant.
2007-12-23 22:23:10 · answer #2 · answered by Isadora 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If the stem part still has green it may still have a chance. The only way is to try again once it has dried out for a couple of days. Use a cacti potting mix and water sparingly this time. I have a lot of success with Christmas cacti outdoors, they need very little care.
2007-12-27 08:51:42 · answer #3 · answered by kim 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oops, bet you overwatered. Hopefully you can salvage it. Go to www.humeseeds.com an check out the care of christmas cactus there. Good luck.
2007-12-23 14:16:30 · answer #4 · answered by Joan H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋