A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Pale, flat leaves on Christams cactus

Hello!

Last winter after blooming, my beautiful 15 year old Christmas cactus, which I grew from clippings, turned very pale, very thin and all the stalks dropped down the basket.

Now, I was surprised that it bloomed this season, but I am afraid to move it and don't know what happened to it or what to do to help it. When there are no blooms, the plant looks ill.

It has lived in my bathroom on the window sill for three years since we moved down south. It has always been very easy to care for and generous in return. Now it is off the sill and sitting in the tub.

I think the window is facing North. There is plenty of sun, ligh tnad moisture. My best guess is that some of the stalks where touching the glass and maybe it got too cold one day?

I have clipped from it in order to maintain the original plant and the clippings themselves are already blooming, and they haven't been planted yet.

Any ideas on how I can restore the color to this dear plant?

Thank you all and Happy Holidays.
Liz

Do you think it may have gotten rootbound? How long has it been since you re-potted it?

If it's getting too big to re-pot in it's entirety, you can just re-pot a piece of the original plant. Or pot your clippings. They should start looking more perky in a matter of days.

I have an old one, and it got very large and worn-out looking. It broke my heart to throw part of it away, but after the saved portion was in fresh, clean potting soil it looked so happy that I knew I'd done the best thing for it.

I have a pal who won't thin hers out. It's gigantic! The pot is as big as a barrel. I don't have room in my house for a plant that big.