Christmas cactus ( Schlumbergera truncata ) is a low - sustainment plant aboriginal to Brazil that produces wintertime bloom in shadiness of pinkish , white-hot , orangish and red . A Christmas cactus that is descend asunder , with breaking bow and dropped flower buds , may be suffering from improper charge , a disease or pest infestation .
Climate Conundrums
The move from a nursery or glasshouse to a home can be traumatic for a unexampled Christmas cactus , specially in winter when indoor humidity levels are low . Even a subtle temperature and humidness change can stress the plant , causing it to suddenly drop its bloom bud . Be patient and give the plant clip to step by step acclimate to its new surroundings . If the Christmas cactus is flowering , place it in a berth with promising , indirect light , ideally with daytime temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperature around 60 to 65 F. A Christmas cactus does not endure frost and may only be grown out of doors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12 .
Baneful Bugs
Mealybugs may aggress a Christmas cactus , causing the flora to become distressed and limp . In severe plague , the segmented pads and bloom may commence to wither and decease , dropping from the plant , and the plant may wilt or stop growing . The whole works may seem to fall apart and die . A steamy substance , called honeydew , may be present , which attracts a dark sooty mold . condition where the pads get together and leaf bottom for the pest , which take form cottony white colonies . Remove mealybugs by rubbing them off with a cotton swab dipped in fray alcoholic beverage .
Rot Ruin
Numerous kinds of rot , including basal stem rot , delicate rot , genus Phytophthora root rot and pythium root rot , may snipe Christmas cactus , cause plant tissue paper to expire and drop from the plant . A plant suffering from rot may show lesion at the base , and they may eventually wilt , collapse and become flat . If your Christmas cactus still has level-headed white tooth root , you may be able-bodied to save it by pare off dilapidate roots and repotting the works in a clean , new can with fresh unimaginative potting soil . If no healthy roots remain , it ’s best to hurl the plant out .
Maintenance and Moisture
Waterlogged soil , particularly in the wintertime , can cause source rot , while drought can have the plant to dry out out and wilt , deteriorate pads and flower bud . Water the Christmas cactus on a regular basis throughout the raise season , allowing the grunge to almost dry out between each watering . Reduce tearing in the fall until newfangled ontogeny appears in spring . Use a well - run out potting soil , such as a mixture that is 1 part pot stain , 1 part precipitously draining Baroness Dudevant or perlite and 2 parts peat moss . A plant that continually wilts despite proper cultural care should be repotted in a slenderly larger stack , counsel Purdue University .
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