The Christmas cacti are a favorite in homes around the world because of their colorful flowers and unique form.
Then there’s the fact that they’re tough and sturdy, hardly needing any care to thrive and flower.
But just because they’re tough, that doesn’t mean these succulents never have problems. Leaf drop is one of the first signs of trouble.
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Holiday cacti will drop their cladodes – the leaflike structures – naturally as they age. It’s usually just one or two here and there, and the plant will look perfectly healthy otherwise.
Talking of Check out our guide on how to grow Christmas cactus Keep your specimen healthy by learning how to care for it.
But if young leaves are falling or more than a few are dropping at a time, you need to read this guide and figure out what’s going on.
Here’s the list of issues we’ll go over:
The first topic we’ll discuss is probably one of the least common unless you are a chronic overwaterer.
1. It is a disease
If the cladodes are falling and you notice little tan lesions or black water-soaked spots on the foliage, you’re probably dealing with Fusarium wilt, caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum.
It is important to remember that this pathogen requires a lot moisture in order to grow and spread. So, overwatering the plant or keeping it in soil or containers with poor drainage can be a recipe for disaster.
You may be able save the specimen, if you are able to catch it in time. However, if this is not possible, the best thing to do is take a cut to propagate another plant, and throw away the one that’s already infected.
Remove the Christmas cactus from its container and remove the soil. If most of the roots are black and slimy, it’s too late.
If at least half the roots are healthy, you can trim the dead parts, spray the roots in copper fungicide and repot your plant.
Bonide Copper Fungicide
Bonide’s copper fungicide has been a great help to me over the years. If you’d like to grab some to keep in your gardening toolkit, visit Arbico Organics.
It is available in 32 ounces ready-to use, hose end ready to spray, 16 ounces hose ends or concentrate.
2. Unsuitable Temperature
Anytime they are exposed to temperatures above 90°F or below 50°F, you run the risk of flower buds or leaves dropping.
Don’t assume that you’re safe just because you keep your home at a moderate temperature.
Your Christmas cactus could suffer from extreme temperatures if it is placed near a window with a single pane or an exterior entrance.
Single pane windows don’t provide much insulation, which means they get hot during the heat of summer and they let in a lot of cold during the chilly winter days.
Keep Christmas cactus far away from doors and windows if you are in an area with particularly cold winters.
You can place it anywhere, even near multi-paned, well-insulated windows or additional lighting.
3. There is Not Enough Light
Yes, they’re houseplants, and they can survive in the same light we have in our homes.
In the spring and summer, Christmas cacti will thrive with direct sunlight, but they also do well in bright indirect light.
You run the risk of the plants dropping their cladodes if you go below that.
The plant will also suffer from this condition if there is insufficient light. etiolatedIt will therefore be paler if the exposure is not correct.
It is simple to fix this problem: just move the cause into an area with more light.
4. Nutrient Deficiency
I wouldn’t call Christmas cacti particularly greedy, but even if you’ve been feeding regularly, if the soil is old and depleted, your Christmas cactus might not be able to access the nutrients it needs.
Start fertilizing your plants in the late winter or early Spring. As soon as you see new growth developing, that’s when you need to start feeding.
Use NPK 10-10-10 or a 20-20-20 once a week until fall.
Add a teaspoon Epsom salt to a gallon water two weeks after applying the fertilizer to add magnesium.
Magnesium is a staple in the diet of holiday cacti. Give the usual amount of water and put any extra solution aside. This solution can last up to several weeks.
Find out more on how to fertilize Christmas Cacti..
If you haven’t replenished the soil in the past five years or so, remove the plant from its pot and brush away all the soil.
Repot using fresh, new potting dirt. You’re not sure which potting soil you should use? Check out our comprehensive guide.
5. Pests
Pests that feed on sap like Aphids, spider mites. Mealybugs If you drain your plants, they will start to drop their leaves.
Before this happens, you’ll notice other symptoms like Yellowing leaves Honeydew is a sticky substance that forms on foliage.
See our guide on Christmas cactus Pests Learn how to identify insect problems and get rid of these pests.
6. Too Little Water
It’s harder to underwater these plants than it is to overwater them. The paddle-shaped leaves of succulent plants store water well.
If they are left without water for too long, the cladodes begin to shrink, turn brown or yellow, and eventually fall. The whole specimen will also appear droopy.
This probably won’t happen if you forget to water one time, but chronic underwatering will cause it.
The solution, of course, is to stay on top of your watering schedule while making sure you aren’t overwatering, which we’ll talk about next.
7. Too Much Water
It’s surprisingly easy to overwater a Christmas cactus, and when you do, leaf drop is sure to follow.
The roots of the plants in the soil will drown if you overwater. They can’t access oxygen, and they start to rot away. Aboveground, that means the plant can’t support its cladodes, and they get ejected.
Holiday cacti can be considered cacti. However, they prefer a fair amount of moisture compared to their desert-dwelling relatives.
Allow the top half-inch of soil to dry before adding more water. When the plant isn’t blooming, you can leave it until the top half-inch of soil dries out.
Mounting the plant onto wood or wire is the easiest way to avoid excessive watering. As epiphytes, they grow well this way, and it’s almost impossible to overwater mounted specimens.
If you’ve never mounted a plant before, it involves wrapping the roots in moss and fastening the plant to wood or wire to recreate the natural environment that epiphytes thrive in.
To learn how to rescue a Christmas Cactus overwatered, Visit our guide to learn more.
Keep it Together
You will find very few plants that produce vibrant color in winter. You don’t want them to be dropping buds and leaves and looking all ugly.
Holiday cacti are tough, so if you treat them right, you’ll be able to prevent leaf drop. Now you know!
You were able to resolve your issue? Let us know if it worked. And if you’re still struggling, drop us a note in the comments section below with what you’re seeing so we can try to help.
If you’re ready to Learn more about the holiday cactiNext, you might want to check out our other guides: