If you’re looking for a holiday plant that doesn’t require much fussing over, consider the Christmas cactus. This attractive succulent produces long, flattened stems and can grow tubular-shaped blooms in pink hues. While the Christmas cactus isn’t susceptible to an abundance of problems, it can experience problems, such as leaves turning pale, that can affect the health and appearance of the plant.
A Christmas cactus with leaves that are turning pale is typically caused by too much sun or direct sunlight. This cactus needs indirect sun, and placing it in direct sunlight will damage its foliage, turning it from vibrant green to a sickly pale color.
Move the plant to an area that is out of direct sun to fix the problem. Remember, however, that any foliage that has turned pale will not turn back to its original green color. But once the problem is fixed, new leaves will have that desirable green hue.
What Causes Christmas Cactus Leaves Turning Pale?
Knowing what causes the Christmas cactus leaves to turn pale is the first step in determining what issues you need to fix to save your plant. Once you know the reason for the pale leaves, act quickly to stop the problem.
Direct Sunlight
The most common reason as to why your Christmas cactus leaves are turning pale is the plant is in direct sun. Direct sunlight is too harsh for the Christmas cactus and will damage its leaves. Thankfully, you can correct this problem by moving the plant out of direct sunlight.
Keep in mind, however, that the plant will need some amount of sun, so avoid setting it in shaded areas. An exception to this is during mid September when the Christmas cactus should receive 14 hours of darkness every day for 6 weeks. This will help encourage the cactus to bloom during the holidays.
Too Much Sun
Too much sun can also cause the Christmas cactus leaves to turn pale. A good general rule of thumb is to give the Christmas cactus about 8 hours of indirect sun every day. Giving the plant more than 8 hours can cause the leaves to discolor.
Christmas cacti grow the best when they are near an east or west-facing window that has a sheer curtain. The sheer curtain helps to diffuse the harsh light coming in through the window.
Dehydration
Not giving the Christmas cactus enough water can quickly cause its foliage to turn pale. If the problem isn’t corrected, the Christmas cactus will continue to lose leaves and wilt. Eventually, the plant will stop growing and death isn’t far behind.
Increasing the amount of watering will help fix the problem, but the leaves that are already pale won’t revert to green. Instead, you will need to wait until new leaves emerge in order to see those iconic green leaves.
On the flip side of the coin, you shouldn’t overwater the Christmas cactus as this can cause a whole new set of issues. A good general rule of thumb is to water the plant once every 2 to 3 weeks. Christmas cacti are succulents that don’t require an abundance of water, though the exact watering timeline will vary depending on the size and age of the plant, as well as the time of year and temperature.
We at Plants To Trees first published this article on February 25, 2022. Copyright protected.
Bad Water
Another potential cause of pale leaves on your Christmas cactus is poor water quality. Tap water is usually the culprit, and this is because tap water is filled with added chemicals, such as fluoride and chlorine, and contains various minerals. All of which can damage the Christmas cactus.
Using distilled water, filtered water, or rain water will help prevent damage to the Christmas cactus leaves. If you must use tap water, let it sit out on the counter for 24 hours before watering. This will give the chlorine enough time to dissipate before watering the plant.
Diseases
Root rot, Botrytis blight, and necrotic spot virus are just a few of the diseases that can attack the Christmas cactus and cause its leaves to turn pale. Most of these problems are caused by overwatering or watering incorrectly. While these are serious diseases, they are also usually preventable.
To reduce the chance of these diseases attacking the Christmas cactus, make sure you only water when the top 2 inches of soil is dry. Additionally, use soil that isn’t compact, since you will need soil that drains properly. You should also only water at the base of the plant. Watering overhead can splash soil onto the leaves, and sometimes the soil contains disease-causing pathogens. When you water at the base, you prevent the soil from splashing onto the foliage, which stops these pathogens in their tracks.
Lack Of Nutrients
It isn’t uncommon for the soil that your Christmas cactus is growing in to become depleted of nutrients. This is typically more common in plants that have been growing in the same soil for many years. In its native habitat, the soil of the cactus is constantly renewed with organic matter.
The article owner is Plants To Trees dot Com and this article was first published on February 25, 2022.
If you notice the leaves are turning pale, wilting, and falling off, the issue could be a lack of nutrients in the soil. Thankfully, you can correct the problem by either adding organic matter, such as worm casings, to the soil or feeding the cactus with an all-balanced, liquid fertilizer.
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PlantsToTrees.com is the owner of this article and we first published this on February 25, 2022.
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