Grown for its attractive tubular blooms, the Christmas cactus is a great choice for anyone who is looking for a beautiful plant that can provide stunning flowers during the gloomy winter months.
A Christmas cactus with droopy leaves is caused by a number of problems, including overwatering, underwatering, too much sun, poor soil quality, sunlight that is too harsh, conditions that are too dry, temperatures that are too low or too high and pests and diseases.
Most of the problems that cause droopy leaves on your Christmas cactus are preventable. In fact, poor care is often the root cause of droopy leaves. The best way to prevent leaf problems is to learn the proper care and growing requirements for the Christmas cactus and implement them in your daily gardening.
What Causes Christmas Cactus To Have Droopy Leaves?
Even though the Christmas cactus is an easy-to-care-for houseplant, it does experience some problems that can cause its leaves to become droopy. Thankfully, most of the problems are fairly easy to fix, and can actually be prevented by simply providing the Christmas cactus with its ideal growing conditions.
Underwatering
Underwatering the plant is one of the most common reasons for droopy leaves. When the plant isn’t given the proper amount of water, it can become dry, crispy, wilted, and cause its leaves to droop. One way to determine if the issue is caused by underwatering is to look at the soil in the plant’s pot. If the soil is dry and pulling away from the pot, then the leaf drooping is more than likely caused by not giving the cactus enough water.
To fix an underwatering problem, simply water the Christmas cactus. Keep in mind, however, that the Christmas cactus likes its soil to dry out a little between waterings. Just because a plant is underwatered doesn’t mean you should try to overwater it, as this can cause even more serious problems, such as root rot.
Overwatering
The leading cause of a Christmas cactus to have droopy leaves – how to fix/prevent it is overwatering.Overwatering occurs when you give the plant too much water. This is extremely easy to do with the Christmas cactus, since the plant doesn’t require an abundance of water. If you allow the overwatering to continue, root rot will occur and the plant will die.
Overwatering can be a serious problem, one that isn’t easy to fix. The good news is that overwatering is also completely preventable. If you are facing a droopy Christmas cactus, overwatering has already become a problem. Try not watering the cactus for several days. If the soil is extremely soggy, you may have to repot the cactus in a new container with fresh soil.
Too Much Sun
Placing the Christmas cactus is sun that is too bright will quickly damage its foliage and cause it to become droopy. This cactus needs sunlight that is indirect, but bright. Direct sun is too harsh for this plant and will cause its leaves to burn, scorch, discolor, and droop. Thankfully, if you move the plant out of direct sun, the cactus will typically recover.
A good location for the Christmas cactus is near a sunny window. Make sure the window has either a sheer curtain or a blind. The curtain or blind will filter the sunlight so that it isn’t too harsh for the cactus.
The article owner is Plants To Trees dot Com and this article was first published on February 24, 2023.
Poor Soil Quality
Growing the Christmas cactus is soil that is low in organic matter, has poor drainage, or is too compact can all lead to droopy leaves. The best way to fix this problem is to ensure you grow the Christmas cactus in soil that is high in organic matter and is light and airy.
The best soil for Christmas cactus is 1 part cactus and succulent mix, 1 part horticultural pumice, and 1 part orchid mix. This mixture not only drains properly, but it also retains the right amount of moisture and is high in organic matter.
Dry Conditions
Even though the Christmas cactus doesn’t require a lot of moisture, it does still need some moisture and when the conditions are too dry, the leaves can droopy.
Thankfully, you can typically correct this problem by increasing the humidity level near the plant. The Christmas cactus thrives in humidity levels of 50 to 60 percent. A humidifier or a drip tray can help to increase the humidity in the air. Another option is to mist the leaves. This will help bring that humidity level up a bit while hydrating the plant’s foliage.
Wrong Temperature
When the temperature is too hot or too cold, it can quickly damage the leaves of the Christmas cactus and cause them to droop. For the healthiest and happiest plant, make sure the Christmas cactus is growing in temperatures that fall between 60 and 80 degrees. If you find your plant is experiencing droopy leaves and the temperatures are lower than 60 or higher than 80, try moving the plant to another area.
Remember that trying to grow the Christmas cactus in the wrong temperature can cause the plant to go into shock. This shock will cause the leaves to droop and even fall off the plant. As stress continues to plague the Christmas cactus, it will experience stunted growth and can even die. That is why it is important to ensure the cactus is growing im the correct temps.
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PlantsToTrees.com is the owner of this article and we first published this on February 24, 2023.