When your Christmas cactus is turning purple and limp, it is the plant’s way to alert you that something is wrong and needs fixed ASAP. Unfortunately, there is more than one reason as to why the plant is experiencing these problems, and you may have to try more than one fix before you save the plant.
When your Christmas cactus is turning purple and limp, it is typically caused by incorrect moisture, light that is too bright, extreme temperature fluctuations, or nutrient deficiency. Most of these issues are completely preventable by merely giving the cactus its optimal growing conditions.
The best method to prevent your Christmas cactus from turning purple and limp is to ensure you are growing it in bright but indirect sun, water when the top 2 inches of soil is dry, avoid placing the plant in an area where it will experience extreme temperature fluctuations, and increase the organic matter in the soil.
The Christmas cactus grows best when it is watered with distilled water and given 8 hours of bright, indirect sun. If you want to encourage the cactus to bloom during the holidays, give the Christmas cactus 14 hours of darkness every day starting in mid September. Continue to give the plant 14 hours of darkness for 6 weeks.
Additionally, the Christmas cactus needs temperatures that range from 60 to 80 degrees. Allowing the plant to grow in temps that are lower or higher than this range for an extended period of time can cause damage and discoloration to the cactus’ leaves. If you don’t fix the temperature problems soon, the plant will go into shock and its growth will slow.
What Causes Christmas Cactus Turning Purple And Limp?
Despite being easy to care for, the Christmas cactus can experience some problems that cause it to turn purple and limp. This can quickly affect not only the way the Christmas cactus looks, but it will also have a negative effect on its overall health and wellness.
The most common cause of the Christmas cactus turning purple and limp is giving the plant too much water or not enough water, the wrong type and amount of sunlight, nutrient deficiency, and direct sunlight.
Incorrect Moisture
Not giving the Christmas cactus the correct amount of moisture is one of the leading causes of problems, including the cactus turning purple and limp. Thankfully, this is one of the easiest problems to prevent. All you have to do is ensure the plant receives the right amount of moisture.
A good general rule of thumb is to water the Christmas cactus deeply once every 2 or so weeks. This timeframe can vary depending on the temperature, humidity, and time of year, as well as the age and size of the cactus. One way you can help ensure you don’t overwater or underwater the plant is to insert your finger about 2 inches into the soil. If it feels damp, wait a few days before checking again. Only water when those top two inches of soil feels dry.
Bright, Direct Sunlight
While the Christmas cactus does need bright sunlight, it cannot tolerate direct sun. Direct sunlight is too harsh for the Christmas cactus and can cause the entire plant to turn purple and go limp.
The best thing to do is to move the Christmas cactus to an area out of direct sunlight. Choose a location that is near an east or west facing window where the sun is filtered through a sheer curtain or blind. Additionally, you should aim to give the Christmas cactus about 8 hours of this bright, indirect light. More than 8 hours can also cause damage to the plant and its leaves.
Extreme Temperature Fluctuations
Christmas cacti need temperatures that range from 60 to 80 degrees. While it can tolerate temps a little lower or a little higher, exposure for too long can damage the leaves, turning them purple and making the cacti go limp.
The most common locations where extreme temperature fluctuations occur are under or near a heating and cooling vent or next to drafty doors and windows. These locations typically experience temps that go up and down quickly, which can cause damage to your houseplants.
Move the Christmas cactus to an area away from these locations if you want to save the plant. Remember, however, that once the leaves are discolored, they won’t go back. Any new leaves that emerge will be healthy and the correct color as long as you have moved the Christmas cactus to the proper location.
Nutrient Deficiency
All plants, including the Christmas cactus, need macro nutrients to be healthy and happy. If they don’t get these nutrients, the plant can begin to turn purple and go limp. Some of the most important macro nutrients that this plant needs are nitrogen, magnesium, and phosphorus.
Malnutrition typically occurs because the potting soil is of poor quality or has been depleted, but it can also be caused by overwatering or the roots becoming entangled, which prevents the cactus from properly absorbing the nutrients.
You can boost the nutrients in the soil by adding fertilizer. This fertilizer can be the organic type, such as fish emulsion or worm castings, or commercially available fertilizer. Use a liquid fertilizer that is well-balanced, such as 10-10-10, and apply at half strength no more than once a month.
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PlantsToTrees.com is the owner of this article and we first published this on February 24, 2023.